Part 8

It was difficult for this sect to combine justice and destiny. They claimed that whoever believes in destiny, should never believe in justice, and likewise whoever believes in justice should never believe in destiny. It was hard for them, as well, to combine monotheism with the validity of the Attributes of Allah. They claimed that it is impossible to validate monotheism except by disbelieving in the Attributes of Allah. In brief, their monotheism turned out to be suspension, and their justice turned out to disbelief in Justice.

On the other hand, the Sunnis believe in both (i.e. justice & destiny). Their definition of Injustice is putting a matter in other than its place, like punishing the obedient and innocent person. Verily, Allah is too Exalted for this, which is His characteristic as explained in the Glorious Qur'an. The fact that Allah, the Exalted, sends astray whom He wills, and preordained sin and transgression on whomever He wills, is simply justice, because He places mischief and aberration in its right place. It is worth mentioning that one of the Names of Allah is ‘the Just,’ whose judgments are correct, proper and rightful.

Moreover, Allah clarified all paths, by sending His Messengers, and revealing His Divine Books. He facilitates the ways of guidance and obedience by means of hearing, insight and the use of the mind, which is justice.

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

Furthermore, Allah guides him who wants to be guided which is a great blessing. On the other hand, He sends astray those who are unworthy as well as those who are unwilling to receive the blessings of Allah, so He deprived them of His blessing but not His justice. Such people are divided into two kinds.

The first kind is him whom Allah leaves to stray due to his misguidance as he turned away from Allah, preferring His enemy and neglecting to remember and thank Him. As a result, he deserves to be abandoned by Allah.

The second kind is those whom Allah is initially unwilling to support, because He knows that they underestimate the guidance of Allah. Such people are not thankful to Allah and do not praise Him, and this is the reason behind their being deprived of His blessings.

Allah, the Exalted, says,

which means, "Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) that Allah has favoured from amongst us?" Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?" (Al-An'am, 6:53)

He, the Almighty also says,

4S RAL AS rt Bl lb sy

which means, "Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen." (Al-Anfal, 8:23)

So, if Allah decrees misguidance and disobedience upon these souls, then it is just, like for example His decree that the serpent and the scorpion can be killed. All these decrees are

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 45

just, for they have been created with such characteristics. We mentioned this subject in detail in the book, "The Decree and the Destiny."

In brief, the supplication, "Your judgment is executed on me and Your decree on me is just" is the best answer to both sects, the Anti-Fatalists who deny the decrees of Allah upon His servants and believe that man’s actions are excluded from the destiny and the decree of Allah, and it is also a refutation against the other sect, "The Jabriyyah" who believe that every decree is just a concept which makes that supplication - namely, "Your decree on me is just" - of no value. According to them justice is every predetermined applicable action while injustice is inconceivable. Invocation using the Names of Allah

The expression, "to make the Qur'an the spring (delight) of my heart, the light of my chest," the word ‘spring’ means the rain, which brings life to the earth. The Qur'an is compared to rain because it revives the hearts. He makes a similarity between water, which is the cause of life, and between light, which is the cause of brightness. Allah, the Exalted, makes that similarity in the Qur'anic verse in, which He says,

the valleys flow according to their measure, but the flood bears away the foam that mounts up to the surface, and (also) from

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

that (ore) which they heat in the fire in order to make ornaments." (Ar-Ra'd, 13:17)

Allah, the Exalted, says,

De LAT ces 5l> which means, "Or like a rainstorm from the sky." (Al-Bagarah, 2:19)

And the verse in which Allah says, which means, "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the

earth..." (An-Ndar, 24:35) And the verse in which Allah says,

which means, "See you not that Allah drives the clouds gently,

So the supplication implies that the heart is revived by the spring of the Qur'an, for it is the light of the chest, a concept, which combines life and light.

