6. J (cont.)

After Jesus descends, there will be only one religion left and, hence, jihad will cease. However, the other pillars will still be valid and obligatory upon all Muslims until the Day of Judgment.3 Allah knows best, but neither of these explanations seem satisfactory. Jihad is the apex of Islam but it is not a foundation or pillar. The pillars or foundations imply that the other acts rest upon these pillars. There is a direct relationship between one's overall practice of Islam and how well one fulfills these pillars. If these pillars are performed correctly and properly, they lead to the other acts, such as jihad, being performed correctly and properly­ otherwise those other acts may not be done for the correct purpose or one may easily stray while participating in those acts. That is why these acts are the foundations and the others are not. Summary of the Hadith • One can derive the following from the five pillars: Acts of worship are either acts of performance or acts of avoidance. Fasting is from the latter category while the other pillars are from the former. In addition, the acts of worship are acts of the tongue (like the testimony of faith and parts of the prayer), acts of the body (like prayer), acts related to one's wealth (like zakah) and acts that are of the body and wealth (like Hajj).4 • This hadith states what Islam is built upon. These are the foundations of one's Islam. If these foundations or pillars are strong, Allah willing, the rest of one's faith and religion will also be sound, correct and strong. However, if these pillars are weak or not sound, it is not surprising that there may be some problems further on down the line. In fact, one should 1 Cf., ibn Hajr, Fath, vol. 1, p. 73. 2 Cf., ibn Hajr, Fath, vol. 1, p. 73. 3 lbn Rajab, Jaami, vol. 1, p. 1 52. 4 Cf., al-Qaari, vol. I, p. 68. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi expect that there will be some problems or weaknesses in the person's submission to Allah and his faith. • If anyone denies the obligation of any of the pillars of Islam, he becomes a disbeliever. These pillars are firmly established in this particular hadith as well as in numerous verses of the Quran and other hadith. • There is a consensus that if one nullifies the first pillar mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him), one negates his Islam and becomes a disbeliever. • There is a disagreement concerning the second pillar. Many scholars are of the opinion that one who does not pray also leaves the fold of Islam. The majority say that he is an evil doer who deserves to be killed as a punishment for his sin. 1 • Concerning zakah, Hajj and fasting, there is at least one statement from at least one Companion that implies that the person who willingly does not perform any of these acts falls outside of the fold of Islam. Again, the majority opinion is that such people do not become disbelievers although their sins are heinous. In any case, the statements of those Companions should be taken seriously and the Muslim should not take abandoning these actions lightly at all. 1 Such legal punishments are only to be meted out by legal authorities. In other words, outside of the Islamic state, such punishments are not enacted. However, that does not lessen the gravity of the crime that the person has committed. Hadith #4: Creation in the Mother's Womb Hadith #4: Creation in the Mother's Womb J. .... ,,,. J. .... 1-:.1!:..:_u ૷I l૸f 1:ल. 1: =.o"i :_,ૹI य .. .... . v-- रऱ . / ; ; ; UJ ࣅJࣆ1 01j) On the authority of Abu Abdul Rahmaan Abdullah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he is the truthful, the believed, narrated to us: Verily, each of you is brought together in his mother's abdomen for forty days in the form of a drop of fluid. Then it is a clinging object for a similar [period]. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for a similar [period]. The angel is then sent to him and he breathes into him the spirit. He is also commanded to issue four decrees: to record his sustenance, his life span, his deeds and [whether he will be] unhappy [by entering Hell] or happy [by entering Paradise]. I swear Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi by Allah, other than Whom there is no God, certainly, one of you will definitely perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is not between him and Paradise except an arm's length and then what has been recorded will overtake him and he shall perform the deeds of the people of Hell and enter it.