Quranic illumination on the phenomenon of sexual deviance

The rally that was held inWashingtonin defense ofsexual deviance
raised anargument among people with regards to the nature of this
phenomenon and its significance. I have therefore thought it proper to
present the Quranic answers to the Muslim reader to some ofthe
questions, uncertainties, and claims which the demonstrators raised
regarding this phenomenon.
1.The perpetrators of thisshamelessness say that what they are seeking
is a new thing that was not known in different societies in the past,
because it was disapproved of. They claim that such disapproval is not
right for societies )like Western society( that have made great
strides in progress toward democratic freedom and the care for human
rights. But we know fromthe book of our Lord thatit is not a new thing
as they claim; all that they are seeking today was sought for and
carried out by the people of Loote )Lot(, as we will show. The Quran
teaches us that resemblances in personal conditions result in
resemblances in words and deeds; nationsresemble each other despite
the difference in time.
Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"…Thus spoke those before them like
their words. Their hearts resemble each other…"]Quran 2: 118[
2.They claim that their deviant inclination is something they were
born with in their 'genetics' and nature - just as some people
wereborn with an inclination to the other sex, they were born with an
inclination to their own. But the Quran denies this when it tells us
that the people of Loote were thefirst to start this shamelessness.
Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"And ]We hadsent[ Loote )Lot( when
he said to his people, "Do you commit such immorality as no one has
preceded you with from among the worlds ]i.e. People[? Indeed, you
approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a
transgressing people."]Quran 7: 80-81[
Were their statement a 'natural' one, some earlier people would have
been born with it, some human individuals at least. If it were a
natural thing, why wouldAllaah have condemned the practice of it? And
even if the basis of it were a natural inclination, they could not
possibly claim that practicing it openly is a natural state of
affairs. Because the heterosexualinclination is a natural state.
Practicing sexual activity openly, even withone's spouse, is not a
natural affair.
3. Just as these deviants today want to come out of the stage of
concealment into the stage of openness, so did the people of Loote.
Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:" Indeed, you approach men and
obstruct the road and commit in your meetings ]every[ evil. And the
answer of his people was not butthat they said, "Bring us the
punishment of Allaah, if you should be of the truthful."]Quran 29: 29[
What the people of this inclination are seeking is not to be compelled
by society to conceal themselves, despite their openly swerving away
from the straight way. Likewise, they seek to getwhat other people in
the society have, such as the right of marriage, respect, and
employmentin all sectors of the state, whether military, political,
educational, and diplomatic.
Why, they say, are you intruding into what I do in my bedroom? What is
the difference if a persondoes this with someone of the same type,
whether man or woman, or with the other type? It is merely a
hereditary affliction.
However, the fact is that they are not simply seeking to do what they
do privately, in their bedrooms. For, if they do it privately, a
matter needs no permission from contemporary Western societies. It is
not counted as a crime when it is consented to by both parties. What
they are seeking now is really the right to proclaim openly that
theyare of this type, and that society does not oppose their public
behavior which indicates that theyare on this deviation, justas it
does not oppose behavior that shows one to be "straight."
I say "straight" in quotation marks becausethe publicizing of some
sexual acts, even between men and women, even between married people,
is not customary for straight people, though it has become customary
in Western societies.
The open practice of vices is worse than concealing them, because it
offends straight people and tempts the weak ones among them to commit
what these deviants are doing openly.
4.But the state of the people of Loote – as our Lord has told the
story – shows that even this open publicizing is not the end of the
path; it is only the first stage followed by – when no one exists to
prevent them – the stage of supremacy.
When the deviants are predominant in the society, the righteous people
become constrained because theyhave to share the dwelling space in the
same town. Allaah Says )what means(:"But the answer of his people was
only that they said, 'Evict them from your city! Indeed, they are men
who keep themselves pure.'"]Quran 7: 82[
5.Yet they go further than this: they will help each other to force
righteous people to commit these vices with them, if they are able.
