Surah An Najm 1. By the star when it goes down (or vanishes). 2.

Your companion (Muhammad SAW) has neither gone astray nor has erred. 3. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. 4. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired. 5. He has been taught (this Quran) by one mighty in power (Jibreel).

The Creator swears by whatever He wills among His creation, but the created should only vow by the Creator. Also, when Allah (Jalla wa ala) swears by something, it is to give it importance and to draw our attention to it. Here Allah has sworn an oath by the stars. Probably, the underlying wisdom in this is that as the Arabs used to determine the course and direction of travel, and are guided by the movements of the stars in the sandy waste of Arabia, so they would now be led to the goal and end of their spiritual journey by the star par excellence, that is, by the Holy Prophet (saws). *Mariful Quraan, Vol 8, pg 201+

In this, there seems to be a subtle rebuke to the pagans of Makkah, telling them in effect that the Holy Prophet (saws) is not an outsider, nor a stranger to them; he was their constant companion. He was born amongst them, he spent his childhood amongst them, and he grew up as a youth amongst them. He has lived among them a whole life-time, and they had always looked upon him as a paragon of honesty, integrity and truthfulness calling him The Honest One (Al Ameen). But now, after his claim of Prophethood, they dare ascribe to him such a heinous sin as forging lies against Allah (SwT). A man who withheld himself from telling lies about men, how could he possibly forge lies against Allah? How inconsistent is their attitude?

There could be a person who admires another man and praises him for his intellect, honesty and good judgement. He would go to him for advice and would diligently follow it. However, if that man became a muslim and warned his companion about the Hellfire and gave him the good news of Jannah, the first man says, look at this mullah, what an idiot he is! Or he might be more euphemistic and say, well, that is your opinion. SubhaanAllah, didnt you used to go to this same man to get his opinion? Now, when he informs you, not of any opinion, but of the certain truth, you reject it?

This is what desires do to a person it makes him blind. The person who constantly gives in to his desire is damaging his eemaan. This is why fasting has been prescribed for us it helps to control desires, because a person who can abstain from food and drink which is halaal can abstain from any sin.

Nothing he utters is of his own wish or desire. He only conveys to the people what he was commanded to convey, in its entirety, without additions or deletions. There are two types of inspirations (wahi). The first is of the type whose words and meaning are from Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) directly. This is the Quraan. The second type is one where the meaning comes from Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) but expressed on the tongue of His Messenger (saws). This is known as the ahadith. Allah Subhaanhu wa Taala has promised to protect His Book from corruption and that necessarily implies that the sahih ahadith will be divinely protected as well because the correct understanding of the Quraan cannot be preserved without them. Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) has done this through the scholars of hadith (Muhaditheen) who have developed a fool-proof system of checking whether a hadith is reliable or fabricated. Unfortunately, some people who claim to be muslims openly reject the ahadith as being unreliable, stating that the words may have been changed. It is, of course, no great surprise that these are the very same people who know absolutely nothing about the sciences of ahadith and merely follow hearsay in order to satisfy their conscience that there is no sin in neglecting some of the commands of Islam or indulging in some sins as they are derived from the ahadith. Imam Ahmad recorded that ` Abdullah bin ` Amr said, "I used to record everything I heard from the Messenger of Allah so it would be preserved. The Quraysh discouraged me from this, saying, ` You record everything you hear from the Messenger of Allah , even though he is human and sometimes speaks when he is angry' I stopped recording the Hadiths for a while, but later mentioned what they said to the Messenger of Allah , who said, Write! By He in Whose Hand is my soul; every word that comes out of me is the Truth.'' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith. 6. Dhu Mirrah (free from any defect in body and mind), Fastawa (then he (Jibrael Gabriel) rose and became stable). (Tafseer At-Tabaree). 7. While he (Jibrael) was in the highest part of the horizon, 8. Then he (Jibrael) approached and came closer, 9. And was at a distance of two bows length or (even) nearer, 10. So did (Allah) convey the Inspiration to His slave (Muhammad SAW through Jibrael (Gabriel). These verses refer to Jibreel.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah saw Jibril in his original shape having six hundred wings, each wing was covering what is between the east and the west, with a colourful array, and pearls and rubies falling from each wing as much as only Allah knows. ''

