In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"
Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with
Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah
guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one
can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
How big is YOUR LIGHT ?
- Asma bint Shameem
You're sitting comfortably in your room when all of a sudden, the electricity
goes off. It becomes completely dark. You can't see a thing. Although it is
your own house, life comes to an inconvenient, complete halt.
That's because you can't see a thing! You dare not move, in the fear that you
may knock something over or worse still, you may stumble and hurt yourself.
Uncomfortable and unnerving, isn't it?
Now fast forward to an unknown time in the future......when it will be dark
like this and even worse.....
when you.... and I...... and all of mankind.....will be gathered in the dark,
in front of a bridge.....
a bridge that is sharper than a sword and thinner than a hair.....
a bridge called as-Siraat.......the bridge over Hellfire.
When the companions asked about the bridge, he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)
said: It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (hooks like)
thorns which are wide at one side and narrow at the other and have bent ends...
Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye,
some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, or fast horses or she-camels.
So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some
scratches, and some will fall down into Hellfire. The last person will cross by
being dragged (over the bridge)."
Bukhaari
And then, it will be ordered that we all pass over this bridge. And we will
have no choice but to comply to the order of the Lord of the Worlds. But it
will be dark, darker than any darkness one can ever imagine.....
and on this horrific Day, mankind will be desperate... desperate to do
anything, anything, to have some kind of light that will help them see the way
and guide them to cross over the Siraat.
And then..... there will be light.
But, you know what? This light will only be according to the light of Imaan
that you had in your heart during this Dunya.
If your Imaan was strong, so will be this light....strong and bright and
illuminating. And if your Imaan was weak, this light will be weak too, dim and
faltering and feeble.
Ibn Kathir reported in his Tafseer: "They will pass over the Siraat according
to their deeds. Some of them will have a light as large as a mountain, some as
a date tree, some as big as a man in the standing position. The least among
them has a light as big as his index finger, it is lit at times and
extinguished at other times.''
(Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir).
Ibn al-Qayyim says: "For one person, it (the light) will be like the sun, for
another like the moon, the stars or a lamp. For yet another, this light will be
only at the tips of his toes; it will shine, then go out [then shine, then go
out]. For just as his light had been in this world, so he shall be given when
crossing the Bridge. In fact, it is the same light that had appeared to him
before. However, just as the hypocrite has no real light in this world, or has
only an outward light but none within, so shall he be given [on that Day] an
outward light which will vanish in the darkness and be lost."
If you lived a life of righteousness and Taqwa, a life according to Islaam,
submitting to Allaah and repenting to Him, obeying His commandments, hoping for
His Mercy yet fearing His Wrath, taking care not to disobey Him to the best of
your ability, then good news for you, O Muslim. Allaah will illuminate your
path over the Siraat just like He illuminated your heart in this Dunya with
guidance and righteousness.
"The Day (will surely come) when you shall see believing men and women with
their light running before them and on their right hands, (it will be said to
them): 'Glad tidings for you this Day. You shall live for ever in Gardens
underneath which rivers flow! That is indeed the mighty triumph. (Surah Hadeed:
12)
BUT,
If you dared to disobey the Lord of the Worlds, following your whims and
desires, earning haraam, lying, cheating and backbiting,involved in all sorts
of sins and forgetting the Aakhirah, then dim and feeble will be your light in
accordance with the deeds that YOU chose to commit.
Imagine the desperation, despair and hopelessness of a person in such a
situation!
Complete darkness..... and a bridge, that he has to cross....a bridge so sharp
and so slippery and so thin, with hooks....stretching over Hellfire....and he
can't see a thing! May Allaah save us.
Wouldn't he give anything, anything to have a light that is strong and
bright.....
A light that can illuminate his way across the Siraat....
A light that can take him to Jannah??!!
Alas...for him, it will be too late.....
BUT, it's not too late for YOU. You still have time. You still have a chance to
make your light big and strong. All you have to do is to submit to Allaah and
repent sincerely. Obey whatever He commands you to and stay away from whatever
He forbids you from. Have Taqwa of Allaah in all that you say and do and
Wallaahi, He will brighten your heart with Imaan, lighten your life in this
Dunya and illuminate your way over the Siraat on to Jannah.
"O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your
Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which
rivers flow. The Day that Allaah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad ) and
those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with
(their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands they will say: "Our Lord!
Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the
Siraat safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things
."
(Surah Tahreem: 8)
So... How BIG is your LIGHT ???
And When Any News Comes To You.....
By Asma bint Shameem
Surely, we live in difficult times, full of trials and tribulations. And one of
the ways that we are tried by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taala is by testing us with
rumors and how we react to them. We are bombarded with all sorts of information
every day, be it directly from a person, on television, or via email. And many
good-hearted people may just accept them, assuming this piece of news as
indisputable facts coming from trustworthy sources. However, as a Muslim, what
is our role towards such sayings and claims?
What does the Shareeah say about such information?
Allaah says:
Behold, you received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things
which you had no knowledge of; and you thought it to be a light matter, while
it was most serious in the sight of Allaah
(Surah Nur: 15)
So before we accept what anyone and everyone says, there are certain points to
keep in mind, as we all have to stand in front of Allaah one day.
1) VERIFY the news
We have to verify the information and ascertain, to the best of our ability,
the truthfulness and authenticity of the news that reaches us. WHY?
Because Allaah orders you and me to be JUST
Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to
whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice.
Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He gives you! Truly, Allaah is Ever
AllHearer, AllSeer. (Surah Nisaa:58)
2) Deliberate on the information
Think about what is being said, who is saying it and about whom is he saying
it, before believing it.
O you who believe! If a Faasiq (evil person) comes to you with any news,
verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become
regretful for what you have done
[al-Hujuraat 49:6]
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: Deliberation is from Allaah
and haste is from the Shaytaan.
(al-Silsilah al-Saheehah)
3) Examine the circumstances
Sometimes something may appear or sound true on the surface but, you may not
know the full circumstances behind the statement or the report may be taken out
of context.
Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The believer reserves judgment until the matter is
proven.
4) Look for PROOF
Anyone who claims a statement or levels an accusation against another person
must provide proof:
Say (O Muhammad), Produce your proof if you are truthful
[al-Baqarah:111]
And if they fail to produce any solid proof for what they claim
Since they produce not witnesses, they are the liars in the sight of Allaah
[al-Noor 24:13]
5)Ask the people in charge
The people in charge can explain the facts of the matter and remove any
confusion or doubts a person may have,
When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they
make it known (among the people); if only they had referred it to the Messenger
or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would
have understood it from them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and
Mercy of Allaah upon you, you would have followed Shaytaan (Satan), save a few
of you
[al-Nisaa :83]
6) Stand up for the Truth
Search for and stand up for the Truth, and do not accept any false statements
from anyone, even if it is from someone you love or hold close to your heart.
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even
though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or
poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts
(of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness
or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well Acquainted with what you do.
(Surah Nisaa:135)
7) Beware that it may be a LIE
The Shareeah issues a stern warning against passing on all that one hears.
The Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: It is enough
lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.
(Muslim)
Al-Nawawi said: Usually a person hears truth and lies, so if he speaks of
everything that he hears, he is lying by telling of things that did not happen,
and lying by speaking of something other than the way it happened
.
8) Beware that it may be SLANDER
Many people just believe any news they hear and pass it on without even
stopping to think that it may not be true. In that case it is a slander against
the person that the news is about. And slander is a major sin.
Woe to every backbiter, slanderer.
(Surah Humazah: 1)
And the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
No man accuses another of an immoral deed or kufr, but it will come back on
him, if the person he accuses is not as he says he is.
(Bukhari).
No (Muslim) man will desert a man who is a Muslim in a place where his respect
may be violated and his honor aspersed without Allah deserting him in a place
where he wishes help.
(Abu Dawood -authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani)
9) Be careful of what you say
Not a word is said except that there is a watcher by him ready to record it.
[Surah Qaf :18]
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said, Indeed a servant may say a
word from which Allahs displeasure is gained and he does not realize it. Allah
will put him in Jahannam due to it.
(Bukhaari)
O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are true (in
words and deeds)
[al-Tawbah 9:119]
And why did you not, when you heard it, say? "It is not right of us to speak of
this: Glory to Allaah, this is a most serious slander"
(Surah Nur:16)
May Allaah guide us and enable us to stand up for the Truth, wherever it may
be. Ameen.
Salaam Walekum
Adil Khan
LiveIslam_LiveIslam
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