Thus, Allaah's Messenger Lootewas worried, when the angels in the form
of handsome-faced men came to him. He knew what would happen to them
with those people, who thought the guests were really men. So there
cameabout what he had dreaded, the people came rushing and
panting.Lotproposed marrying his daughters to them )whether that means
daughters of his own flesh and blood or just the daughters of his
people(. But they did not restrain themselves and they humiliated him
withhis guests:
Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"And when Our messengers, ]the
angels[, came to Loote, he was anguishedfor them and felt for them
great discomfort and said, 'This is a trying day.' And his people came
hastening to him, and before ]this[ they had been doing evil deeds. He
said, 'O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So
fear Allaah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not
among you a man of reason?" They said, "You have already known that
wehave not concerning your daughters ]i.e. women[ any claim]i.e.
desire[, and indeed, you know what we want." He said, 'If only I had
against you some power or could take refuge in a strong
support.'"]Quran 11: 77-80[
6. The perpetrators of this sexual deviation today want the law to
respect relations between two of them with the status of marriage, and
grant them all the rights that married people have. However, what we
recognize from the case of the people of Loote is that this vice is of
an absolutely licentious nature, with no commitment to a single
partner, or even a limitednumber of partners. When this behavior
takescontrol of one of them, he cannot recognize any boundary in his
actions. When he hears that to which his desires incite him, a sort of
madness befalls him, and he throws himself blindly into committing sin
with anyone, whether he likesthe person or not.
7. And it is a vice linked – contrary to what most people think – with
violence and aggression against others, an aggression which goes
beyond sexual aggression. The people of Loote who practiced this vice
in their councils were also highwaymen )robbers(. Allaah, the Most
High, Says )what means(:"Indeed, you approachmen and obstruct the road
and commit in your meetings ]every[ evil…"]Quran 29: 29[
8.Another thing the straight person finds oddis the confederation and
cooperation between themale and female deviants. Obviously one would
expect that one would dislike the other, as long as there is the
difference between themwith each side inclining to their own kind, and
wanting nothing to do with the other. However, the story of the people
ofLoote reminds us that some of the women wereimpressed by this
deviation among the men, and they liked it. One such was Loote's wife,
the sinner whom Allaah destroyed with herpeople while he saved
Looteand other members of his family.

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The ranks of people in the Hereafter – II

Those who favour others over themselves:
The seventh rank is that of those who favour others over themselves,
spend in charity and benefit people with their wealth and other
resources. They are those about whom the Prophetsaid, as in the
narration of Ibn Mas'ood:"None except two )types of( people may be
envied: A manwhom Allaah giveswealth and who disposes of it
rightfullyin a good cause, and a man to whom Allaah has given wisdom
)i.e., knowledge( by which he judges between people and )with which(
he teaches others."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Note that 'envy' in this narration refers to the Arabic word
'Ghibtah', the equivalent of whichdoes not exist in the English
language, and its meaning is to wish to enjoy things that others
possess without wishing that they should be deprived of them for one's
exclusive benefit. These people are worthy of being looked up to and
richly deserve that others wish to have the qualities they do, because
they have fine qualities and great deeds, and also provide great
benefit to others.
The virtue of spending in the wayof Allaah:
These people who spend in charity are those about whom Allaah Says
what means:"Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allaah and then
do not follow up what they have spent with remainders ]of it[ or
]other[ injury will have their reward withtheir Lord, and their will
be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve."]Quran 2: 262[
Allaah described the way they spend saying what means:"Those who spend
their wealth ]in Allaah's way[ by night and by day, secretly and
publicly…"]Quran 2: 274[
They do not like people to know what they do, and thus they spend
secretly; but when they have to do it openly in order to set a good
example for others and encourage them, they do so, such as the example
of the Companion who once brought a bag full of dates when the
Prophethad requested people to spend in charity, which encouraged
others to do likewiseafter having seen this, which is a praiseworthy
action.
Allaah encourages people to spend in charity saying what means:"Who is
it that would loan Allaah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him
many times over? And it is Allaah who withholds and grants
abundance,and to Him you will be returned."]Quran 2: 245[
When a person asks to borrow money from one while the lenderknows he
is rich, it would be easier for him to lend, as opposed to the case if
he was poor, because one would feel secure that his money would be
paid back. Also, if one knows thata man is kind and trustworthy, and
that if he lends him money, he would invest it and make it grow in
multiples, then the desire for lending will increase. Moreover, if one
knows that he will also give one gift in addition to the loan and the
return on the investment, then would his desire to lend not be even
greater? This is exactly how Allaah deals with those who spend in
charity.
Note that the verse stated that the 'borrower' is Allaah.
