Dought & clear, - The Reason Why Mankind Was Created.

Why was mankind created?
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
One of the greatest attributes of Allaah is wisdom, and one of His
greatest names is al-Hakeem (the most Wise). It should be noted that
He has not created anything in vain; exalted be Allaah far above such
a thing. Rather He creates things for great and wise reasons, and for
sublime purposes. Those who know them know them and those who do not
know them do not know them. Allaah has stated that in His Holy Book,
where He says that He has not created mankind in vain, and He has not
created the heavens and the earth in vain. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose),
and that you would not be brought back to Us?"
So Exalted be Allaah, the True King: Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has
the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:115, 116]
"We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them
for a (mere) play"
[al-Anbiya' 21:16]
"And We created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between
them, for mere play.
We created them not except with truth (i.e. to examine and test those
who are obedient and those who are disobedient and then reward the
obedient ones and punish the disobedient ones), but most of them know
not"
[al-Dukhaan 44:38]
"HaaMeem.
[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'aan, and none but
Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]
The revelation of the Book (this Qur'aan) is from Allaah, the
AllMighty, the AllWise.
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them
except with truth, and for an appointed term. But those who
disbelieve, turn away from that whereof they are warned"
[al-Ahqaaf 46:1-3]
Just as it is proven that there is wisdom behind the creation of man
from the standpoint of sharee'ah (Islamic law), it is also proven from
the standpoint of reason. The wise man cannot but accept that things
have been created for a reason, and the wise man regards himself as
being above doing things in his own life for no reason, so how about
Allaah, the Wisest of the wise?
Hence the wise believers affirm that there is wisdom in Allaah's
creation, and the disbelievers deny that. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of
understanding.
Those who remember Allaah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting,
and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of
the heavens and the earth, (saying): Our Lord! You have not created
(all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all
that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the
torment of the Fire"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:190, 191]
And Allaah says, describing the attitude of the disbelievers towards
the wisdom of His creation (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between
them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who
disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism)
from the Fire!"
[Saad 38:27]
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allaah tells us of His perfect wisdom in creating the heavens and the
earth, and that He has not created them in vain, i.e., in play with no
beneficial purpose.
"That is the consideration of those who disbelieve" in their Lord,
because they think that which does not befit His Majesty.
"Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from the
Fire!" Allaah created the heavens and earth in truth for truth. He
created them so that His slaves might understand the completeness of
His Knowledge and Power and the extent of His Might, and that He Alone
is the One to be worshipped, and not those who have not created even
an atom in the heavens or on earth. And that they might know that the
Resurrection is true and that Allaah will judge between the people of
good and evil. The one who is ignorant of the wisdom of Allaah should
not think that Allaah will treat them equally when judging them. Hence
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Shall We treat those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic
Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds as Mufsidoon (those who
associate partners in worship with Allaah and commit crimes) on earth?
Or shall We treat the Muttaqoon (the pious) as the Fujjaar (criminals,
disbelievers, the wicked)?"
[Saad 38:28]
This does not befit Our wisdom and Our judgement. End quote.
Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 712
Secondly:
Allaah has not created man to eat, drink and multiply, in which case
he would be like the animals. Allaah has honoured man and favoured him
far above many of those whom He has created, but many people insist on
disbelief, so they are ignorant of or deny the true wisdom behind
their creation, and all they care about is enjoying the pleasures of
this world. The life of such people is like that of animals, and
indeed they are even more astray. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat;
and the Fire will be their abode"
[Muhammad 47:12]
"Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with
(false) hope. They will come to know!"
[al-Hijr 15:3]
"And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell.
They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes
wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not
(the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They
are the heedless ones"
[al-A'raaf 7:179]
It is well known to wise people that the one who does a thing knows
more about the wisdom behind it than anyone else and for Allaah is the
highest description (cf. al-Nahl 16:60); He is the One Who has created
mankind and He knows best the wisdom behind the creation of mankind.
