Soul Purification, - Oppression and Intrigue, and the Ultimate Punishment - II

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Meaning of the planning of Allaah The Almighty
As is common knowledge, the manner in which Allaah The Almighty plans, fits His Majesty; it indicates the way in which He inflicts punishment on those who conspire evil against His allies and Messengers, which is countering their schemes with good plans. Therefore, while their plots are most vile, the planning of Allaah The Almighty is the finest, because it constitutes justice and fair recompense. In addition, His manipulation of the disbelievers is a punishment for their deceitfulness of His messengers and allies. Verily, there is no plan or deception better than His.
Bearing in mind that the ill effects of conniving are suffered by the perpetrators, the same applies to the oppression they inflict, which is a sin that entails a swift recompense. It was said that anyone who draws the sword of injustice will be killed with it, for it afflicts its doer; therefore, one should avoid injustice.
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with them, would say, "If it happened that a mountain repressed another mountain, Allaah The Almighty would level the unfair one." The following quote is also attributed to him: "A king uttered a word of injustice while he was sitting on his throne. Allaah The Almighty then transformed him into an unknown object, perhaps a fly or something else. Most importantly, he did not have any significance after that again."
Furthermore, ‘Abdullaah ibn Mu‘aawiyah Al-Haashimi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, relates, “When he was on his deathbed, ‘Abdul-Muttalib asked his ten sons to assemble and advised them as follows, ‘O sons, do not be unjust, for, I swear by Allaah, ]He[ did not create anything more speedy in generating punishment than injustice. I have never witnessed people who continued ]to live in peace[ despite their transgression, except perhaps your relatives from Banu ‘Abd Shams.’”
Ibnul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, remarked, “How strange it is that the human self has the arrogance of Iblees, the envy of Qaabeel )Cain(, the insolence of ‘Aad, the transgression of Thamood, the audacity of Nimrod, the discourtesy of Pharaoh, the tyranny of Qaaroon, the ugliness of Haamaan, the fancies of Bal’aam, the deception of the people of Sabbath, the rebellion of Al-Waleed and the ignorance of Abu Jahl! It is also characterized by some beastly characteristics, such as the keenness of the crow, the voracity of the dog, the vanity of the peacock, the vileness of the scarab, the ingratitude of the Dhabb )a kind of reptile(, the grudge of the camel, the leaping of the cheetah, the hostility of the lion, the wrongdoing of the mouse, the maliciousness of the snake, the toying of the monkey, the persistent hoarding of the ant, the slyness of the fox, the lightness of the butterfly and the laziness of the hyena. However, despite all that, struggling against these bad traits, does, eventually, remove them."
Texts in the Quran vilify injustice, such as where Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.{]Quran 42:42[ In general, injustice incorporates haughtiness, arrogance, oppression, corruption and committing sins. It is one of the five things that all divine faiths prohibit, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and injustice without right, and that you associate with Allaah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allaah that which you do not know."{]Quran 7:33[
That is why the promise of Allaah The Almighty of His support, to all those that have been oppressed should suffice them, as He Says )what means(:}That ]is so[. And whoever responds ]to injustice[ with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized - Allaah will surely aid him.{]Quran 22:60[
Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"No sin is worthier of its doer’s punishment being hastened by Allaah in the worldly life, in addition to what is stored for him in the Hereafter, than injustice and severance of family relations."]Ahmad and Abu Daawood[ A slightly different version reads:"No act of obedience to Allaah necessitates a reward faster than upholding the ties of kinship; and nothing prompts punishment swifter than injustice, cutting off ties and the untruthful oath and empty promises.”]Al-Bayhaqi, Saheeh – Albaani[
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said:"Allaah revealed to me that you should be humble such that no one boasts over another or transgresses against another."]Muslim[
If we reflect on the history of nations, we will discover that there are lessons to be learned from the stories of the tyrants among them in the past and present. We will find that their final ends affirm the fact that the norms established by Allaah The Almighty in the universe are in total conformity with what is stated in His Book.