Certainly,Allaah is the All-Rich and He is free of any need to borrow
money, but the term is used as a way of honouring those who spend in
charity. This type of loanis the type that brings benefit only to the
lender, because ultimately he is the only one whowill gain from the
deal, despite him being the one spending, because Allaah is beyond
need, but He tests people - and those who spend will be honoured by
Him.
Allaah informs us that there are two types of lenders: one who spends
from good wealth, and the other who spends from ill-gotten money, and
it is only the first type for whom Allaah will multiply the wealth.
Ill-gotten money is not accepted by Allaah; for example, Allaah
willnot accept charity from money obtained through Ribaa )i.e., usury
or interest(, stolen money and so on.
The type of charity which enablesa person to attain righteousness:
Additionally, Allaah will not reward those who spend their most
inferior type of wealth, like those who give worn-out clothes or old
furniture, in the same way he rewards those who spend from their
finest type of wealth or from wealth that they themselves are in need
of. This is why Allaah Says what means:"Never will you attain the good
]reward[ until you spend ]in the way of Allaah[ from that which you
love…"]Quran 3: 92[
Since people do not usually like old and worn out things, and liketo
keep the best of everything forthemselves, Allaah made reaching the
rank of righteousness subject to them spending from the best of their
wealth. What is the result of spending from one's dearest wealth?
Allaah informs in the following verse which means:"The example of
those who spend their wealth in the way of Allaah is like a seed ]of
grain[ which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains.
Allaah multiplies ]His reward[ for whom He wills…"]Quran 2: 261[ This
means more than the seven hundred multiples mentioned in the beginning
of the verse.
Dispraising those who follow their charity with reminders:
Moreover, Allaah does not like that his slaves follow their
charitywith reminders to those whom they gave the charity to, because
some people may very well spendfrom the best of their wealth, butalso
have the psychological sickness of continuously reminding those whom
they gavecharity to; whenever they see them, they will say: "Did I not
give you such and such? Do you not remember that I gave you this and
that?" Or they will say: "How is such and such thing that I gave you?"
This type of people continues to make such statements until they
deprive themselves from the reward of what they spent.
'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ziyaadsaid: "My father used to tell me, `If you
give someone something in charity and you notice that greeting him
reminds him of it and embarrasses him, then do not greet him.`" This
is said because some people may not remind the person openly, but
would greet him in a way which makes the poor person feel that the
lender is trying to remind him of his favour.
One of the Salaf )predecessors(said: "When you do others a favour,
forget it; but when others do you a favour, never forget it." One
should forget it and keep its reward with Allaah, but when one is the
person for whom the favour was done, thenhe should never forget the
kindness of the person who did itfor him, because noble and
good-hearted people never forget the kindness and favours of others.
Theconditions of a goodly loan:
Therefore, a goodly loan for which Allaah multiplies the reward is
that which is firstly spent from the best type of wealth one
possesses, and secondly is not followed by reminder or harm to the
beneficiary. A third description of it is that it is continuously done
day and night; whenever a chance appears in the horizon, one should
spend and should try to do so as secretly as possible, unless the need
arises for doing it openly.

The ranks of people in the Hereafter – I

There is no doubt that onthe Day of Judgement, people will vary in
rank according to their status; they shall be classified according to
their deeds and standing.
The first six ranks in the Hereafterare:
1. The messengers with strong Will and Determination )i.e., the Ulil-'Azm(
As for the first and foremost rank, it belongs to the five Messengers
of Allaah with strong Will and Determination from amongst the
Messengers of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention, for they are the
most honourable of Allaah's creation. They are the dearest to Him and
the ones whom He has chosen; they are those upon whom He has sent
peace. Allaah Says what means:"And peace upon the Messengers."]Quran
37: 181[
It is sufficient to mention regarding their honour and virtuethat
Allaah has selected them for revelation and entrusted them with His
messages. Allaah has made them intercessors betweenHim and His
creation. Allaah has also favoured them with honourable gifts, such as
supernatural occurrences and abilities. Allaah has chosen some of them
as a Khaleel, or a close, intimate friend; He has directly spoken to
some of them, and elevated others to a lofty rank. Indeed Allaah has
rendered them to be the only means to reach Him; how could mankind
reach Allaah except through His Messengers? It would have been
impossible. Thus, the Messengersare those that have the closest
contact with Allaah from mankind.