No one would dispute this with regard to worldly matters. All people
are certain that their physical faculties have been created for a
reason. The eye is for seeing, the ear is for hearing, and so on. Does
it make sense for his physical faculties to have been created for a
reason but for himself to have been created in vain? Or does he not
agree to respond to the One Who created him when He tells him of the
reason behind his creation?
Allaah has told us that the creation of the heavens and the earth, and
of life and death, is for the purpose of testing, so as to test man.
Whoever obeys Him, He will reward him, and whoever disobeys Him, He
will punish him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in six Days
and His Throne was on the water, that He might try you, which of you
is the best in deeds. But if you were to say to them: "You shall
indeed be raised up after death," those who disbelieve would be sure
to say, "This is nothing but obvious magic"
[Hood 11:7]
"Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is
best in deed. And He is the AllMighty, the OftForgiving"
[al-Mulk 67:2]
From this test results a manifestation of the names and attributes of
Allaah, such as Allaah's names al-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious),
al-Ghafoor (the Oft Forgiving), al-Hakeem (the Most Wise), al-Tawwaab
(the Accepter of Repentance), al-Raheem (the Most Merciful), and other
names of Allaah.
One of the greatest reasons for which Allaah has created mankind –
which is one of the greatest tests – is the command to affirm His
Oneness (Tawheed) and to worship Him alone with no partner or
associate. Allaah has stated this reason for the creation of mankind,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they
should worship Me (Alone)"
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., I have created them so that I may command them to worship Me,
not because I have any need of them. 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah said,
narrating from Ibn 'Abbaas: "except that they should worship Me
(alone)" willingly or unwillingly. This is the view favoured by Ibn
Jareer. Ibn Jurayj said: i.e., except that they should know Me.
Al-Rabee' ibn Anas said: "Except that they should worship Me", i.e.,
for the purpose of worship. End quote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/239
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allaah, may He be exalted, created mankind to worship Him and to know
Him by His names and attributes, and to enjoin that upon them. Whoever
submits to Him and does what is enjoined upon him will be one of those
who are successful, but whoever turns away from that, they are the
losers. He will inevitably gather them together in the Hereafter where
He will reward or punish them for what He commanded and forbade them
to do. Hence Allaah mentions how the mushrikeen (polytheists) denied
the reward or punishment, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But if you were to say to them: 'You shall indeed be raised up after
death,' those who disbelieve would be sure to say, 'This is nothing
but obvious magic'"
[Hood 11:7]
i.e., if you were to speak to these people and tell them about the
Resurrection after death, they would not believe you, rather they
would reject your words vehemently and deny the message you brought,
and they would say, 'This is nothing but obvious magic,' but in fact
it is obvious truth. Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 333
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Beware of the Whispers of the Shaytan about Allah.

For two weeks this question has been haunting me and I cannot find an
answer to it, but in sha Allah you will have the answer:
What is the evidence that Allah does not lie, or what is the evidence
that He always tells the truth, and why will He never lie?
I know that this is a strange question, and I felt too embarrassed to
ask anyone about it for a while, but I looked for an answer and I feel
a kind of anxiety even when praying.
Praise be to Allah
By Allah, we do not know which of your two issues we find stranger,
that you have gone along with the whispers of the shaytan (devil) to
such an extent that brought you to the brink of the abyss and nearly
made you fall in, or that you find this question difficult and are not
able to find an answer to it.
What do you know of your religion, if you do not know this?
What do you think of your Lord, if you are asking about this?
When her freed slave asked her: O my mother, did Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) see his Lord? 'Aishah, the Mother of
the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) said: My hair stood on
end at what you said.
If the hair of the Mother of the Believers stood on end because of
alarm for the one who asked her this question: Did Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) see his Lord, i.e., in this world -
although the believers will see Him in Paradise and that will be the
greatest of their joys (may Allah not deprive us of it) - then how
should one react to your question?
