The Companion of Ya Seen

وَجاءَ مِن أَقصَى المَدينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسعىٰ قالَ يا قَومِ اتَّبِعُوا المُرسَلينَ

اتَّبِعوا مَن لا يَسأَلُكُم أَجرًا وَهُم مُهتَدونَ

وَما لِيَ لا أَعبُدُ الَّذي فَطَرَني وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ

أَأَتَّخِذُ مِن دونِهِ آلِهَةً إِن يُرِدنِ الرَّحمٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لا تُغنِ عَنّي شَفاعَتُهُم شَيئًا وَلا يُنقِذونِ

إِنّي إِذًا لَفي ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ

إِنّي آمَنتُ بِرَبِّكُم فَاسمَعونِ

قيلَ ادخُلِ الجَنَّةَ ۖ قالَ يا لَيتَ قَومي يَعلَمونَ

بِما غَفَرَ لي رَبّي وَجَعَلَني مِنَ المُكرَمينَ

And there came from the farthest end of the city a man, running. He said, “O my people, follow the messengers. Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided. And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while], if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me? Indeed, I would then be in manifest error. Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” It was said, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “I wish my people could know of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured.” (Ya Seen 36:20-27)

This is a story in the oft-recited surah, Ya Seen. It occurs in the context of a city to whom Allah had sent two Messengers, and then a third because the people were so stubborn and hard-hearted. And even with three Messengers calling them to the truth, they refused to believe. This is where the story of the man begins. A man from the farthest end of the city rushes to them. It is interesting to note a few things in this verse. Firstly, Allah uses a different word for the city. At the start of the story, Allah says he sent two Messengers (reinforced by a third later on) to the people of a ‘qaryah’ translated as city. At the beginning of this subplot however, Allah says a man rushed to them from the farthest end of the ‘madinah’ – also translated as city - not ‘qaryah’. This is interesting, as if to say, this man came not from the same city where the messengers were sent but another city, perhaps a neighbouring one. And, he did not come from the city centre, but from the farthest end of the city, the suburbs or rural areas. This teaches us that when we do da’wah openly, we must not grieve if people seem uninterested or even oppose us violently. The message of the da’wah will travel to places beyond our immediate surrounding, and we never know, someone far away from where we preached may hear the message and respond to it, like this man. 

Also, it is often the case that people in rural areas are more receptive to da’wah that those in the city centre. Allah knows best why this is the case, but perhaps people in city centres are too busy with their work lives, and are usually more economically well of than those in the suburbs, and so, many may not see the need for God in their lives, or feel they just don’t have the time for religion. People in the suburbs on the other hand live simpler lives, and have time to reflect about the natural surroundings they live in. They may not be very well off financially, and so are more willing to humble themselves before a greater Power they can depend on. These may be the reasons why people in rural areas are more responsive to da’wah. So receptive are their minds, they will listen to any da’wah whether it be from Muslims or anyone else. Indeed, it is no secret that Christian Evangelists focus their efforts in rural areas and aboriginal villages, taking advantage of the readiness and willingness of the people living in these areas to submit to a Higher Power. Rich Christian individuals and groups sponsor evangelists to travel around the world to call people to Christianity. Certain Muslim nations provide such and incentive too like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but we are still lagging behind the Christians in this regard.

Let us get back to the story. This man, came from the farthest end of the city to call his people to goodness. And he did not take his sweet time. He was so enthusiastic that he came running, so eager to reinforce the call of the messengers. He did not think to himself, “Why should I even bother to do da’wah to these people? They chose not to listen despite Allah sending three messengers, what difference am I gonna make? They are a lost cause!” No, he did not say that. He still felt he could do something, however small, to change the minds of his people. It is a bit like how when someone of authority says something, we disobey, but when a friend says the same thing, we listen. Everyone has a role to play and no effort when doing da’wah, is insignificant.

He start off by addressing his people, “O my people!” He did not say “O evil kuffar who have mocked the prophets!” or “O wretched ones doomed to Hell!” It is true that their actions make it justified for them to be addressed as such, but as a da’ie, such name calling and labelling is terribly counter-productive. Nobody will listen to anything you have to say, if you address them like that, regardless of how deserving they are of being addressed in that manner! The Prophet (peace be upon him, PBUH) always used to address the Quraisy as his people, never calling them, “O you who have disbelieved”, except when Allah commanded him to do so once in surah al-Kafiroon. That is the only place in the Quran where Allah commands the Prophet (PBUH) to address his people with such harshness, because they had proven their stubbornness and refusal to accept the message of Islam.

