Part 17

* Awoman was cast into Hellfire because of a cat.*” One may utter a word carelessly, which displeases Allah. This might be done without thinking about the gravity of the word, and then because of that he will be thrown into the Hellfire, like the distance between the east and the west.” And one may obey Allah for sixty years, and at his death he misjudges, and this will be the reason for his being thrown into Hellfire. The person’s lifetime is judged by its end, and man’s actions are regarded by their final deeds. Whoever breaks his ablution before the final salutation, surely his prayer becomes invalid, and whoever breaks his fast before sunset, surely his fast is invalid, and whoever is sinful at the end of his life, surely he will meet Allah in that state. If you give charity, surely you will find the blessing thereof, but beware of greed. How many times do you seek a good reward but it is rejected because of procrastination?

* Verily, no salvation is found when faith is incomplete, when false hope is overestimated, when a disease has no remedy or visitor, when one insists on vain desires, when a sleeping heedless mind wanders blindly in wild

28 Narrated by Buhkary, in his book, “Distribution of water", the Chapter of "the merits of distributing water" no. 2365. It was narrated by Muslim, in the Book of Al-Kusdf, the Chapter of "What is offered to the Prophet....no. (904).

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intoxication, overwhelmed by its ignorance, feeling alienated from his Lord, and finding delight with his servants, and remembering people is his power and pleasure, while remembering Allah is his prison and death. To Allah he offers superficial acts of worship, and to people his devotion and trust are directed.

Chapter: Why Was Adam Considered the Last of Creatures?

The pen is considered the first thing to record the destiny of man before his existence. However, Adam is the last of creatures, due to several reasons:

One: Preparing the place before the dweller's arrival.

Two: Adam is the aim for which every other being is created, like the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, and the sea.

Three: The most proficient Creator ended His work with the best the same as He Starts with its basis and origin.

Four: Souls usually aspire to the end and final stages, and that is why Masa (Moses) told the sorcerers in the Qur'anic verse in which Allah says,

éb y AIG ail

which means, “Cast down what you want to cast!" (YGnus,

So when the people saw the sorcerers’ actions, they inclined to the following one.

Five: Allah, the Exalted and Ever Majestic, adjourned the best of books, prophets, and nations to the latest period of time. He renders the Hereafter better than this worldly life, and the final stages to be more perfect than the earlier ones, and that is why there is a great difference between the Angel's saying,

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"Read," to which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I am not a reader," and Allah’s saying,

which means, "This day, | have perfected your religion for you." (Al-Ma'idah, 5:3)

Six: Allah, the Exalted, gave the knowledge of all things to Adam.

Seven: Adam is the essence and fruit of existence, so it is correct that he is the last of all the entities.

Eight: Because Adam is honorable in the Sight of Allah, He prepared all his interests, requirements, necessities and means of life for him. As soon as he was created, he found the universe ready for him.

Nine: Allah, the Exalted, willed that His honor and grace would be manifested over other creatures, so He preceded their creation, and that is why the Angels said, "Even if Allah creates whatever He wills, no creatures will be more honorable to Him than us." Thus, when He created Adam and He commanded them to prostrate themselves before him, the honor and grace of Allah were manifested thereon by His knowledge, however, when Adam committed the sin, the Angels thought that the honor (bestowed upon Adam) was annulled, disregarding the fact that repentance is an act of worship. When Adam turned to Allah in repentance, performing that act of worship, the Angels knew that there is a secret in Allah's creation, which is known to no one but Him, the Almighty.

Ten: When Allah, the Exalted, started the creation of the world with the pen, it was magnificent to finalize His creation with the human being. Verily, the pen is the tool of knowledge, and the human is the knowledgeable entity. Accordingly, Allan

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manifested the honor of Adam over the angels by virtue of the knowledge bestowed upon him.

