Submission by: Tavis Adibudeen ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Topic:
Human Development and Provisions for the Hereafter
Text:
With the Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful
Redeemer
Human Development and Provisions for the
Hereafter
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets is
that of a man who has built a house completely and excellently except for a
place of one brick. When the people enter the house, they admire its beauty
and say: 'But for the place of this brick (how splendid the house will be)!"
another narrations adds: "So I am that brick, and I am the last of the
Prophets."
All praise is due to Allah who bestowed upon humanity a Mercy unlike any
that came before or any that would come after, the Seal of the Prophets, the
sender of the Message, our leader, the love of our hearts, Muhammad, upon whom
be the peace and blessings of Allah. He is the last of the Prophets, and
no other message will come after the Message bestowed upon him by Allah, the
Most High, through the angel Jibril (upon whom be peace).
One of the most important lessons that Muslims should draw from this
Message, al-Qur'an, and from the example (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammed (saaws) is
the concept of human development. From the moment of conception, a human
being begins his development. This development continues until a person
breathes his last breath. What occurs in between these two brief moments
is largely determined by a person's choices and actions.
In his very essence, the human being, (both male and female) is raw, pure,
undisciplined, and untrained. In Al-Islam, this concept is called
Fitra.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
No child is born but upon Fitra. He then said. Recite: The nature made by
Allah in which He created man, there is no altering of Allah's nature; that is
the right religion."
Fitra, in Arabic, means "nature (natural), disposition,
constitution, temperament, innate character, instinct." All of creation
comes into existence in this state of Fitra. Unlike other
forms of creation, however, humans beings have within them the ability to leave
this state of nature into something unnatural.
The struggle with oneself to return to this natural state (jihad
an-nafs) and the process of turning over one's affairs to the Creator
(Al-Islam) are therefore the keys to human development that one must
acquire while on this earth.
Each Prophet that was sent from Allah was a lesson in human
development. The first one, Adam (upon whom be peace), was raw, unrefined,
natural, and pure. In this state, he represents the first stage in our
human development. Every Prophet after him was a step up the ladder
of human development culminating in the best of humanity, Muhammed
(saaws). He is our model for human excellence.
"Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example
for any who hopes in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much."
(Qur'an Surat al-Azhab - 33:21)
Our development as human beings hinges on our ability to
understand our relationship to the Creator as his servants, our willingness
to submit and return to a state of fitra, and our provisions for the
hereafter.
Serving the Creator
"Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the
heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings
outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows
well all that they do." (Qur'an, Surat An-Noor 24:41)
Everything in creation is obedient to Allah, Most High. Every star,
every planet, every beast that walks the earth, roams the seas, or glides
through the air knows a method of worshipping Allah. It's method is it's
nature, fitra. A bird will not decide to stop being a bird.
It is against its nature and against what Allah created it to be. It never
leaves this nature and never has the desire to go outside of its limits.
Angels also share in this pureness and unconditional servitude to the Most
High. An angel's love and obedience to Allah is never questioned.
Unlike the majority of creation, however, human beings can turn away from
Allah. They can choose to disobey His commands, to stop loving Him, and to
give up what is best in favor of what is wrong. It is therefore a test
from Allah that we have the choice between obedience to Him or obedience to our
own desires. Many times our desires appear more alluring than the commands
of Allah. Many times it may seem difficult to determine the truth.
For this, Allah sent messengers and prophets, one after another, with a common
message of unity so that people might know the clear and straight path.
The Message was that there is only one God. These prophets were also
warners of the punishment that would come for not serving Allah alone and also
the givers of glad tidings for the rewards that believers would receive in the
life after.
Returning to Fitra
"If anyone desires a religion other than Al-Islam (submission to
Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the
ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good)." (Qur'an, Surat Alee
Imran 3:85)
In order to truly return to our natural state, human beings must ultimately
submit to Allah (Al-Islam). More than just a religion, al-Islam is a
complete way of life that encompasses every aspect of our being. It is,
therefore, not sufficient for someone who has adopted the path of serving the
Creator (Islam) to simply say "I am Muslim." He must, rather, display this
in his words, actions, thoughts, and deeds.