Have you left your heart empty to such an extent that the shaytan can
toy with it and cause it to end up like this?
Have you heard of the report narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from
Jabir who said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, I saw in a dream as
if my head was cut off. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) smiled and said: If the shaytaan toys with one of you in his
sleep, he should not tell the people about it."
If a dream such as this is regarded as the shaytan toying with a
person, then what would the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) response be to one who saw what you have seen in a dream?
What would he say if the shaytan toyed with him when he was awake, and
not in a dream?
It is natural that you should feel ashamed and you should weep for
yourself if the shaytan has gained so much power over you.
Yes, we understand that the shaytan may toy with a person in such
ways, but he should not go along with the ideas instilled by the
shaytan and try to discuss it and look for evidence for it. Rather his
deeply rooted faith should protect him, for the shaytan is evil and
his plot is weak:
"... ever feeble indeed is the plot of shaytan (Satan)." [4:76].
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: "The shaytan comes to some of you and says, 'Who created
such and such? Who created such and such?' - until he says, 'Who
created your Lord?' If that happens, then let him seek refuge with
Allah and stop thinking about that."
What do you think the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) answer would be to this "difficult" question posed by the
accursed enemy?
One should seek refuge with Allah from this waswas (insinuating
whisper), and stop thinking about it or getting carried away with it,
because the accursed one does not need an answer to this question. He
knows that his question is pure fallacy, for it is not befitting that
the Creator should have a creator, otherwise He would be another
created being.
Rather his aim is to stir up doubts until he gains control over one
who dies in such a state, if he can. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah
have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the hadeeth (report)
quoted above:
"'Who created your Lord?' If that happens, then let him seek refuge
with Allah and stop thinking about that" i.e., let him stop getting
carried away with that, and turn to Allah in warding it off; he should
realize that he (shaytan) wants to corrupt his religious commitment
and his reasoning with these whispers, so he should strive to ward
them off by thinking of something else.
Al-Khattabi said: The point of this hadeeth is that if the shaytan
whispers such thoughts, one should seek refuge with Allah from him and
stop debating with the shaytan about it, then this waswas will
diminish. There is no end to the shaytan's whispers, rather every time
proof is produced to silence him, he moves on to something else until
he finally makes one confused. We seek refuge with Allah from that. ...
But his saying 'Who created your Lord?" is contradictory and is a
flawed argument, because it is impossible for the Creator to be
created.
Al-Teebi said: Rather he enjoined seeking refuge with Allah and
distracting oneself with something else; he did not tell us to ponder
and look for evidence, because the knowledge that Allah does not need
a creator is a basic fact that is not open to debate, and because
getting carried away in thinking about that will only make a person
more confused. If a person is in such a state, he has no option except
to turn to Allah and seek His protection.
The hadeeth also implies criticism of asking too much about that which
does not concern one and that which one has no need to ask about. It
is also one of the signs of Prophethood, namely his foretelling
something that was going to happen and then it happened. End quote.
As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined
putting an end to such whispers and not indulging in them, then the
believer, if he is overwhelmed by any such thing, and if the accursed
enemy instills such a thing in his heart, then he will regard this
waswas as something serious that has befallen him.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: Some of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) came and asked him: We find in ourselves something
that is too awful for any of us to speak of it. He said: "Do you
really find that?" They said: Yes. He said: "That is clear faith." [
Muslim]
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What this means is: The
fact that you think of this waswas as something terrible is a clear
sign of faith, for if you dare not utter it and you are so afraid of
it and of speaking of it, let alone believing it, this is the sign of
one who has achieved perfect faith and who is free of doubt
O slave of Allah, the man of dignity who has some standing among
people would refrain from lying and would hate lies to be attributed
to him. The story of Abu Sufyan with Heraclius concerning this matter
is well known, so how about if this noble and dignified man is a
believer? For lying is incompatible with faith.