Siddiqah 'A'ishah (ra:) says : "I asked the Holy Prophet (saws) about it, and I said, 'Did you see your Lord?' He replied, 'No: I saw Jibra'il descending." (Fath-ul-Bari vol, 8/p, 493) Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amir said that Masruq asked `A'ishah, "O Mother of the faithful, has Muhammad (saws) seen his Lord, the Exalted and Most Honoured?'' She said, "Glorious is Allah! My hair is standing on end because of what you said. Three matters, if one tells you about any of them, will have lied. Whoever tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, will have lied.'' She then recited these two Ayat: No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. (6:103) It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation, or from behind a veil. (42:51) She (may Allah be pleased with her) went on, "And whoever tells you that Muhammad knew what the morrow will bring, will have uttered a lie.'' She then recited, Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. (31:34) `A'ishah said, "And whoever tells you that Muhammad has hidden any part of the Message will have lied, '' and she then recited this Ayah: O Messenger proclaim which has been sent down to you from your Lord. (5:67) The last part of her statement (may Allah be pleased with her) is very important because some fraudsters have pretended to possess secret knowledge of the unseen etc. which they claim to have learnt from their teacher who learnt from his teacher and so on and they claim that the source of this knowledge is what Abu Bakr As-Siddique (May Allah be pleased with him) learnt from Rasool Allah saws during the hijrah. Other people have come up with similar stories. These people are either complete liars or have some connection with the evil Jinn.

Simak reported similar from `Ikrimah, from Ibn ` Abbas. Abu Salih, As-Suddi and several others said similarly that the Prophet saw Allah twice in his heart. Masruq said, I went to `A'ishah and asked her, did Muhammad see his Lord? She said, You said something that caused my hair to rise!

I said,Behold! And recited this Ayah, Indeed he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord. She said, Where did your mind wander? It was Jibril. Whoever says to you that Muhammad saw his Lord, or hid any part of what he was commanded (i.e. , Allah's Message), or knew any of the five things which only Allah knows: 34. Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things). This verse has very important implications on the aqeedah (core belief) of a muslim. Particularly, we need to understand that weather forecasts are exactly that, it is a statement of where meteorologists think rain will fall. In fact, they might be the first ones to admit that they cannot say with 100% certainty if their prediction will actually take place. There are countless examples of when weather forecasts have gone horribly wrong. Recent examples from the UK would include two winters, one predicted to be completely devoid of snow, such that people made no preparations for snowfall whatsoever; only to be caught out in a sudden downpour of snow which paralysed the country. The very next winter was predicted to be full of snow and people were eagerly anticipating a white winter but then, nothing happened - no snow! In fact, there are countless jokes about weather forecasts. One comes to mind a man went out on a sunny day with an umbrella so people asked him, how come you have an umbrella with you? So the man replied that it was because he had heard on the radio that the weather forecast for the day was continuous sun! Meaning, according to this man, the weathermen are always wrong! Of course, in reality, they are sometimes somewhat accurate but that due to co-incidence rather than certain knowledge.

11. The (Prophets) heart lied not (in seeing) what he (Muhammad SAW) saw. 12. Will you then dispute with him (Muhammad SAW) about what he saw (during the Miraj: (Ascent of the Prophet SAW over the seven heavens)). 13. And indeed he (Muhammad SAW) saw him (Jibrael (Gabriel)) at a second descent (i.e. another time). 14. Near Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass)), 15. Near it is the Paradise of Abode (place of rest). This verse mentions that the Holy Prophet (saw) Jibra'il for the second time, and this happened on the Night of Ascension (miraj).

So we can notice that this surah is explaining to us in detail how the Quraan came down to the Earth and also speaks of the miraculous event of the Miraaj. At this point, those with no imaan in their hearts will shake their heads with disbelieve and close their ears and hence will not be able to benefit from the Quraan at all. Thus does Allah guide whom He will and He misguides whom He will, and He misguides not except rebellious transgressors (fasiqeen those who persist on openly committing sins). Seeing Jibreel (aws) for the first time in his original form Jaabir Ibn 'Abdullah (ra:) said, speaking of the temporary break in revelation, [the Holy Prophet] said in his narrative: "Whilst I was walking along, I heard a voice from heaven and I raised up my eyes, and lo! The Angel that had appeared to me in [the cave of Hira' was sitting on a chair [suspended] between heaven and earth, and I was struck with awe on account of him and I returned and said, 'Wrap me up, Wrap me up, then Allah sent down: 'O you, enveloped in a mantle, stand up and warn, and pronounce the greatness of your Lord, and purify your clothes, and keep away from filth. Then revelation became copious and came in succession." Near which there is Jannat-ul-ma'wa [the Paradiae of Abode] The word ma'wa means 'abode' and a place where one resides or reposes comfortably. The Jannah (Paradise) is called ma'wa because this is man's original abode. This is where 'Adam and Hawwa' were created; from here they were sent down to the earth; and this is where the people of Paradise will be sent back to reside permanently. 16. When that covered the lote-tree which did cover it! Sahih of Muslim records a Tradition on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Masud & who said: "Golden butterflies were at that time falling on sidrat-ul-muntaha from all sides, and it seemed as if it was specially decorated for that occasion in honour of the most revered guest, the Noble Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)." 17. The sight (of Prophet Muhammad SAW) turned not aside (right or left), nor it transgressed beyond (the) limit (ordained for it). Rasool Allah (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) saw Jibreel (aleihi wa salaam) in his original form and there is no doubt about this. This verse also makes it clear that whatever Rasool Allah (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) saw in that most astonishing of journeys, he saw with certainty and he (saws) did not get confused between the different things that he (saws) saw. 18. Indeed he (Muhammad SAW) did see, of the Greatest Signs, of his Lord (Allah). The main theme of the initial verses of Surah An-Najm is to confirm the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. Allah says that there are neither any voluntary nor involuntary errors in his instructions to the Ummah, nor does he say anything out of his own selfish desires. He only transmits to the people what he was commanded to convey, in its totality without additions or omissions.