Satan's State with Adam

We contemplate the way in which Allah, the Exalted, has written the reason beyond Adam's descent on earth, wherein He preferred and honored him, as well as that He mentioned his name before his existence by saying,

which means, "Verily, | am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on earth." (Al-Bagarah, 2:30)

We find that Allah described Adam as His vicegerent on earth before his existence, and He made the reason for his descent, by saying, "on earth." The lover used to excuse the beloved before committing his sin, so when Allah created Adam, He placed him in front of the gate of Paradise for forty years, because the lover used to stand by the beloved's door. Subsequently, Allah ordained subservience upon Adam,

which means, "He was nothing." (Al-InsAn, 76:1), in order not to feel haughty on the day in which Allah says, "Prostrate." However, Satan used to pass by Adam's body wondering, "You have been created for a certain reason." Then he used to enter Adam's body through his mouth and he used to come out through his back, saying, “If | empowered you, surely | would destroy you, but if you were to empower me, surely | would disobey you." Therein, Satan was ignorant about the fact that his destruction was at the hands of Adam. According to Satan, Adam was just pieces of clay combined together, which he despised.

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When the clay was shaped, envy obsessed Satan, and when Adam received his soul, the envier was shocked. Adam was granted glory, and the creatures were presented to him. The angels were the plaintiffs and protested with Allah, the Judge while Adam was the attorney. The angels admitted and regretted what they had said earlier. Allah ordered them to bow to Adam, so they did and said that they did not know. Satan stood away and did not bow because it is evil and was covered py the color of evil and protest and its evil will never be purified.

How can the one who submitted to Allah be harmed, while My Grace blesses him? Glory is compatible to him whose body is submissive. | am with them whose hearts are submissive to Me. However, sins are _ still overwhelming, until they affect the hearts, wherein the remedy was sent by the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves), All-Aware (of everything), illustrated by His Messengers. Allah says,

Narrated by Al-Bukhary in his Book, “Fasting”, Chapter of the Merits of Fasting, no. 1894, narrated by Abu Hurairah in these words, “The smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk."

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which means, " Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery." (Taha, 20: 123)

Thus, the Messengers protected mankind by (divine) prohibitions, | preserved their strength by Allah's commandments, and got rid of misdeeds by means of repentance, wherein righteousness was spread everywhere.

O you who wasted his strength without reserve, and transgressed in his illness without a shield, and who has no patience to repent! Do not deny the approach of destruction, for illness will cause corruption. If you were to follow the divine remedy so as to cure yourself, by having a shield from vain desires and lusts, you will have found salvation. Unfortunately, lusts blind your insight, to the extent that you think salvation means to abandon the promise of Allah in return for vain desires. What blind insight you have! It makes you impatient for one hour then you bear disgrace forever. You travel seeking this worldly life despite its transient nature, and you neglect to prepare ‘or your journey to the Hereafter despite its eternity.

If you find a man, who is buying something worthless in return for something precious, and is selling something priceless in return for something of no value, verily he is a fool.

Chapter: Various Precious Gems

¢ When the origin of submission was manifested in Adam's nature, surely his sin was not significant.

¢ O-son of Adam! If you meet me in the state that your sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, | would

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meet you with the same vastness of mercy and forgiveness on My Behalf.

When the Lord knew that His servant's sin was not committed on purpose, nor was done out of underestimating the wisdom of Allah, He taught him the way of turning to Him in repentance. Allah, the Exalted, says,

bBo ale OU iS 205 oye 25M ics > which means, "Then Adam received from his Lord Words.

And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance)." (AlBagarah, 2:37)

By committing sins, the servant of Allah does not aim to disobey his Lord or to violate his prohibitions, but it was the result of an evil nature, the deceit of the soul and Satan, the strength of vain desires, and believing that one will be forgiven, however, according to Allah, the aim of committing sins is the reason behind passing judgments, manifesting the dignity of the Lord, and the submission of the servants, and their complete need for Allah. As well as this, the existence of the Attributes of Allah, like the Oft-Pardoning, the Oft-Forgiving, and the One Who accepts repentance, and the Clement to the repentant and remorseful. On the other hand, Allah is the Avenger, the Just, and the One with the Strongest Grasp on those who insist on disobeying. He, the Exalted, wants His servant to perceive His Perfection, and to feel absolute need of his Lord, moreover, He wants His servant to see the Perfection of His Power, Glory, Forgiveness, Mercy, and Patience, and that His Mercy is nothing but beneficence, for if Allan does not bestow His Mercy upon him, surely he will be destroyed. Estimating guilt by Allah has a great wisdom in it and a lot of benefit and mercy for that servant by offering him the way of repentance.