All praise is due to Allah Who has revealed in His Kitab:
�(What!) Is he who was dead, then we gave him life and created for him a light with which he walks among people, the same as one who dwells in darkness, unable to emerge from it?�
Salaam and Durood upon His Rasool whom He ennobled with His Kalam (Speech -- the Qur'aan). And, Allah Ta'ala says:
"Similarly have we revealed to you (Muhammad) a Rooh (i.e. Wahi) of Our Command."
He (Muhammad) called his Ummah to the munificent thawaab of it (Wahi). Allah Ta'ala says:
''O people of Imaan! Answer Allah and the Rasool when they call you towards that which will enliven you."
Muhammad (saws) steered the Ummah towards the lofty and glorious heights of Wahi. Allah Ta'ala says:
"They (the true Believers) -- Allah has established Imaan in their hearts and has aided them with a Rooh (spiritual power) from Him."
Verily, Allah Ta'ala says:
''Whoever practices righteousness be it male or female, and he (or she) is a Mu'min, most assuredly We shall grant him (or her) a prosperous worldly life and (in the Aakhirah) We shall reward them for the virtuous deeds they practised."
And, Allah Ta'ala says:
"Whoever turns away from My Remembrance, verily for him is adversity (even before Qiyaamah, i.e. in the grave) and We will resurrect him blind on the Day of Qiyaamah. "
Regarding the people of Jahannum, Allah Ta'ala says:
"Neither will they die therein nor will they be alive. "
Thus the life in the Fire will be a life of misery in which there will be no comfort and prosperity. Although that life will not be death, it will also not be life.
On the basis of these Qur'aanic aayaat and numerous others, the authoritative (Muhaqqiqeen) Mufassireen have asserted that true spiritual life and the life of the Hereafter as well as the worldly life are rights which belong exclusively to the obedient servants of Allah Ta'ala. This conclusion is manifest from the many Qur'aanic verses. Inspite of the clarity of this issue our Muslim brethren have become grossly forgetful of it and behave as if they have never heard of the basis and proofs of this claim of the Mufassireen. Their indifference is so stark that one gains the impression that this matter and its proofs never even crossed their minds.
The two kinds of existence mentioned earlier are the worldly life and the life of the Aakhirah. Regarding the Aakhirah, they (our brethren) do recognise to a degree that it is exclusive for the obedient servants of Allah Ta'ala. But, in so far as the life of this world is concerned, the thought of it being the exclusive right of the obedient servants of Allah Ta'ala is exceptionally remote from their minds. Thus, throughout the world we observe avalanches and mountains of hardship and misfortune continuously descending and crashing upon Muslims. Despite this calamitous situation, the causes and the remedy have not occurred to anyone. Those who attempt to devise some remedy for this state of degradation and plan to salvage the situation are confronted with utter and total failure because they have failed to diagnose the disease. An erroneous diagnosis results in an erroneous prescription of a remedy. Hence, the disease instead of curing deteriorates more and more.
The natural consequence of such erroneous, misguided and unprincipled plans and schemes devised to extricate the Ummah from the morass of degradation is nothing other than the deterioration of the disease.
However, it is seen that failure upon failure does not deter the misguided diagnosers who intransigently believe in the rectitude of their prescriptions of error.
The cause of this practical ignorance and misguidance is intellectual ignorance. These practitioners do not fully acknowledge the Divine declarations of the Qur'aan and Ahadith which have pinpointed the root causes of the calamities which have overtaken the Ummah with such disastrous consequences as we behold. They proclaim that they have Imaan in them. What then is the meaning of their partial acknowledgement? Imaan in Allah and His Rasool means to acknowledge them and believe them to be truthful in every aspect, every statement and deed. But, partial acceptance of some statements and rejection of some fall within the scope of the following aayat:
�What! Do you believe in part of the Book and reject part of the Book?�
It is thus imperative that attention be drawn to the existence of this colossal ignorance and negligence so that the causes underlying the disease may be ascertained and the correct remedy prescribed. Proofs, both rational and narrational, as well as observation and experience, have established beyond the slightest vestige of doubt that recognition of the causes of our ailments which have afflicted us in this age, as well as the remedy and cure for these ills are confined to the auspicious instructions of Rasulullah (saws). This is a claim which we make without the slightest fear of being contradicted.
Whoever will believe in the correctness of Rasulullah's (saws) diagnosis and practise in accordance with his prescription will acknowledge the efficacy and swiftness of cure of such divine remedies. He will be convinced of the efficacy of such remedies and wholeheartedly submit to the divine treatment.
Rasulullah (saws) conveyed his Message to mankind with the greatest of affection and clarity. There exists not the slightest ambiguity in it. Now, application of the prescription offered by Rasulullah (saws) depends on the fortune and misfortune of people. Those who decide to accept the prescription will be fortunate and successful while those who reject it will be encumbered with misfortune and failure. Whoever in the past did accept and utilise the divine prescription had attained rectitude, success and prosperity.
Muslims who have neglected the divine prescription despite their love for Allah and Rasulullah (saws), have, nevertheless, been blessed. The reason for them being blessed inspite of their negligence is their belief and love for Allah and his Rasool (saws). This blessing is actually their deprivation -- their being deprived of worldly success and prosperity. This deprivation is a warning to them to realise their error and reform their condition. Such a warning then is a blessing in actual fact.
Those bereft of faith and love, viz., the kuffaar are granted leeway because of the misfortune of their evil. They obtain temporary and superficial success and prosperity. But, in the Aakhirah they will be deprived of all prosperity and goodness. Thus, a prosperity at the end of which is misfortune and calamity is not prosperity in reality. In addition to the future failure and adversity which will be their fate in the Aakhirah, they discern themselves to be without peace, tranquility and sweetness of life despite their possession of external worldly comforts and luxuries. About such temporary and mundane success coupled with failure in the Aakhirah, the Qur'aan says:
"What! Do they think that by our bestowal of wealth and sons to them, We are hastening goodness for them? In fact, they do not understand."
"Do not let their wealth nor their children surprise you. Allah intends to punish them in the life of this world therewith, and their souls will depart while they are unbelievers. "
Since it has been established beyond doubt that prosperity and success are confined to the prescriptions of Rasulullah (saws), it devolves as a necessary obligation upon our Muslim brethren who are informed of the disease, but uninformed of the prescription, to abandon permanently their neglect, ignorance and indolence. It is incumbent upon them to utilise these divine and proven prescriptions so that they attain all forms of prosperity and success in abundance in both this world and the Aakhirah.
Keeping in view easy acquisition of benefit and the acceptability of the Call (Da'wat) to the masses, I have enumerated in this book certain laws which are simple to learn and practise. I am presenting this to my brethren. The various parts are Imaan, Knowledge, Salaat, Zakaat, Qur'aan, Morals, Transactions, Acquisition of Halaal, Abstention from extravagance, Stories of the Auliya, Dua, etc. Looking at the nature and peculiarity of this book, I have names it HAYAATUL MUSLIMEEN or The Life of Muslims. I have described the various parts as Arwaah (Souls) which are in fact the foundations of existence or life. A variety of effects and impressions ensue from these Arwaah for Muslims.
''Allah is the Dispenser of Guidance and in His Power is protection and assistance. "
ASHRAF ALI
Jamadul Ukhraa, 1346
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