Jibra'il was the transmitting agent, therefore his special characteristics and high position have been described in several verses. The fact that both the carrier of the Message (Jibreel aws) and its recipient (Muhammad SAWS) are of such a high rank; in fact, Jibreel (AWS) is the highest ranked creation in the heaven while Muhammad (SAWS) is the highest ranked and most honoured creation in the Universe indicates to us the great value of the Quraan, the final Message from Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) to mankind. Is it then befitting that we completely leave aside such a valuable treasure and instead, spend our time after material objects and the fulfilment of our desires? On the Night of Ascension he was called in the most distinguishable manner from this world to see and witness the heavens, Paradise and Hell, and other great Signs of Allah and manifestation of His power.

Some companions and scholars after them are of the opinion that the Prophet (Saws) saw Allah (SwT) Himself, in the way that the believers will see him in Jannah. The following two hadiths are sufficient to reconcile this apparent contradiction: It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Did you see your Lord? He said, He is veiled by Light, how could I see Him. (Narrated by Muslim, al-Eeman, 261). It was narrated that ibn Abbaas said: The (Prophets) heart belied not what he saw, and indeed he saw Him at a second descent. *al-Najm 53:11-12] (This means that) he saw Him twice with his heart. (Narrated by Muslim, al-Eemaan, 258). In another ahadith, part of which is quoted here, it is reported Masruq reports from Shabi who asked Aisha who heard from Rasool Allah (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) that He saw Jibra'il descend from heaven to earth, and he was so huge that he covered the entire horizon between the sky and the earth. (Ibn-Kathir) Muslim recorded that Abu Dharr said, I asked the Messenger of Allah: Have you seen your Lord? He replied: How can I see Him since there was a light?'' In conclusion Whether or not the prophet (saws) saw Allah (SwT) with his eyes on the night of Miraaj has no bearings on our practical life. The believers will get to see Allah (SwT) in Jannah in any case

19. Have you then considered Al-Lat, and Al-Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs) 20. And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third?

21. Is it for you the males and for Him the females? 22. That indeed is a division most unfair!

The pagans alleged that the angels are the daughters of God. According to other narratives, they also alleged that these idols are the daughters of God. According to `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid, and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Al-Lat was a man who used to mix Sawiq (a kind of barley mash) with water for the pilgrims during the time of Jahiliyyah (ignorance). When he died, they remained next to his grave and worshipped him. [tafsir ibn kathir, pg 4698] In connection to this matter, it may be mentioned that the practice of honouring martyrs and other deceased persons by placing flowers near their graves or around monuments built in their honour is also not permissible. The Prophet (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) and his companions did not engage in such activities and furthermore, the benefit of the flowers does not reach people who have already left this world. Rather, we should make dua to Allah (SwT) for their forgiveness. An-Nasa'i recorded that Abu At -Tufayl said, "When the Messenger of Allah conquered Makkah, he sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to the area of Nakhlah where the idol of Al-` Uzza was erected on three trees of a forest . Khalid cut the three trees and approached the house built around it and destroyed it . When he went back to the Prophet and informed him of the story, the Prophet said to him, Go back and finish your mission, for you have not finished it. Khalid went back and when the custodians who were also its servants of Al-`Uzza saw him, they started invoking by calling Al`Uzza! When Khalid approached it, he found a naked woman (a jinn) whose hair was untidy and who was throwing sand on her head. Khalid killed her with the sword and went back to the Messenger of Allah, who said to him, that was Al-`Uzza! There are several other narrations that describe how the Prophet (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) sent other sahabah to destroy all the other idols in Arabia. The prophet (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) also sent Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to destroy all the statues he could find and to level the graves down to one palms length above the ground. It was narrated that Abul-Hayaaj al-Asadi said: Ali ibn Abi Taalib said to me: Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any statue without erasing it, and do not leave any raised grave without levelling it. (Narrated by Muslim, #969). Did the leaders of Quraysh really believe in these idols as gods? No, and nor were they particularly religious. They honoured these gods for two main reasons Money and power/honour.