How about if one imagines the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) telling lies when he is the truthful one? This
is an idea that would make the skin crawl and the hair stand on end.
It seems most likely that there are two reasons why the shaytan has
gained control over you:
1- You have turned away from focusing on remembrance (dhikr) of the
Most Merciful, studying His verses and what it says in His Book of His
most beautiful names and sublime attributes, and acknowledging His
greatness, majesty, beauty and perfection that are mentioned in His
Book and in the sunnah (teachings) of His Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him).
2- Perhaps it is a punishment from Allah because of the first
reason, which is your keeping company with the devils among men, who
have been supported by the devils among the jinn and helped by them
against you.
Those companions were not necessarily friends of yours who come and go
with you, rather that may have been via the internet as idle curiosity
may have led you to go to some atheist and anti-religion chat rooms,
where one of them stated his specious argument and it settled in your
heart and led to the problem that you are now suffering. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most
Gracious (Allah) (i.e. this Quran and worship of Allah), We appoint
for him shaytan (Satan - devil) to be a Qareen (a companion) to him.
And verily, they (Satans / devils) hinder them from the path (of
Allah), but they think that they are guided aright!
Till, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says [to his Qareen
(Satan/devil companion)] 'Would that between me and you were the
distance of the two easts (or the east and west) a worst (type of)
companion (indeed)!
It will profit you not this Day (O you who turn away from Allah's
remembrance and His worship) as you did wrong, (and) that you will be
sharers (you and your Qareen) in the punishment." [43:36]
Set your heart straight and turn to your Lord, and acknowledge Him as
He has told you in His Book. Turn to His Book and read it and ponder
it, and keep your tongue busy with remembrance of Him (dhikr), for
that will protect you:
"I command you to remember Allah, for the likeness of that is that of
a man whose enemy comes after him, until he comes to a strong fortress
where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect
himself against the shaytan except by remembering Allah." [Tirmidhi
and classed as saheeh/authentic by al-Albani.]
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Suffering From Waswas (Insinuating Whispers) ofthe Shaytan About the Essence of Allah.

A man is experiencing waswas (insinuating whispers) from the Shaytan
(devil) having to do with Allah, and he is very afraid of that.
Praise be to Allah
The questioner has mentioned this problem and is afraid of its
consequences. I say to him, rejoice, for its consequences cannot be
anything but good. By means of this waswas, the Shaytan tries to gain
control over the believers and shake the sound belief in their hearts,
and make them suffer psychological and intellectual anxiety that will
affect the purity of their faith and their life, if they are
believers.
This is not the first or the last time that the believers have been
exposed to this. It will continue so long as there is any believer in
this world. The Sahabah/companions of the Prophet (may Allah be
pleased with them) also faced this problem. It was narrated that Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Some of the companions
of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
said to him, 'We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to
speak of.' He said, 'Are you really suffering from that?' They said,
'Yes.' He said, 'That is a clear sign of faith.'" (Muslim).
It was narrated in al-Saheehayn, also from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said, "The Shaytan comes to one of you and says, 'Who
created such and such? Who created such and such?' Until he says, 'Who
created your Lord?!' If that happens to any of you, let him seek
refuge with Allah and put a stop to these thoughts."
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)
that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) and said, "I think thoughts to myself, which I would rather be
burnt to a cinder than speak of them." The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Praise be to Allah, Who has
reduced all his [the Shaytan's] plots to mere whispers." (Abu Dawood).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in
Kitab al-Eeman: "The believer may suffer from the whispers of the
Shaytan insinuating thoughts of kufr (disbelief), which may make him
feel distressed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) said, 'O
Messenger of Allah, some of us think thoughts which we would rather
fall from heaven to earth than speak of them.' He said, 'That is a
clear sign of faith.' According to one report, '… thoughts which are
too terrible to speak of.' He said, 'Praise be to Allah, Who has
reduced all his [the Shaytan's] plots to mere whispers,' meaning that
the fact that these whispers come, but they are so greatly disliked,
and they are pushed away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith.