Crucial to this concept are the intentions. A Muslims intentions go
hand and hand with his deeds. A Muslim who prays, fasts, gives charity,
etc. but does not intend to serve Allah in doing so, will have no reward from
Allah in the hereafter. Intentions must, therefore, be sincerely for
seeking the pleasure of Allah and not associating any partners with Him, highly
glorified and exalted is He.
Returning to fitra means shedding off the alluring traps of this
world that are set to snare us and pull us away from the service of Allah.
Al-Islam must become our lives, and any other permissible thing must become
secondary or rather should become viewed within the context of Islam.
For example, a Muslim is allowed to earn a living, but that earning must now be
viewed within the context of Islam. He should earn his living by lawful
means, use the utmost courtesy and kindness, use his money for lawful
activities, and spend in charity. In this way, there is ample opportunity
for purification.
The human development and return to fitra encompasses our
physical, mental, and spiritual make-up. Most are easily able to
acquire the physical fitra, and the mental fitra can be
reached through thikr (remembrance of Allah) during one's daily
activities and through the seeking of knowledge of both religious sciences and
of other disciplines. The spiritual fitra, however, is much more
alluding to the average seeker. One must ultimately spend his life making
provisions for the hereafter to achieve it.
Provisions for the Hereafter
All human beings agree that this life is temporary and will ultimately end
in death. Anyone who disagrees with this is in obvious denial. Where
those who have faith differ from those who do not is what happens after
death. For those who believe in Allah, there is a life after death in
which human beings will be judged and rewarded/punished according to their life
on earth. While our current life is extremely short, the next life does
not end. It is therefore, imperative that we make provisions for the next
life even if it is at the expense of this life.
Preparation for the next life has varying degrees according to the
individual. While for some it means only practicing the essentials
(prayer, fasting, etc.) others cling to mysticism and asceticism. Al-Islam
generally falls somewhere in between these two extremes.
The first step in this process is to remove the love of this life from
one's heart. One must become content with love only for Allah even if one
must come to despise the life of this world (although it need not escalate
to that point).
"Those who love the life of this world more than the Hereafter, who
hinder (men) from the Path of Allah and seek therein something crooked: they
are astray by a long distance." (Qur'an, Surah Ibrahim
-14:3)
The person who seeks provisions for the hereafter should treat this world
as though he was a journeyman only briefly passing through it on his way to
another destination. He should pack his bags lightly and not engage in
chasing after this life and ignoring the ultimate and inevitable return to his
Lord. Every act and deed should be in preparation for his
destination. Why would he prepare and plan for a place that is only a
stopping station along the way to his true destination? Instead his mind
should remain focused on his destination and toward seeking it.
He should not shun this world so as to disrespect Allah's creation and
should not cling to this world so as to ignore his final destination. He
should remember death often, for it is the inevitable truth that awaits us when
we will be covered with the dust that we now clean from ourselves. When
free from his legitimate duties, he should remember Allah often, standing,
sitting, lying down, and riding. He should find pleasure in doing good
deeds and find himself disgusted when committing wrong deeds. He should
seek forgiveness often and turn to Allah in repentance even for the smallest of
offenses. He should treat others with kindness and not neglect his love
ones. He should pay close attention to his prayers and not neglect any of
their intricacies. His preparation will never be complete, and he should
never become so satisfied with himself that he feels no need to improve upon his
human development.
Our development as individuals and as an Ummah ultimately depends upon our
choices and actions. Our success in this life and in the hereafter must be
based upon our submission to and love for Allah and our suppression of our own
desires. Provisions for the life after should naturally become a part of
our daily lives so that even our everyday actions are for the sake and pleasure
of only Allah, Most High. May Allah guide us to the right path, provide us
with sustenance for human development, and bestow on us the keys to salvation
and everlasting Paradise. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the
last Prophet, upon his family, upon his righteous companions, and upon his
devout followers.
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