By honouring these so called gods and building houses/temples for them, the masses were made to respect the dwellers that lived in the vicinity of the temple and money was made when people came to visit these idols. The evil leaders told the fools amongst their people that these are the gods of your forefathers so honour them and offer money (sacrifice) and stick to them, if you want to be successful. Hence, when the Message of tauheed came down, the Quraysh did not want to accept it because they were afraid that if they denied the worship of idols, people may stop giving them the respect that they used to give them and they were afraid that their income would be reduced if people stopped coming for Hajj. Hence, Allah sent down ayat reassuring them that Allah is the provider and that He will provide. Furthermore, they were afraid of losing their positions of authority and prestige amongst their own people, since their authority and prestige stemmed from an unjust way of life and they were certain that their injustices and corruption would not be tolerated under the Islamic lifestyle that Muhammad (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) received from Allah. Hence, instead of accepting the truth, they began a campaign to discredit Muhammad (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam) and branded him with various labels such as sorcerer, poet, madman, fortuneteller and magician. The fools amongst their people, who did not wish to leave their evil practices such as drinking alcohol, gambling, bloodshed, prostitution, burying of infant daughters (present day abortion) and cheating outsiders in business, swallowed the false propaganda without question and instead, raised all sorts of baseless doubts regarding the Prophethood of Muhammad (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam). For example, they would ask him if you are really a Messenger from Allah, how come you are not rich? Why are not angles sent down as messengers? Why dont you cause rivers to flow in this city of ours (Mecca)? As is evident, the situation which existed 1400 years ago is very similar to the present day situation. It is no doubt very strange that a person carves an idol with his own hands and then begins to worship it. However, are we also guilty of a lesser form of such a practice? For example, the person who is a doctor today came into this world crying, with no power to help himself. Yet, many of us believe that it the doctor who cures, forgetting that cure come from Allah (SwT) alone. If He (SwT) wills, He can cure a person without any doctor. From first-hand account, I know of a lady who was deaf and who made intention to perform Hajj. A few days (or perhaps only one day) before she was to depart, she miraculously got back her hearing, without any medical intervention whatsoever! On the other hand, without His will, not even all the doctors in the world, if they came together, can benefit a patient in the least. Similarly, we all spend many months in our mothers womb. Who guides and shapes us in that helpless state? It is Allah (SwT) alone.

Yet, when we enter this world and attain the age of maturity and strength by the will of Allah (SwT), we suffer from the false notion that our income and survival depends on our effort and intellect! Have we not read the story of Qarun? He was a man from Bani Israil and a relative of Musa aleihi wa salaam according to some narrations. By the grace of Allah (SwT), he came across a vast treasure, so large and magnificent that the keys to the treasure had to carried by many men! However, as Musa and Haroon (aleihimus salaam) were granted with Prophethood and became the leaders of Bani Israil, Qarun became jealous and hypocrisy entered his heart. The people said to him: 76.."Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allahs Favours). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allahs Favours). 77. But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world. However, Qarun was a hypocrite and his reply was: 78. He said: "This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess." This entire incident has been narrated in Surah Al Qasas, the translated ayahs are presented below: 74. And (remember) the Day when He (your Lord Allah) will call them (those who worshipped others along with Allah), and will say: "Where are My (so-called) partners, whom you used to assert?" 75. And We shall take out from every nation a witness, and We shall say: "Bring your proof." Then they shall know that the truth is with Allah (Alone), and the lies (false gods) which they invented will disappear from them. 76. Verily, Qaroon (Korah) was of Moosas (Moses) people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. When his people said to him: "Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allahs Favours). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allahs Favours). 77. But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidoon (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupts). 78. He said: "This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess." Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected. But the Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) will not be questioned of their sins (because Allah knows them well, so they will be punished without account).

