Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
By Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Hamid Saheb
(Daamat Barakaatuhum)
We are living in such times, where we
see the words of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) in regard to the end
of this world, becoming a reality, with each passing day. Rasulullah
(Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said about the signs of the final day: “Signs
following one another like the pieces of a necklace falling, one after the
other, when its string is cut.”[1]
All around, we see the manifestation
of the signs of Qiyamah. Some – as mentioned in different Ahadith – are:
natural disasters will increase, time will pass swiftly, afflictions will
appear, massacre, bloodshed and killing will increase, the murderer will not
know as to why he has killed and the slain will not know as to why he has been
murdered, the widespread prevalence of music and adultery, women will be naked
in spite of being dressed, children will be disobedient to their parents, great
injustice will fill the earth, etc.
There are just waves and waves of
darknesses hitting mankind – in the form of various tribulations and trials. And man is in a state of self-destruction
due to his indulgence in sins.
Having read an interesting article on
the octopus, an analogy came to mind, considering the Fitnahs this Ummah and
all of mankind are facing.
Like a giant venomous octopus
spreading its eight arms, the forces of evil are spreading throughout the
world. Via the media, evil spreads speedily and instantly in all directions.
It is said that an octopus releases a
thick cloud of black ink to confuse its predators. We find that these forces of
shaytaan spread darkness to confuse all of mankind.
Shaytaan is man’s
open enemy – so when it comes to the destruction of man, there is no mercy.
Allah Ta’ala warns and cautions us:
إِنَّ
الشَّيْطٰنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ ◌
“…Verily shaytaan is an open enemy unto you.”
[Surah Al-A`raaf 7 : 22]
إِنَّ
الشَّيْطٰنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوْهُ عَدُوّاً ط
“Surely shaytaan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an
enemy…”
[Surah Fatir 35:6]
It is also said that this black cloud
of ink has a special substance that dulls senses. Similarly we find that these
Fitnahs and these “Isms” dull the spiritual senses. …As an example: Today,
music is accepted, by perhaps the majority of Muslims, as entertainment and
relaxation – whereas, it is Haraam and it only nourishes Nifaaq (hypocrisy) in
the heart. This is darkness that spreads
in the heart. It not only dulls Roohaaniyyat (spirituality), it destroys it.
Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam) said: “Music causes hypocrisy to grow in the heart just as
water causes crops to grow.”[2]
Similarly, alcohol, drugs, gambling,
interest taking and giving, adultery and every other sin clouds the spiritual
vision and judgement and ‘numbs’ the soul.
With eight arms the octopus gains a
firm grip over its prey. It gives a nasty bite and has poisonous and deadly
saliva to subjugate and overpower its prey. It injects its prey in such a way
that it paralyses it and then it dismembers and tears it into small pieces with
its beak.
These
Fitnahs and these sins and these false ideologies bite and paralyse Imaan. They
poison the spiritual heart, sometimes fully destroying the person’s Imaan, and
they dismember and tear apart the person's entire Dien. This is how shaytaan
assaults and attacks.
As a result, we find that very sadly,
the majority of mankind, have become blinded by these darknesses and have even become
spiritually dead in the grip of these satanic “Isms”.
It is a known fact, that the octopus
is not the king or master in the oceans. We have the great white sharks and we
have the killer whales and other sea creatures that are known as apex
predators. They are, by far, much, much bigger and stronger than the octopus.
In fact, the octopus would not attack such powerful predators.
Like the octopus, shaytaan’s
influence and his power are limited. Even though, his influence is evident,
Allah Ta’ala informs us that his conspiracies and schemes are weak.
إِنَّ
كَيْدَ الشَّيْطٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيْفًا ◌
“Surely the plot of shaytaan is ever feeble.”
[Surah An-Nisaa 4 : 76]
When we establish a strong connection
with Allah Ta’ala, with obedience and submission to Allah Ta’ala’s Commands and
we become the friends of Allah Ta’ala, then Allah Ta’ala protects from the mischief
of nafs and shaytaan and from the Fitnahs that abound in the world.
Allah Ta’ala
makes this known:
إِنَّهٗ
لَيْسَ لَهٗ سُلْطٰنٌ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَلٰى رَبِّهِمْ
يَتَوَكَّلُوْنَ ◌
“Verily, he
(shaytaan) has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in
their Lord (Allah Ta’ala).”
[Surah
An-Nahl 16 : 99]
Allah Ta’ala’s Protection is with
those who believe and trust in Him. Allah Ta’ala also grants spiritual strength
to overcome and foil the plans and attacks of both nafs and
shaytaan.
However, those who follow shaytaan,
by engaging in sins and immorality, are the ones who become the victims and
easy prey of shaytaan:
إِنَّمَا
سُلْطٰنُهٗ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهٗ وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِهٖ
مُشْرِكُوْنَ ◌
‘His power is
only over those who obey and follow him (shaytaan).’
[Surah An-Nahl 16 : 100]
In these challenging times, we need
to guard ourselves against these Fitnahs, by :
- Equipping ourselves with the correct Aqaa’id (beliefs) and knowledge of Dien,
- Fulfilling the Commandments of Allah Ta'ala - especially establishing Salaah, five times a day.
- Engaging in good deeds, plenty of Dua and Istighfaar,
- Giving Sadaqah and
- Keeping ourselves attached to the company of the Ulama-e-Haq, Mashaa’ik and the Righteous.
- We should also carry out the great responsibility and duty of “Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahy anil Munkar”[3].
These are measures for our safety and Istiqaamah (steadfastness).
As
Muslims, there is no losing hope. Imaan is the light of the heart and our
guiding light. It is our torch as we walk through the darkness of this worldly
life.
Practising on Dien is
our shield and our fortress in these times when there is a great onslaught and
ambush against Imaan and Islam. There is
no tolerance shown to religion. All the Isms that circulate in
the world are with the single objective of eradicating belief in Allah Ta’ala.
This is the promise of shaytaan:
“Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against
them
(human beings) on Your Straight Path.
Then I will come to them from before them and behind them,
from their
right and from their left, and You will not find most of
them as thankful ones
(i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).”
[Surah Al-A’raaf 7 : 16/17]
Holding onto Dien, like how a
drowning man holds onto a lifeline, will be our means of salvation, Insha-Allah.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the
understanding and the concern, that we take measures to protect ourselves and
our families in these very dangerous times.
[1] Tirmidhi
[2] Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Imaan
[3] Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahy
anil Munkar :Commanding the good and forbidding the evil