2. The remaining messengers
The second rank consists of the remainder of the three-hundred and
sixty-five )365( Messengers, those who were sent by Allaah totheir
people with a new messageto deliver. The Messenger of Allaahhas
informed us that the number of Prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, was one-hundred and twenty-four thousand )124,000(, of which
three-hundred and sixty-five)365( were Messengers. This is so that
Allaah could establish His proof against mankind that they would have
no excuse not to worship Him. The seal of all the Prophets and
Messengers was Muhammad.
3. Prophets
The third rank consists of the Prophets those who were sent byAllaah
to their people but had no new message to deliver.
Therefore, this means that Messengers were of different ranks. Some
Messengers were favoured by Allaah over others, such as the five of
strong Will andDetermination as was mentionedabove, and these were:
MuhammadIbraaheem )Abraham(, Moosaa )Moses(, 'Eesaa )Jesus( and Nooh
)Noah(, may Allaah exalt their mention. These were the finest five of
all the Messengers, and the best andmost virtuous of these was
Muhammadthen Ibraaheem Al-Khaleel, then Moosaa Al-Kaleem )i.e. the one
whom Allaah spoke to directly(, then 'Eesaa and then Nooh, although
the people of knowledge differedas to which one of the last two was of
a higher calibre. Thus, thismakes up the first rank, while thesecond
rank consists of the rest of the three-hundred and sixty-five
Messengers, while the third rank consists of the Prophets.
4. Scholars
The fourth rank includes those who inherited the knowledge of the
Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, as well as their successors.
They are those who apply the message propagated bythe Messengers of
Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention. These are the people who
possess knowledge, act upon it, and call others to it. This is the
finest class of mankind after the Messengers and Prophets; it is the
class of truthfulness, and Allaah has paralleled these people to His
Messengers. Allaah Says what means:"And whoever obeys Allaah and the
Messenger –those will be with the ones upon whom Allaah has bestowed
favour of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs
and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions."]Quran 4:
69[
So, this is the next rank after those of the Messengers and Prophets,
may Allaah exalt their mention. So who does it include? It includes
the scholars who havelearnt the Islamic Sharee'ah and taught it to
others. This is the rank that follows those of the Prophets and
Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, and they are undoubtedly
their inheritors.
People in this category vary in their level of knowledge and
theirapplication of it.
The question arises: can the term"witness" be conferred to the
scholar? The answer is yes, because the scholar is Allaah's witness
over His creation. He will bear witness, through the knowledge that
Allaah has given him, over Allaah's creation. Thus, the scholar is
referred to as a witness from this perspective.
These steadfast affirmersare the ones who are literate regarding the
religion, act upon it, teach it to others and are patient with regard
to the trials that inflict them due to this; these scholars are of
high rank and distinct virtue. There can be nothing better for a
person than to be busy with his worldly work during his lifetime, or
even be lying in his grave while his limbs have decayed, while having
his good deeds increasing.
For such a person, good deeds are being added to his record constantly
and good actions are being awarded to him from where he would least
expect. All this is due to the fact that when the scholar teaches
people religious laws and they apply them, he will receive the same
reward as they do due to them applying the knowledge that he has
taught them. Hence, even if such a person is dead and in his grave,
his books and other writings remain a source of reward for him. He
procures rewards from them in his grave, despite being a collection of
dismembered body parts.
As a matter of fact, even if such a person is preoccupied with worldly
matters in his home, the fact that his sound Islamic judgements and
knowledge are being circulated among people means that the rewards for
this are being inscribed for him in his record of good deeds.
Some may say: 'These are the scholars, but we common peoplewill never
get any portion of suchrewards.' We say, No! Rather, whoever learns
something about the religion and passes it onto those he knows, such
as family, relatives, friends, neighbours, colleagues and others, then
he is rewarded for this knowledge that he has related. Moreover, he
continues to be rewarded for that piece of knowledge he has related
for as long as it is passed on.