79. So he went forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world, said: "Ah, would that we had the like of what Qaroon (Korah) has been given? Verily! He is the owner of a great fortune." 80. But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you! The Reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are patient (in following the truth)." 81. So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place. Then he had no group or party to help him against Allah, nor was he one of those who could save themselves. 82. And those who had desired (for a position like) his position the day before, began to say: "Know you not that it is Allah Who enlarges the provision or restricts it to whomsoever He pleases of His slaves. Had it not been that Allah was Gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us up (also)! Know you not that the disbelievers will never be successful. 83. That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the Muttaqoon (pious - see V.2:2). It must be noted that this entire episode began with verse 74: 74. And (remember) the Day when He (your Lord Allah) will call them (those who worshipped others along with Allah), and will say: "Where are My (so-called) partners, whom you used to assert?" Hence, we can clearly the link between committing shirk and thinking that our income depends on our intellect, effort skill etc. This same type of shirk occurs when we suffer from the illusion that our income depends on company X or company Y and the result is that we are prepared to break many commands of Allah (SwT) so that we can get a job in company X or company Y and then so that we can get promoted. For example, a person will shave his beard to attend an interview, because he relies on his own effort and on Bank X or Bank Y for his income and he does not rely on Allah (SwT). This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that he has chosen to obey the rules of company X but disobey the command of his Lord, who is the REAL provider for all His creation. Then, if he gets the job, he will unashamedly backbite and slander potential rivals so that they do not get promoted. There is another type of shirk, which the worship of money itself. The prophet (saws) is reported to have said in Sahih Al Bukhari, Book #52, hadith #137, the translated meaning of which is close to: Narrated Abu Huraira: the Prophet said, "Let the slave of Dinar and Dirham and Khamisa (i.e. money and luxurious clothes) perish, for he is pleased if these things are given to him; and if not, he is displeased!"

For some people, the purpose in life is to make as much money as possible. They forget that they will have to leave this world one day, including any wealth that they may have had. Like Qarun, they do not look forward to the reward from Allah (SwT) blessings and contentment in this world and the supreme reward of Jannah in the eternal life. Hence, they are willing to do whatever it takes to make more money they will lie, cheat, steal, rob and kill without any remorse, just to build up a huge bank balance; but only to end up benefiting from his wealth to the extent that it was decreed for him. In fact, if he had good intentions, Allah (Jalla wa ala) would have facilitated for him halaal ways to earn money. Finally, since we only focus on the multimillionaires, we have this misconception that cheating, lying and robbing can make us millionaires and we forget about those cheaters and liars in the buses who lie and cheat for maybe 2 takas! 23. They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess (dhann) and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the Guidance from their Lord! Here, Dhann means baseless thoughts. 24. Or shall man have what he wishes? Today, illiterate people who wish to follow their desires form their own ideas about Allah, life, the purpose of life, Judgement, Jannah and Jahannam. 25. But to Allah belongs the last (Hereafter) and the first (the world). 26. And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and pleases. 27. Verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter, name the angels with female names. 28. While they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but a guess, and verily, guess is no substitute for the truth. 29. Therefore withdraw (O Muhammad SAW) from him who turns away from Our Reminder (this Quran) and desires nothing but the life of this world. Necessity of turning away from the Misguided People (Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder): means, stay away f rom those who turn away from the Truth and shun them. (and desires nothing but the life of this world: meaning, whose aim and knowledge are concentrated on this life; this is the goal of those who have no goodness in them. This ayah says that we should not associate, for the purpose of entertainment, with people for whom this world is everything. People who only think about a house, car and social status. People

who only discuss the latest phones and the scores of football matches and food and shopping etc., forgetting that they will have to leave all of that behind when their appointed time comes (i.e., death). However, we should not ignore them completely because we may need to interact with them for necessary dealing such as keeping family ties, trade, official work etc. In such cases, where possible, effort should be made to call these people to Islam and to remind them about the Hereafter, the grave, the Day of Judgement, Paradise and Hellfire. Apart from such necessary interaction, the only other time it befits a true Muslim to associate with such people, is for the purpose of calling them towards the complete Islam. For example, a person of dunya invites you for lunch, it is recommended that you should accept his invitation because the muslim who mixes with the people is better than the one who secludes himself away from the people. The intention for accepting the invitation from such a person should only be to use this as an opportunity to remind him about the Hereafter, in a way which is likely to be most effective. Today, unfortunately, instead of turning away from the misguided people, i.e., the kuffar and the secular muslims (those who wish to follow their own version of Islam), people who openly commit sins (faasiqoon) and people whose aim in life is to acquire the greatest possible share of this world, many muslims aspire to be like them. We have adopted their ways of speech so that instead of greeting with peace, we use meaningless phrases such as hi and bye. We dress like them, we eat like them, we do the same things they do, we watch the same thing they watch, we listen to the same thing they do, we believe in whatever concepts they teach us such as those relating to human rights, freedom of this and that, womens rights etc. We think like them and it is the ardent desire of many foolish people to be like them and live amongst them. Our example is Muhammad (Salla Allahu aleihi wa sallam), the Prophets (aleihimus salaam), the sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Saliheen (righteous muslims). It is high time that we understood that if we seek izza (honour) in anything other than Islam, then Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) shall humiliate us. 30. That is what they could reach of knowledge. Verily, your Lord it is He Who knows best him who goes astray from His Path, and He knows best him who receives guidance. (That is what they could reach of knowledge.): meaning, seeking this life and striving hard in its af fairs is the best knowledge they have acquired. There is also the reported supplication:

Allahumma, laa tajalil-ladheenakbara hammanaa, wa laa mablagha ilminaa

(O Allah! Make not this life the greatest of our concerns nor the best knowledge that we can attain.) 31. And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise). 32. Those who avoid great sins (see the Quran, Verses: 6:152,153) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) except the small faults (lamam), verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness. He knows you well when He created you from the earth (Adam), and when you were foetuses in your mothers wombs. So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him (i.e. those who are Al-Muttaqoon (pious - see V.2:2)). Al Fawahish is a major sin in itself and yet, it has been mentioned separately. This highlights the gravity of this major sin and it is highly unfortunate that we contribute to this most evil of sins which in itself is enough to earn the wrath of Allah (SwT) and destroy a society, by indulging in haraam TV programs where the woman do not observe hijab and even worse, by making marriage extremely complicated and difficult, pushing millions of adolescents towards haraam relationships. If a person persists in wilfully committing minor sins this would turn it into a major sin. Hence, lamam are those small sins in which the doer does not persist. Lamam also includes major sins for which the sinner made taubah, which means he regrets doing that sin, he asked Allah (Al Ghaffor) for forgiveness and promised Him never to repeat that sin, taking active steps to close all doors that could lead to that sin. In conclusion, Allah (Al Ghafforur Raheem), out of His immense mercy, will overlook the one-off minor sins of a believer, as well as major sins for which taubha was made, provided all other major sins are avoided. So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him (i.e. those who are Al-Muttaqoon (pious - see V.2:2)). In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Muhammad bin ` Amr bin ` Ata said, "I called my daughter, Barrah (the pious one), and Zaynab bint Abu Salamah said to me, ` The Messenger of Allah forbade using this name. They said, `What should we call her' He said, (Call her Zaynab)'' Thus, we need to know well the meaning of the names we give our children, for a nice-sounding name is not necessarily appropriate. Imam Ahmad recorded a Hadith from ` Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakrah, f rom his father who said, "A man praised another man before the Prophet . The Messenger of Allah said: (Woe to you, you have cut off the neck of your friend! (He repeated this) If one of you must praise a friend of his, let him say, "I think that so-and-so is this and that ; Allah knows best about him and I will never purify anyone before Allah, '' if he knows his friend to be as he is describing him. )'' [Al Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith]

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hammam bin Al-Harith said, "A man came before ` Uthman bin ` Affan and praised him. Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad started throwing sand in the face of that man, saying, ` The Messenger of Allah ordered us to throw sand in their faces when we see those who praise. ''' [Muslim and Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith] This verse purports to say that man does not have knowledge of himself as much as Allah knows him. When he went through the various phases of his creation in his mother's womb, he did not have any knowledge or sense. But his Creator knows fully well how wisely He was creating him. Thus he is made aware of his inability and lack of sufficient knowledge. Having said this, he is further made aware of the fact that any good he does is not his personal accomplishment. The ultimate source of his achievement is Allah: It is Allah who has given him limbs, organs and other parts of the body to perform the righteous deeds; it is He who has equipped him with the ability to move his limbs; then He has created the urge, will and determination to perform righteous actions. Hence, not even the greatest righteous, pious and God-fearing person has the right to pride upon his works and behave arrogantly. Besides, no one yet knows what the end result of his activities will be. Yet the end result is the most important factor in our life. Therefore, pride and arrogance is meaningless. Imam Ahmad records on the authority of 'Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakrah that a person praised another person in the presence of the Holy Prophet (saws). He (saws) stopped him and said "If you have to praise a person, then say, 'according to my knowledge the person appears to be upright and God-fearing but I cannot say that he is so in the sight of Allah as well' 33. Did you (O Muhammad SAW) observe him who turned away (from Islam). 34. And gave a little, then stopped (giving)? 35. Is with him the knowledge of the unseen so that he sees? 36. Or is he not informed with what is in the Pages (Scripture) of Moosa (Moses), 37. And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (what Allah ordered him to do or convey), 38. That no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another, Chastising Those Who disobey Allah and stop giving Charity `Ikrimah and Sa`id said: "Like the case of a people who dig a well, during the course of which they find a rock preventing them from completing their work. So they say, `We are finished' and they abandon the work. '' Allah's statement ,(Is with him the knowledge of the Unseen so that he sees) means, does this person, who stopped giving for fear of poverty and ended his acts of charity have knowledge of the Unseen and thus knows that if he does not stop giving, his wealth will go away No. Such a person has stopped giving in charity for righteous causes and did not keep relations with kith and kin because of his miserliness, being stingy and out of fear of poverty.