For instance, Pharaoh persecuted others in the land without right, claimed Lordship and Divinity, and said, as cited in the verse )which means(:}Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me?{]Quran 43:51[ He tried to apprehend Prophet Moosaa )Moses(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and those who believed in him among the Children of Israel. Along with his army, he pursued them out of cruelty and enmity. However, Allaah The Almighty drowned him and caused water to surge over him as an appropriate punishment. Later, the Egyptians saw his rotten corpse after they had earlier worshipped him instead of Allaah The Almighty, Who Said )what means(:}So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign.{]Quran 10:91[
The Quran also relates the story of another tyrant, Qaaroon; Allaah The Almighty Says that his people advised him, saying )what means(:}And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allaah does not like corrupters.{]Quran 28:76[ But when he did not heed this, Allaah The Almighty destroyed him, as He describes, Saying )what means(:}And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home.{]Quran 28:81[
The tyranny that the preceding nations practiced against the Prophets and Messengers contains many admonitions and morals for all those who have intellect, for Allaah The Almighty seized them with His might and power. The people of Nooh )Noah( and ‘Aad, and many other generations lived until they ]disbelieved in them and[ perished along with their deeds that were presented to Allaah The Almighty, Who Says )what means(:}And how many have We destroyed before them of generations? Do you perceive of them anyone or hear from them a sound?{]Quran 19:98[

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Soul Purification, - Oppression and Intrigue, and the Ultimate Punishment - I

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The tradition of Allaah The Almighty has no scope for favoritism or flattery, as He Says )what means(:}You will not find in the way of Allaah any change{]Quran 33:62[, and, in fact, stresses in another place,}You will never find in the way of Allaah any change.{]Quran 35:43[ The fair Sharee‘ah neither distinguishes between equals nor renders the unequal as equivalent.
Thus, the inevitable destruction of the evil planner, the one who breaks his word and the unjust person is only a question of time, which, in itself, is a chance for reform. However, that does not reflect a change in principles and what has been established as the tradition of Allaah The Almighty.
Muhammad ibn Ka’b Al-Qurathi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says, “Three traits beset those who possess them: scheming, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Evil plans shall not beset any save the authors of it{]Quran 35:43[; injustice, as in the verse )which means(:}O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves{]Quran 10:23[; reneging, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself{]Quran 48:10[.”
Why these attributes particularly, and others in general, affect their bearer is because consequences are closely related to the causes, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Whoever does a good deed - it is for himself; and whoever does evil - it is against the self.{]Quran 45:15[ Similarly, He Says )what means(:}]And said[, "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, ]you do it[ to yourselves."{]Quran 17:7[ Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said,"Do whatever you want, for you will be rewarded or punished accordingly."
He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also narrated that Allaah The Almighty Said:"O My servants, indeed, I enumerate and record your deeds for you, then I grant you your reward or punishment in full, correspondingly. Therefore, anyone who finds ]in life[ delight and good reward, should praise Allaah The Almighty ]for His enabling him or her to do good[. Likewise, whoever finds otherwise, should blame none but him/herself."
Once, a man went to a scholar and said, "The people of so-and-so have collaborated to harm me, as if they are a single hand." So, he read out the verse )what means(:"The hand of Allaah is over their hands."]Quran 48:10[ The man then complained, "They hatch plots", so the scholar recited )what means(:"The evil plot does not encompass except its own people."]Quran 35:43[ Then, when he said: "They are so many", the scholar recited the verse )which means(:"How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allaah."]Quran 2:249[
The plots of the disbelievers destroy only them
If you want to be saved from the unbelievers and the immoral people, have faith in their inescapable destruction being caused by their scheming, oppression and betrayal. In fact, they destroy themselves with their own hands before anyone else’s weapons touch them and they alone suffer the outcome of their evil qualities. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And the disbelievers planned, but Allaah planned. And Allaah is the best of planners.{]Quran 3:45[ He also Says )what means(:}And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive ]it[ not.{]Quran 6:123[
The Noble Quran tells us of the intrigues of Thamood against their Prophet Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, where Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.{]Quran 27:50-51[
Commenting on these verses, some scholars said that the phrase}while they perceived not{implies that the people of Thamood were unaware of the angels that Allaah The Almighty ordered to descend to protect Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, from their assassination attempt. These angels pelted every one of them with stones until they were all killed, and their Prophet, may Allaah exalt his mention, was safe from their conspiracy.
