Part 45

” oo be FZ ge tee Faw

which means, "Then they will confess their sin. So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire." (Al-Mulk, 67:11)

And He, the Almighty says about those whom He ruined in this worldly life that they said when they saw His punishment,

which means, "They cried: "Woe to us! Certainly! We have been Zhalimdn (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, etc.). And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is reaped, extinct (dead)." (Al-Anbiya’,

And He, the Almighty says that the owners of the garden, which He burnt when they saw it said,

6B Zinalb & Giggs het Jap

which means, “They said: "Glory to Our Lord! Verily, we have been Zhaliman (wrong-doers, etc.)." (Al-Qalam, 68:29)

Al-Hasan said, "The people of the Hellfire entered Hell while praising Allah in their hearts and could not prevent that. That is why Allah says,

4B oetsll 5 & Ld 1b all gill 15 ala >

which means, "So the roots of the people who did wrong were cut off. And all the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exists)." (Al-An‘am, 6:45)

That is to say, Allah cut off their roots and He is to be praised for doing so according to His wisdom and justice and giving the suitable punishment in its due time. That is why He said in another verse when He sets His judgments of His servants; the people of good to Paradise and people of evil to Hellfire,

which means, "And they (all the creatures) will be judged with truth, and it will be said. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)." (Az-

He did not mention those who praise Allah, He left it general; as if the whole universe thanks Him when they see His wisdom, justice, and favor. That is why He says on behalf of the people of the Hellfire,

fee Be st ye aw

which means, "It will be said (to them): "Enter you the gates of Hell." (Az-Zumar, 39:72)

It is as if the whole universe is saying so even their bodies, and souls, and the heavens and the earth. He, the Exalted tells us that as He is going to destroy His enemies, He is going to save His pious people, and He is not going to destroy them according to His mere wish.

When Nitih (Noah, peace be upon him) asked Him to save his son, Allah tells us that He will drown him because of his evil deeds and disbelief and did not say: | drowned him according to My wish and will without a reason or a sin. And Allah guarantees to increase those who fight in His cause in guidance and did not say that He will destroy their efforts and mislead them.

And He also guarantees to increase in guidance those who are pious and seek His pleasure. He tells them that He only . misleads those who violate their oaths with Him and He only misleads those who prefer evil more than guidance. In that case, He will then seal up their hearts and ears. He changes the heart of whoever does not accept His guidance when it

comes, does not believe in it, and neglects it, so He changes his heart and eyes as a punishment for him for what he did. And if Allah knew, in any of theses cases, that there is a chance of guidance, He would guide and lead them but they do not deserve His blessings and do not deserve His dignity. Allah, the Exalted removed causes, showed proofs, and enabled ail the means of guidance. He only misleads dissolute and unjust servants, seals up the hearts of the aggressors, and throws into seduction after removing all the causes and showing all the proofs. He explains the means of guidance and that He only misleads the hypocrites because of their deeds. The covering that covers the hearts of the disbelievers is the result of their own deeds. Allah says,

which means, "Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn." (Al-Mutafifin, 83: 14)

And He, the Almighty says about His enemies from among the Jews,

which means, "And of their saying: "Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say)" - nay, Allah has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief." (An-Nisa’, 4:155)

Allah tells us that He does not mislead whoever was guided until He shows him the paths and enables him to choose, and he chooses because of his unhappiness and bad nature, and he goes astray because he does not heed guidance, he is evil and he himself and his Satan are an enemy of Allah.

The Plan of Allah, the Exalted:

The plan, which Allah described is through punishing those who planned against His pious people and His Messengers. He faces their evil plan with His good plan. Thus their plots are the ugliest but the plan of Allah is the best as itis just. His planis a punishment from Him for their deception against His Messengers and people, and there is nothing better than this deception and plan of Allah against the disbelievers.