The Prophet said in a Hadith: O Bilal, spend and fear not about fewer provisions from the Owner of the Throne. Allah the Exalted and Most honoured said, (And whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's cause), He will replace it . And He is the Best of providers.) (34:39) Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur reports from Ibn Jarir that a person embraced Islam and one of his friends rebuked him for having abandoned his forefather's religion. He responded that he fears Allah's chastisement. The friend told him to make a certain payment to him, and he will take upon himself his punishment of the Hereafter. Thus he [the new Muslim] will be spared from the chastisement, and consequently he made the payment to him. The friend demanded more payment. After a scuffle, he made the additional payment to him, and for the balance a document was drawn up with signatures of witnesses. That person, according to Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, was Walid Ibn Mughirah who was inclined towards Islam. But his friend reproached him and took the responsibility of punishment upon his own shoulders. Similarly, some people believe that certain peers will save them from the Hellfire. As for the Hadith of ibn 'Umar &, as recorded in Sahihain [Bukhari and Muslim], that the dead are punished because of the weeping and wailing of their families on his death, it relates to the person who himself used to weep and wail for the deceased and was wont to it, or who had advised his heirs to weep and wail for him after his death. (Madhahir) 37. And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (what Allah ordered him to do or convey), The Holy Prophet said: "He fulfilled the day's work by starting it with the performance of four rak'at [that is, salat-ul-ishraq]" This is supported by the Tradition recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Dharr, according to whom the Holy Prophet said: "O Son of 'Adam! Perform four rak'a of prayer in the early part of the day, I shall take of you in all your affairs till the end of the day." Ibn Abi Hatim reports another Tradition from Sayyidna Muadh Ibn Anas & that the Holy Prophet #& said: "Do you know why Allah gave Ibrahim (aws) the title of al-ladhi zuaffi (the one who fulfilled)? Then, he said, 'Because he used to recite the following dhikr every morning and evening:

39. And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad) 40. And that his deeds will be seen, 41. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense However, it is possible for a person to perform nafl (voluntary) acts of worship and ask Allah (SwT) to reward another muslim. (Ibn Kathir) *Mariful Quraan, Volume 8, pg 230+

42. And that to your Lord (Allah) is the End (Return of everything lives, property, affairs etc.). 43. And that it is He (Allah) Who makes (whom He wills) laugh, and makes (whom He wills) weep; Happiness and sadness is only in the hands of Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) and noting fulfilling desires because fun is temporary. Nor are happiness and sadness the result of worldly causes per se, because the happening or nonhappening of events in this world rests only with Allah (Jalla wa ala). Furthermore, Allah (Jalla wa ala) can give contentment to a person in abject poverty while creating intense feelings of discontent in the heart of a millionaire. 44. And that it is He (Allah) Who causes death and gives life; 45. And that He (Allah) creates the pairs, male and female, 46. From Nutfah (drops of semen male and female discharges) when it is emitted; 47. And that upon Him (Allah) is another bringing forth (Resurrection); 48. And that it is He (Allah) Who gives much or a little (or gives wealth and contentment) If a doctor tells you that you have cancer and you ignore him, when the cancer becomes uncontrollable, it is already too late to save your life. Similarly, Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) is informing us that ALL wealth comes from Him (Rabbul aalameen) only. However, there are some people who grow arrogant when they are given wealth instead of expressing gratitude to the Giver, Allah (Rabbul Izzat) through the tongue and obedience to His will, they say what Qaroon said I have given this wealth because if my knowledge (I am smart/hard working etc.). Such people should realise that if Allah (Azza wajal) were to take away their wealth, then crying would do them no good. Hence, if a person wants to keep his wealth, he should express gratitude to Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) by obeying His commands such performing the salah, giving the zakah and avoiding sins. 49. And that He (Allah) is the Lord of Sirius (the star which the pagan Arabs used to worship); Some of the Arab tribes worshipped the mighty star, Sirius, because they regarded it as a source of good or bad luck for them. Allah mentions this star in particular in order to refute their false notion and to affirm that He is the Lord and Master of this star as well. We understand from this that attributing events to luck or chance is an act of shirk, such as black cats, the number 13 and other superstitions, for nothing takes place without the will of Allah (SwT), including the things we like as well as the things we dislike. Since everything occurs only by the will of Allah (SwT), everything occurs for good, including hurricanes, floods, road accidents etc. However it may be that we fail to understand the wisdom behind such events.