This demonstrates the great virtue of learning the religion
andteaching it to others. It also confirms the necessity of that
knowledge being accurate, since if a person relates a fabricated
Hadeeth or an erroneous Fatwaa to people, then he continues to receive
the sin from it as long as it continues to circulate among others. On
the other hand, if he learns and relates sound knowledge, then he will
continueto be rewarded for it. It is for thisreason that Imaam
Ahmadmentioned regarding the people of knowledge:
"All praise is due to Allaah, who has rendered in between every time
interval of Messengers remainders from the people of knowledge. They
call the misguided to guidance and they patiently bear maltreatment
from them. They enlighten the religiously-blind by virtue of the light
of Allaah )i.e., the knowledge that they possess(. How many of those
whom Satan killed )i.e., killed his soul and spirit(, have they
brought back tolife? How many of the ignorant and misguided have they
guided?How excellent is their influence on people, and how repulsive
is their people's effect on themselves. They preserve the Book of
Allaah from the ignorant who seek to erroneously interpret its hidden
meanings; from the distortion of the extremists; and the plagiarism of
the fabricators."
5. Just rulers
The rank in the Hereafter which follows that of the scholars is that
of the justleaders and rulers. It is through them that the roads and
paths become safe and the world becomes upright. Through them the weak
receive support, the oppressors are humiliated, and the frightened
become secure. They are the oneswho enact the divine penalties and
repel corruption. They enjoin the good, forbid the evil, and implement
the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Theyextinguish the
fires of innovations and misguidance.
'Umar ibn 'Abdul Azeezwas one such just ruler. Allaah granted him
knowledge and commandment. He ruled with sound knowledge. He governed
the people for only years; he assumed leadership in 99A.H. and was
assassinated)through poisoning( two years later, in 101 A.H. Some of
his people could not stand him and so they poisoned him, which caused
him to die. He was, by the consensus of the Muslims,the fifth of the
rightly guided caliphs. In just two years, he accomplished much
morethan any of the Umayyid caliphs did in many years.
Justice was so widespread that even when charity money was being
circulated, there was nobody to be found who was in need of it – there
was not a single poor person left and thusthe alms were sent back to
treasury. Moreover, a shepherd in the desert whose goat had been
attacked and eaten by a wolf said: "Something has happened to the
chief of the believers )i.e., 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Azeez(" and after he
inquired about it, he found that 'Umar had died that very day. So
thepeople asked him: "How did you know?" He replied: "We have come to
know of his justice that is so prevalent that even the wolves no
longer attack our flock, so when this wolf attacked, we realised that
something must have happened to 'Umar bin 'Abdul Azeez." His justice
had even influenced the aggressiveanimals, who ceased their aggression
due to it.
On the other hand, if an oppressive ruler reigns, then even the
whales, the scorpions in their burrows, and the other animals curse
him, as wasmentioned in the prophetic narration where the animals
curse the disobedient from the children of Aadam )i.e., people( due to
them being the cause of the hindrance of rain. Rainfall ceases from
the skies due to the oppression of such governors and rulers.
6. Mujaahideen )i.e., those who fight in the Way of Allaah(
The rank that follows the just rulers and governors are those who
fight in the way of Allaah. They are the soldiers of Allaah through
whom the religion is established, the enemies repelled, and the
influence of Islam and its essence protected. The power of the Muslims
and the essence of Islam are protected by whom? By the Mujaahideen –
they are the ones who fight the enemies of Allaah so that the whole
religion becomes solely for Allaah,and so that His word is supreme.

The story of Saba’

All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none
worthyof worship except Allaah and thatMuhammadis His Slave and
Messenger;as well as his family and all his companions.
Allaah Says )what means(:"There was for ]the tribe of[ Saba' in their
dwelling place a sign: two ]fields of[ gardens on the right and on the
left. ]They were told[: 'Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be
grateful to Him. A good land ]you have[, and a forgiving Lord.' But
they turned away ]refusing[, so We sent uponthem the flood of the dam
]i.e. the overwhelming flood that caused a break in their dam[, andWe
replaced their two ]fields of[ gardens with gardens of bitter fruit,
tamarisks and something ofsparse lote trees. ]By[ that We repaid them
because they disbelieved. And do We ]thus[ repay except the
ungrateful?AndWe placed between them and thecities which We had
blessed ]In the lands of what is now southern Syria and Palestine[
]many[ visible cities. And We determined between them the ]distances
of[ journey ]i.e., We placed the intermediate settlements at
calculated distances for the convenience of travellers.[, ]saying[:
'Travel between them by night or by day in safety.' But ]insolently[
they said: 'Our Lord! Lengthen the distance between our journeys,' and
wronged themselves, so We made them narrations ]i.e., their story
became a tale related amongst people to take an example from[ and
dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for
everyone patient and grateful. And Satan had already confirmed through
them ]i.e. the people of Saba'[ hisassumption ]i.e., that mankind
could readily be misled by him.[, so they followed him, except for a
party of believers. And he had over them no authority except ]it was
decreed[ that We might make evident who believes in theHereafter from
who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is
Guardian."]Quran 34: 15-21[
The people ofSaba'were the kings of Yemen andBalqees,the wife
ofSulaymaanwas from them. The people ofSaba'lived happy and joyful
lives that were full of blessings; their sustenancewas abundant and
their trees and plants very fruitful. Allaah sent messengers to them,
instructing them to eat from what He had provided for them and show
gratitude towards Him,as well as to worship Him alone and believe in
His oneness. They adhered to these instructions for a while, but then
shunned His commandments, and were thus punished by a flood on their
land.