In another version, it is said that the people plotted to kill him, may Allaah exalt his mention, so, they pretended to embark on a journey, when, in reality, they hid in a cave, so as to return and murder him at night. However, Allaah The Almighty caused a rock to roll down over the mouth of the cave until it became blocked; and this was His scheme against them.
Similarly, the disbelievers hatched plots against Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And ]remember, ]O Muhammad[, when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you ]from Makkah[. But they plan, and Allaah plans. And Allaah is the best of planners.{]Quran 8:30[
Thus, He saved the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who consequently immigrated safely to Madeenah and managed to eliminate the leaders of the disbelievers, such as Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah ibn Rabee‘ah and Shaybah ibn Rabee‘ah. Later, Allaah The Almighty spread Islam among their very own after the conquest of Makkah. When the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed away, Allaah The Almighty had granted him victory over them and exalted him in status and reputation.
The hypocrites had also contrived evil plans against the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}But they who plot evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those - it will perish.{]Quran 35:10[ Therefore, their schemes were eventually thwarted and their deception was evident to all rational people. In this manner, anyone who conceals anything evil will have it divulged by Allaah The Almighty through his or her facial expressions and slips of the tongue; then, he or she will surely be affected suitably.
In addition, the Jews conspired extensively against the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, tried to assassinate him and colluded with other disbelievers against him several times. Yet, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, managed to kill some of them and evicted others; later, he emerged victorious and his message was propagated to all. As the ultimate response to their attitude, before the end of time, the stones and trees, except the Al-Gharqad )boxthorn(, which is their shrub, will betray the Jews hiding behind them by revealing their location to the Muslims pursuing them; and, Allaah The Almighty will let the Muslims conquer the Al-Aqsaa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Therefore, beware of scheming and do not be stunned by the people who plot against you. Qays ibn Sa‘d ibn‘Ubaadah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "Had I not heard the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say that plots and deception are in Hell, I would have been one of the most evil planners." ]Al-Albaani: Saheeh[

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Soul Purification, - Whispering is the Devil’s Weapon - II

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Methods of Treating Whispering in Matters Pertaining to Creed
There are two methods for protecting one’s self against the devil’s whispering in matters pertaining to creed and faith:
The first one is a preventative method, which means protecting one’s self against the whispering before it even takes place by fortifying one’s self with knowledge and devoting himself to studying and learning the issues of Tawheed and faith, because the devil always finds it difficult to whisper to scholars. Whenever he tries to defeat them, they would defeat him. If he tries to whisper to them, they would drive away these whisperings with the guidance and knowledge that they have and would thereby pelt him with these stones. It was said that one scholar is harder on the devil than one thousand worshippers. The one who gets to know Allaah through His attributes and creation, would certainly glorify Him. Moreover, he would always have good expectations of his Lord until he meets Him.
The second method should be applied if the whisperings already take place. Muslims who are aware of this should drive them away and nullify their effect through six ways:
The first one is to stop thinking of these whisperings by dispelling any thoughts that are related to them and seeking refuge with Allaah from the evil of the accursed devil. This is supported by a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, where the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“The devil comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created this and that?’ Until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?’ If he comes to this, one should seek refuge with Allaah and put an end to such idle thoughts.”]Muslim[
This means that if such whisperings occur to anyone, he should resort to Allaah The Almighty to drive its evil away and stop thinking of it. He should also know that these whisperings are from the devil who wants to corrupt and tempt him. So, he should not listen to his whispering and should stop it by keeping himself busy with something else. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allaah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing. Indeed, those who fear Allaah - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember ]Him[ and at once they have insight.{]Quran 7: 200-201[
In a Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“The devil puts thoughts in the son of Aadam and so does an angel. The devil’s thoughts promise evil and deny the truth, whereas, the angel’s thoughts promise goodness and belief in the truth. The one who finds the latter should know that this is from Allaah and should praise Him. On the other hand, the one who finds the former should seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil.”