For example, is there any good in pushing a fat needle into someone? You might think, no. Whatif you came to know that the fat needle was actually an injection for a patient? Similarly, we may dislike many events on the face of it, but ultimately, there is good in it, where good is defined as anything that takes us closer to Paradise. 50. And that it is He (Allah) Who destroyed the former Ad (people), 51. And Thamood (people). He spared none of them. 52. And the people of Nooh (Noah) aforetime, verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing (in disobeying Allah and His Messenger Nooh (Noah)). 53. And He destroyed the overthrown cities (of Sodom to which Prophet Lout (Lot) was sent). 54. So there covered them that which did cover (i.e. torment with stones). A person well acquainted with history may reflect over the decline of the mighty Greek and Roman empires and even the British empire that stretched from one end of the world to another. When they were in power, they never imagined that one day, their power would be taken away from them and today, the Americans and the kuffaar think in the same way, that they will continue to rule the earth forever. However, Allah (Subhaanhu wa Taala) has His way of running the affairs of this world and the rest of creation and when He wills, He will take the power away from them and give it to whomsoever He wills. And the end belongs to the righteous. So do not harbour doubts about the truth of Islam and the power of Allah (Rabbul alameen) by misunderstanding the situation of the world today and thinking, if the kuffaar are the worst of creation and their way of life leads to nowhere except Hell, how come they have so much money and power? The people of ` Ad were among the strongest , fiercest people and the most rebellious against Allah the Exalted and His Messenger. Ad disobeyed so Allah annihilated the entire nation by a violently furious wind. Prophet Salih (aleihi wa salaam) was sent to the tribe of Thamud (who use to carve houses out of mountains) but they too disobeyed their Prophet. Those who transgressed were caught by the awesome Cry of Jibrail and their hearts were burst by the horrific sound resulting in the mass destruction of those people. 53. And He destroyed the overthrown cities (of Sodom to which Prophet Lout (Lot) was sent). 54. So there covered them that which did cover (i.e. torment with stones). The people of Sodom were sodomites (homosexuals) so Allah (SwT) destroyed them when they disobeyed their Messenger Lut (aleihi wa salaam).

Jibreel (aleihi wa salaam) raised up the entire city with the tip of one wing, until the dwellers of the skies could hear the barking of the dogs. He then dropped the city on its head (upside down) and its crashed into the earth, leading to the Dead Sea. Furthermore, they were showered with fiery stones of clay. To this day, nothing can live in the Dead Sea, such was the curse that Allah (Azza wajal) placed on them. InshaAllah, the full account of these evilest of people shall be presented elsewhere. 55. Then which of the Graces of your Lord (O man!) will you doubt. 56. This (Muhammad SAW) is a warner (Messenger) of the (series of) warners (Messengers) of old. 57. The Day of Resurrection draws near, 58. None besides Allah can avert it, (or advance it, or delay it). 59. Do you then wonder at this recital (the Quran)? 60. And you laugh at it and weep not, 61. Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (ghaflah, singing, etc.). 62. So fall you down in prostration to Allah, and worship Him (Alone). These verses does not mean that a muslim must be sad all the time. Rather, we should take time out to read the Quran (or its translation) with the intention of understand it and applying it in our lives. We should also take account of our sins (muhasabah or self-criticism) and wake up from the illusion we have spun around ourselves, an illusion that assumes that we will live here forever; an illusion that causes our every action, though and hope to centre on the temporary life of this world, forgetting the vast expanse of the eternal Hereafter. It is recorded in Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas that when the Holy Prophet (saws) recited this verse he prostrated, and all those around him also prostrated along with him-Muslims, pagans, Jinns and mankind. Another report from 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim, narrates that when the Holy Prophet (Saws) finished reciting the Surah before a mixed gathering of Muslims and disbelievers, everyone prostrated, including the disbelievers, except one old Quraishi man (Umaayah ibn Khalaf) who took a handful of soil and, having applied it on his forehead said, 'This is enough for me.' 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said that later on he saw this man killed as a disbeliever. In fact, the effect of that sajdah (prostration) was so strong that all the disbelievers who had prostrated on that occasion were later on blessed with Iman.