Ibn 'Abbaas,narrated that a man came to the Prophetandasked him
whetherSaba'was a name of a man, a woman or a land; the
Prophetanswered by saying:"It is the name of a man who had ten
children from his progeny, all of whom were Arab; six of them later
lived in Yemen and four in Shaam )i.e., ancient Syria(. The ones in
Yemen were later known as the tribes ofMathhij, Kindah, Al-Azd,
Al-Ashaa'iriyyoon, Anmaar and Himyar. As for the ones who livedin
Shaam, they were to be the known tribes of Lakhm, Juthaam,'Aamilah and
Ghassaan."]Ahmad[
ImaamIbn Katheer,said:"The meaning of the saying of the Prophet:"…who
had ten children from his progeny, all of whom were Arab"is that these
ten descended from his offspring,to whom all the Arab tribes
originate. It does not mean that they were his direct children,
because between him and some of them were two or three generations,
and more in some cases. After the flood of the dam hit their area,
some remained in their land, while others left to other locations."End
of quote.
The sign that Allaah gave to themrefers to their land, which was
blessed with fields of gardens, as well as being protected from
afflictions, all of which necessitated gratitude. These gardens
yielded enough fruits to suffice them, so they were overwhelmed by the
happiness ofbeing free from need. Allaah commanded them to express
gratitude for these favours, namely:
1.The abundant provision He provided for them from these two gardens.
2.Good land, a beautiful climate and few cases of sickness )i.e., they
rarely became sick due to the nice weather Allaah blessed them with(.
3.The forgiveness they were promised in return for expressinggratitude
towards Allaah.
Instead of continuing to be thankful, they turned away and shunned the
commandments of Allaah; they shunned monotheism and His worship,and
refused to be thankful; they began worshipping the sun instead of
Allaah, as the hoopoe bird informedSulaymaansaying, as Allaahinforms
us what means:"… 'I have come to you from Saba' with certain news.
Indeed, Ifound there a woman ruling them, and she has been givenof all
things, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people
prostrating to the sun instead of Allaah, and Satan has made their
deeds pleasing to them and averted them from ]His[way, so they are not
guided."]Quran27: 22-24[
The flood that Allaah sent upon them comprised of a huge amount of
water, which resulted in the total destruction of their gardens; their
fruitful trees were rendered into others that were useless, bearing
bitter fruits.
Look what happened to them! Look how their gardens, with their
fruitful trees, pleasant shade and fine natural views, were rendered
into thorns and trees with bitter fruits, all of which resulted from
their ungratefulness, their refusal of the truth and their association
with Allaah. What was the result?"…That We repaid them"meaning that
they were punished.
Allaah knew that these people needed to travel in order to conduct
trade with people of other villages, so He facilitated for them the
means to reach these places for trade in a very easy manner, without
them having to encounter any difficulties or feeling fearful in the
least whilst on their journeys.This was another of the favours that
Allaah had bestowed upon them. There were villages along their way
which were close in distance, so that they would not have to carry
much provision and water for their trips; also, the way to their
destination was simple and well-known so that they would not get lost.
Their travel was safe, regardless of whether they travelled during
theday or by night, as an additional bounty.
