Part 21

He declared these three principles to be those which it is obligatory for a person to have knowledge of since they are the principles which the person will be asked about when he is buried in his grave. After burial his companions will leave him, and two angels will come to him and make him sit up and will ask him: 'Who is your Lord?' 'What is your Religion?' and 'Who is your Prophet?' As for the Believer, then he will reply: 'My Lord is Allaah, my Religion is Islaam, and my Prophet is Muhammad.1 But as for the doubter or the hypocrite, then he will say 'Haah, Haah, I don't know. I heard the people saying something, so I said it also.' [See the hadith of Anas, radiyallaahu 'anhu, reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. transl.2/235/no.422)] Knowledge and awareness of Allaah comes about through various means: From them is reflection and consideration of what He, the Mighty and Majestic, has created, since that leads to awareness of Him and His absolute Sovereignty and perfect Power and Wisdom, and also His Mercy. Allaah, the Most High, says, "Will those who deny our signs not look and consider Allaah's Sovereignty over the heavens and the earth, and whatever He has created therein." [Soorahal-A’raaf (7):185] "I exhort you (O unbelievers who claim that the Prophet is a madman), to one thing: That you stand up sincerely, and not merely following your desires, in pairs, and ask each other: Have you ever known him to suffer from madness; then that you reflect and consider individually the truth of his affair." [surah Sabaa' (34):46] "Indeed in the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day there are clear signs for people of understanding." [surah Aal-'Imraan (3): 190] "Indeed in the alternation of the day and the night, and in what Allaah has created in the heavens and the earth there are clear signs for those who fear the punishment of Allaah." [surah Yoonus (10):6] "Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail upon the ocean with that which is of use to mankind, and in the rain which Allaah sends down from the sky, and with which He brings life to the earth after its death, and the creatures which He disperses throughout the earth, and the changing state and direction of the winds, and the clouds that proceed as they are commanded between the heavens and the earth, there are indeed clear signs of the sole Lordship of Allaah, for people of sound intellect' [surah al-Baqarah (2): 164] From the means by which a servant may know his Lord is to consider the signs in His Sharee'ah, which is the Revelation which His messengers came with and the immense benefits contained therein which are such that the life of a person in this world and the Hereafter cannot be preserved except through it. So if a person considers this and reflects upon it, and sees how it comprises knowledge and wisdom, and sees how it is perfectly ordered and in full harmony with the needs of the people, then this will lead him to know and to be aware of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, as Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, “Will they not carefully consider the Qur'aan: had it been from other than Allaah they would have found a great deal of contradiction in it." [surah an-Nisaa' (4):82] Also from these means is the knowledge and awareness of Allaah, the one free of all imperfections and the Most High, which He, the Mighty and Majestic, places in the heart of the Believer to the point that it is as if he were seeing his Lord. The Prophet (3|s) said, when Jibreel asked him about ihsaan (lit. striving to the utmost to do good), he said: "It is that you worship Allaah as if you were seeing Him, and even though you do not see Him, then He certainly sees you " [Reported by Muslim (Eng. transl. vol.1, p.l, no.l)]. and His Religion (Deen) [43] and his Prophet Muhammad. [44] ________________________________________________________ i.e. knowledge of the second principle which is the Religion which he is duty bound to act in accordance with; and which comprises wisdom, mercy and takes care of that which is necessary and beneficial for the creation, and which wards off all corruption and evil. Then anyone who truly considers the Religion of Islaam, carefully considering the Book and the Sunnah will know for sure that it is the Religion of truth, and that the wellbeing of the servants cannot be attained except through it. It is not fitting that we should judge Islaam according to what the people are upon today since the Muslims have neglected many things and committed tremendous evils, such that it is as if the person living in some Islamic lands is not living in an Islamic environment at all. However the Religion of Islaam, and all praise and thanks are for Allaah, the Most High, comprehends all benefit that was contained within the previous religions, and excels them in its suitability for every time, every place, and every nation.