Allah, the Almighty says,

3 4a ce tl we Gh 8 reer ase ES ot coil >

which means, "Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism

ALFAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 47

and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?" (Al-An'am,

Since the chest is broader than the heart, then enlightening it will surely affect the heart. The life of the body and organs are dependant on the life of the heart, which derives life from the chest and then gives life to the organs.

On the other hand, if grief, distress, and sorrow contradict the life of the heart and its brightness, the supplication involves the desire that they be totally removed by the Qur'an.

However, if the previous feelings are to be removed by other than the Qur'an, for example, enjoying health, this woridly life, status, a wife or children, then surely those feelings are temporary and will eventually dissipate. There are three kinds of passive feelings, which affect the heart and they are either related to the past, which causes sorrow, or related to the future so as to cause grief, or finally related to the present so as to cause distress.

A Precious Gem: The Throne and the Heart

Allah is the most Exalted from all that exists, and that is why He, the Almighty is the only One who deserves the Almighty throne. The closest thing to the throne that exists, is the brightest, the most honorable and the highest from all creation and that is the part of Paradise called al Firdaws.

Accordingly, the most distant place from the throne is the gloomiest and the narrowest place; it is the lowest of the low and is far distant from any blessing.

Allah, the Almighty created the hearts of man and made them the source of knowledge, love, and the desire to aspire to Him. Hence, the hearts of man are the pivot point of his existence.

Allah, the Exalted, says,

48 * ALFAWA'ID: A Collection of Wise Sayings

which means, “ For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description, and for Allah is the highest description. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (An-Nahl, 16:60)

Allah, the Almighty says,

which means, “ And He it is Who originates the creation, then will repeat it (after it has been perished), and this is easier for Him. His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him)

in the heavens and in the earth. And He is the Almighty, the All Wise." (Ar-Ram, 30:27)

Allah, the Almighty says,

which means, "There is nothing like unto Him." (Ash-Shdra,

In other words, loving, knowing and aspiring to Allah are the true definition of the heart of the sincere believer.

If the heart is not pure or honorable enough, and distant from every evil and malice, then it is unworthy to tiove, know and aspire to Allah. On the contrary, the lowest description of man’s heart is that he loves and aspires to this worldly life instead of to Allah, the Aimighty. When man’s love, knowledge and aspiration is directed in this worldly way, the heart becomes narrow and gloomy as it is distant from the source of its revival and life.

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 49

Subsequently, the hearts of man can be divided into two kinds, the first of which is the heart of those, who incline to the Beneficent, which is the source of brightness, life, happiness, pleasure, delight and blessings. The second one is the throne of the devil where narrowness, darkness, death, sorrow, distress and grief are settled therein. This heart is obsessed by sorrow for the past, and grief and distress for the present.

At-Tirmidhy and others narrated, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘If the heart is overwhelmed by the brightness (of faith), surely it will be opened and delighted.’ They said, 'O Messenger of Allah! What is the sign for that?' He replied, 'Resorting to the eternal dwelling (i.e. Paradise), being averted from the dwelling of deceit {i.e. the worldly life), and being prepared for death before its arrival."

In brief, the brightness, which overwhelms the heart is the impact of being close to Allah, the Almighty and obtaining His blessings of serenity and guidance. This fills the heart with pleasure, while lacking such feelings that come from knowing Allah and loving Him, makes it a gloomy and narrow place.

A Precious Gem: The Content of the Qur'an

If we look closely at the words of the Qur'an, we will find a Sovereign, to whom belongs all Dominion and all praise and thanks are due to Him, all affairs are in His grasp, and He is the source and the end of all affairs. He rose over His throne, and no secret of His kingdom shail ever be hidden from Him, as He is the Knower of the servants' souls. He Alone is the Planner of the kingdom's affairs. He hears, sees, grants, averts, rewards, punishes, honors, abases, creates, gives and takes life, provides estimates, judges, and conducts the affairs of man.

The decrees, whether minor or major, descend and ascend by His permission. Nothing can move, even equal to the weight of an atom, except by His permission; not a leaf falls, but He knows it.