Thus, the person should restrain himself from continuing with such thoughts as they have dire consequences.
The second one is that he should not ask direct questions related to these whisperings. In other words, he should not utter any of these whisperings for he would be safe for as long as these whisperings are confined in his heart without reaching his tongue. In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Allaah has forgiven my Ummah ]nation[ the evil thoughts that occur to their minds, as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered.”]Al-Bukhaari[ This was the behavior of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, when they encountered anything like this. In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, he said that a man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said: “I have thoughts of such a nature that I would rather be reduced to ashes than speak about them.” He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“All praise is due to Allaah who has reduced the plot of the devil to whisperings.”`]Abu Daawood[
The third one is to say with firm belief “I believe in Allaah”, when any of the devil’s whisperings occur to him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“People will continue asking questions until they would say, ‘Allaah created everything, but who created Allaah?’ The one who finds something like this should say, ‘I believe in Allaah.’”]Muslim[
It is well known that belief in Allaah is the first pillar of believing in the unseen, and from which belief in all the other pillars spring. Confirming this belief by one's tongue acts as a reminder of Allaah and drives away the devil.
The fourth one was mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, who said,
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that the one who is afflicted with any whisperings such as being asked who created Allaah should recite the verse )which means(:}He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing]Quran 57:3[ Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, asked Abu Zumayl Simaak ibn Al-Waleed Al-Hanafi when he said to him, “There is something that I feel in my chest.” ]To which he inquired,[ “What is it?” He replied, “By Allaah, I will not talk about it.” Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “Are you in doubt?” He replied, “Yes.” Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “No one was saved from this until Allaah The Almighty revealed the verse )which means(:}So if you are in doubt, ]O Muhammad[, about that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you.{]Quran 10:94[ Then he said to Abu Zumayl, “If you feel any of this, recite the verse )which means(:}He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing{]Quran 57:3[”
Allaah The Almighty has guided people to the fact that an infinite chain of creation is logically invalid and that the chain of creation is traced back to a beginning that is not preceded by any other thing and will end at something that is not followed by any other thing. Allaah is the First who was not preceded by any other thing and the Last who is not followed by any other thing. He is the Ascendant and nothing is above Him and the Intimate and nothing is under Him.
The fifth one is resorting to Allaah the Almighty by supplicating to Him and asking Him to make one’s heart firm on faith. This is why the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would supplicate to Allaah saying:“Ya muqallib al-quloob thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenik ]O You who changes the hearts )i.e., Allaah(, make my heart firm on Your religion[.”He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also would say:“Faith wears out just as clothes do, so ask Allaah to renew your faith.”
The sixth one is that, if the whispering continues, one should refer to the people of knowledge regarding whatever troubles or disturbs his belief in his Lord for Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}So ask the people of the message if you do not know.{]Quran 16:43[
The devil’s whispering in acts of worship is something that he does with certain people. He makes them imagine, for instance, that they have nullified their ablution while praying or that they have prayed three Rak‘ahs )units( instead of four. He also comes to the slave after performing ablution and whispers to him that he did not wipe over his head or did not wash his body parts in the correct way.
The treatment of this kind of whispering is to overlook it, especially if it has become a habit. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, guided us to its treatment when he said:“The devil comes to one of you while he is praying and would open his anus, and the person would think that he has nullified his ablution while in fact he did not. If anyone of you feels this, he should not leave the prayer until his ears hear a sound or his nose smells a bad smell.”]Al-Haythami: Al-Majma‘ with a Saheeh Chain[ The one who is afflicted with this should remember and mention Allaah a lot because the devil has no authority over those who do this frequently. He should also invoke Allaah and supplicate to Him frequently to drive this affliction away. Moreover, he should seek the help of specialized physicians. May Allaah protect us and all Muslims from every affliction and drive the devil’s plot away.

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