Nonetheless, they did not appreciate these bounties and favours from
Allaah, and instead of being grateful, they requested that Allaah make
their trips lengthy. They became very ungrateful and supplicated for
distances that demanded large amounts of provision for their trips;
therefore, their journeys became frightening ones, which also required
much effort to complete. These people acted just as the children of
Israel did with ProphetMoosaa,when they requested him to provide them
with green herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and onions instead of
having the bountiful provisions and life that Allaah had provided them
with; this is why Allaah addressed the children of Israel sayingwhat
means:"…'Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into
]any[ settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked.' And
they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger
from Allaah ]upon them[…"]Quran 2: 61[
The punishment that befell them was exemplary; an illustration
forpeople of how they would instigate the punishment of Allaah if they
were to ever act with ungratefulness. Also, it is a lesson for the
afflicted to persevere through hardships; it isalso proof that
punishment befalls the disobedient in this life prior to the one they
will face in the Hereafter.Mutarraf,used to say:"The best slave is he
who when blessed gives thanks and when afflicted, perseveres."
Suhayb ibn Sinaan,narrated that the Prophetsaid:"How wonderful is the
case of a believer! There is goodness for him in everything, and this
is not the case with anyone except for abeliever. If prosperity
attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allaah, and that is good for
him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently, and that
is also good for him."]Muslim[
Satan has taken a vow to misleadmankind, as Allaah informs us, saying
what means:"]Satan[ said:'By your might, I will surely mislead them
all. Except, among them, Your chosen servants.'"]Quran 38: 82-83[
Satan was not certain of what he would do, because he could not have
been; this is due to the fact that what would happen in the future was
something of the unknown and unseen for him, and thus it was merely an
assumption on his part. The people ofSaba'in general are amongst those
for whom Satan's assumption came true, and they indeed followed his
way. On the other hand, therewas a group of them who did notfollow
Satan, and these were thus included in the exception mentioned in the
abovementioned verses of ChapterSaad.
Allaah affirms that Satan has no power or authority over people to
force them to do anything;Imaam Al-Hasan Al-Basri,said:"I swear by
Allaah! Satan hasno stick with him with which he hits people to )force
them to( follow his way; this is nothing but whispers and
self-delusion on the part of people – he simply calls people, and they
respond."End of quote.
The wisdom behind allowing Satan to do what he does and whisper to
people is to test themand make evident those amongstthem who are
truthful, and thosewho are liars.
There are many lessons one can derive from this great story, the
following are but some of them:
·The people ofSaba'are a real life example to anyone who even
contemplates being rebellious to the commands of Allaah, or ungrateful
regarding His favours. Allaah warns people, especially the rich
amongst them, to not follow in the footsteps of the people ofSaba'or
imitate them, lest the same punishment befalls them.
·It is mentioned in many places in theQur'aanthat certain disbelievers
enjoyed gardens and fruits, but these gardens were squandered and
eventually faced destruction; this story is one suchexample. Another
example concerns Pharaoh and his people,about whom Allaah Says
)what means(:"So We removed them from gardens and springs. And
treasures and honourable station – Thus. And We caused to inherit it
the Children of Israel."]Quran 26: 57-59[
·Allaah is the only Provider and Sustainer.
·The punishment of Allaah follows very quickly when people are
rebellious and shun His commands. It is the way of Allaahthat whenever
people shun His commandments He sends punishment down upon them, and
there are numerous verses intheQur'aanaddressing this issue,such as
the saying of Allaah which means:"And Allaah presents an example: a
city ]i.e., Makkah[ which was safe and secure, its provision coming to
it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favours of
Allaah. So Allaah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for
what they had been doing."]Quran 16: 112[
·If the slave does not thank Allaah for a favour, his punishment could
be through that very favour. Water was one of the favours that the
people ofSaba'had been bestowed with, and they were punished with it
when they were ungrateful for it and shunned the commands of Allaah.
·Allaah never punishes people without them being deserving of it due
to their sinning and disobedience, as Allaah Says whatmeans:"…And We
would not destroy the cities except while their people were
wrongdoers."]Quran 28: 59[
·Only those who persevere and are grateful would benefit from the
lessons of theQur'aanand the signs of Allaah, despite the fact that
all people observe these signs, yet the heedless never benefit from
them, as Allaah Says what means:"And how many a sign within the
heavens and the earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are
turning away."]Quran 12: 105[
There are three types of perseverance:
·In performing acts of obedience
·In refraining from prohibitions
·During decrees of Allaah that arepainful
There are three ways of expressing gratitude to Allaah:
·By the heart: through having it devoted to the One bestowing the
favours, and acknowledging that He is the source of all favours.
·By the limbs: through continuously being obedient to Him and using
His favours in waysthat please Him.
·By the tongue: through the repeated mentioning, praising and
glorification of Him.