This is like the mujahid (warrior) to whom the enemy comes, but he
resists him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty jihad
(battle)… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted worshippers
experience waswas and doubts which others do not face, because they
(the others) are not following the way prescribed by Allah, rather
they are following their own whims and desires and neglecting to
remember their Lord. This is what the Shaytan wants, in contrast to
those who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by seeking
knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy and seeks to prevent
them from drawing closer to Allah." (p.147 of the Indian edition)
I say to this questioner, if you are faced with this waswas from the
Shaytan, then fight it and resist it. Know that it can never harm you
when you fulfill the duty of fighting and resisting it, and you refuse
to be controlled by it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said, "Allah will forgive my ummah (followers) for any
insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they do
not act upon it or speak of it." (Agreed upon).
If it is said to you: Do you believe the insinuating whispers you
experience? Do you think that they are true? Do you really think that
Allah is like what this waswas says? You would say, "It is not right
for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah)! This is a great
lie" [24:16 ]. You would denounce that in your heart and with your
tongue, and be the one who objects to it the most, for it is only
whispers and thoughts that cross your mind. It is a trap set by the
Shaytan, who flows through the son of Adam (peace be upon him) like
blood flows, to make you doomed and to confuse you about your
religion.
Hence you will find that the Shaytan does not cast doubts or
suspicions into your heart about trivial matters. For example, you may
hear of the existence of great cities filled with people and buildings
in the east and the west, but it would never cross your mind some day
to doubt that they exist or to criticize them and say that they are in
ruins and unfit for habitation, or that they are uninhabited, and so
on. The Shaytan has nothing to gain by making people doubt about these
cities. But he does have a lot to gain by corrupting the believer's
faith, so he strives with his cavalry and his infantry to extinguish
the light of knowledge and guidance in his heart and to make him fall
into the darkness of doubt and confusion. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us of the appropriate remedy
for such problems, which is to seek refuge with Allah and put a stop
to it. If a person puts a stop to it and continues to worship Allah,
seeking and hoping for (the reward) which is with Allah, it will stop
by Allah's leave. So turn away from all the thoughts of this kind that
cross your mind. You are worshipping Allah, calling upon Him and
glorifying Him, and if you were to hear anyone ascribing to Allah the
things that are whispered to you (waswas), you would probably kill him
if you could. So the things that are whispered to you are neither real
nor true, they are merely imagination and whispers which have no
basis.
Our advice may be summed up as follows:
1. Seek refuge with Allah and give up these
thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) commanded.
2. Remember Allah and control yourself and
do not continue to think of these whispers.
3. Occupy yourself with worship and doing
good deeds, in obedience to the command of Allah and seeking to please
Him. When you devote yourself completely and seriously to worship, you
will forget about these whispers, insha Allah.
4. Frequently seek refuge with Allah and
make du'a (supplicate) to free you from these whispers.
I ask Allah to keep you safe and sound, and protect you from all evils.

For children, - Charity Stories: Joy of Charity

Once a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (S) called Saad had gone to
the battle field outside Medina. On the way, Saad heard that his
mother who had been sick had died. Saad who loved his mother very much
came to the Prophet Muhammad (S) and said that he had wanted to give
charity on his mother's behalf but it had not been possible for him.
Saad then enquired if he could give charity on her behalf now that she
was dead. Prophet Muhammad (S) replied in the affirmative. Saad then
went on to inquire what was the best charity he could offer. Prophet
Muhammad (S) said that on the route to the battle field he had seen
that the soldiers were thirsty and there was a dire need of water.
Prophet Muhammad (S) suggested that the best charity was to dig a well
on the road so that caravans would benefit from the supply of water
and it would also be a continuous form of charity for years to come.
That was what Saad did.