Concerning the saying, "A man amongst you may do (good deeds) until there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing the (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire..." this is a good deed of the people of Paradise as it is shown to others; if it was a good and accepted deed that deserves Paradise that Allah loved and agreed with, He would never lose his good deed. " Until there is only a cubit between him and Paradise" can also suit this interpretation; deeds are calculated according to their results and their ends. This servant was not patient in order to complete his deed until its end and then obtain its reward. It contained a hidden vice that caused its ruin in its final stages. This vice and hidden evil betrayed him in the time of need. If there was no deception or vice, Allah would never turn his faith. The servant performs this deed with complete truth and sincerity without any reason that requires spoiling it, and Allah knows the secrets of His servants that are not known to each other.

Concerning Satan, Allah, the Exalted says to His Angels, which means, “I know that which you do not know." (AlBagarah, 2:30)

Allah knew the disbelief, pride and envy that was in Satan's heart, which the Angels did not know. When they were ordered to bow, the contents of their hearts were revealed: obedience,

276 * AL-FAWA'ID: A Collection of Wise Sayings

love, piety, and yielding and they proceeded to obey. And the contents of the enemy's heart were revealed: pride, deception, and envy as it refused and was among the disbelievers.

The pious people fear His plan. They fear that Allah may let them down because of their sins and that their fate will be unhappy. They fear their sins, and hope for His mercy.

And when Allah, the Almighty says,

which means, “Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah?" (Al-A’raf, 7:99)

It is referring to the disbelievers and the wicked. The verse means that those who disobey and feel secure against the plan of Allah when facing their evil plots are the losers and those who fear Him are those who know Him and fear His plan; He may delay His punishment until they get used to their sins and then the punishment would come suddenly.

Or they may forget Him and His remembrance, so He will abandon them as they abandon His remembrance and obedience and then they will be afflicted with distress and seduction. His plan here would be to abandon them. Also He knows about their sins and defects what they do not know about themselves, so the plan of Allah would come to them without their knowing.

Allah examines and afflicts them with what they cannot bear and they will be seduced and this is the plan of Allah.

Chapter: The Tree of Sincerity

A year is like a tree, the months are its boughs, the days are its branches, the hours are its leaves, and its breath is _ its fruit. Whoever’s breath used to obey Allah, the fruit of his tree will

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 277

be good and pure. Whoever’s breath used to disobey Allah, his fruit will be evil. The time of harvest is on the Day of Resurrection and at that time the fruit will be shown, whether it is sweet or sour.

Sincerity and monotheism is a tree within the heart. Its branches are deeds and its fruit is the pleasures of life during this worldly life and permanent happiness in the Hereafter. The fruit of Paradise is neither limited nor forbidden, and the fruit of monotheism and sincerity in this worldly life are the same.

Polytheism, lying, and hypocrisy are also a tree within the heart. Its fruit is during life like fear, distress, sadness, and tightness of the chest and darkness of the heart, and in the Hereafter Az-Zaqqim and a permanent punishment. Allah mentioned those two trees in verses of (chapter Ibrahim, 14)

Chapter: Degrees of Happiness

When the servant attains the age of puberty, he is to be given his oath, which Allah, His Creator and Owner entrusted to him. If he strongly handles his oath, accepts, and is determined to fulfill it, he deserves to be granted degrees and ranks, which are given to those who fulfill their oaths. If his soul has some doubts, and he supports it and sticks to his oath and says: | am qualified to fulfill the oath of my Lord, who is more qualified to accept, understand, or fulfill it than me? He first adheres to understanding his oath, thinking about it, and knowing the advice of his Lord to him, and then he adjusts his soul to obey this oath, work according to it, and fulfill it. He sees the reality of this oath and what it contains through his heart. He created an intention and a determination other than the one that was in his time of youth before he took this oath. He left behind the carelessness of youth and followed habits and nature, endured the honor of this intention, and tore the veil of darkness to the light of belief. Through his patience and sincere effort, he knew the favors that Allah has granted him.