What did this man’s message to his people? “Follow the messengers.” So simple and straightforward. Just follow the messengers. Not only are messengers a model for mankind because their actions are guided by Allah, the ‘curriculum’ they deliver is designed by Allah Himself too, and so following them is the best course of action anyone can take. Things would be much less complicated in life if we would just follow the messengers, and not the opinions of any Tom, Dick or Harry. The other important point to make here is that, human beings love fame. People love to be praised and followed. So it is crucial that the da’ie does not lose sight of what he is meant to do i.e. ask people to follow the messengers, not himself! Syaitan has great powers of persuasion, and can easily cause one to fall into the trap of self-worship, so we must constantly purify our intentions and ask Allah to help us be sincere in our efforts to call people to righteousness.

How does he convince them that the messengers are worthy of being followed? He says, “Look at them. They ask you no reward for what they preach. They are doing it free of charge. There’s nothing in it for them. And look at their character. How upright they are! They are righteous people. Why would they tolerate all these insults and threats just to spread this message, and do it without being paid?? Some of them are even willing to die to spread the message. Why?? Because they are messengers of God.” He reasons with his people. Da’ies should never force things down the throats of people without providing an explanation, because humans are creatures of reason. They hate following orders just because they are told to do so. Reason with them gently, and they will be more receptive to the message, insya Allah.

He continues to reason with them, by posing a rhetorical question, “Why should I not worship the One who created me, and the one to whom you will be returned”? It’s interesting how he started the conversation by focusing on himself, why it would be illogical for him to not worship the Lord who created him, and then moved subtly to reminding his people that this same Lord is the one they would be returned to. We should always start with our selves when giving da’wah, and then move the focus to our audience. By using such a technique, the audience would feel less threatened because you started off by focusing on yourself first and then persuaded them to follow suit. It’s like saying, “I am in this, and I invite you to be a part of this too. Let us all be in this together!”

He continues to reason with them and then suddenly there is a dramatic change of scene. He is told to enter Jannah. Wait a minute, what happened there? One minute he was giving da’wah, and the next he is told to enter Jannah? Well, the scholars of tafsir tell us that he was violently murdered by his people because he refused to stop giving da’wah. What a gem! He knew his people would resort to murdering him, given how they mocked and threatened the messengers, and despite that, he still continued giving da’wah putting his life on the line. And the best part of it all, even after entering Jannah, he is still thinking about his people. “O, if only my people knew, how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me in the company of the honoured ones,” he says. Subhanallah! Even after death, he still worries for his people. Truly, the love of a sincere da’ie for his people transcends lifetimes!

Hate The Sin, Not The Sinner

كَذَّبَت قَومُ لوطٍ المُرسَلينَ

إِذ قالَ لَهُم أَخوهُم لوطٌ أَلا تَتَّقونَ

إِنّي لَكُم رَسولٌ أَمينٌ

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطيعونِ

وَما أَسأَلُكُم عَلَيهِ مِن أَجرٍ ۖ إِن أَجرِيَ إِلّا عَلىٰ رَبِّ العالَمينَ

أَتَأتونَ الذُّكرانَ مِنَ العالَمينَ

وَتَذَرونَ ما خَلَقَ لَكُم رَبُّكُم مِن أَزواجِكُم ۚ بَل أَنتُم قَومٌ عادونَ

قالوا لَئِن لَم تَنتَهِ يا لوطُ لَتَكونَنَّ مِنَ المُخرَجينَ

قالَ إِنّي لِعَمَلِكُم مِنَ القالينَ

رَبِّ نَجِّني وَأَهلي مِمّا يَعمَلونَ

The people of Lot denied the messengers. When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh? Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So fear Allāh and obey me. And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds. Do you approach males among the worlds, And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing." They said, "If you do not desist, O Lot, you will surely be of those evicted." He said, "Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it]. My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do." (Asy-Syua’ra 26:16-169)

                The story of the Prophet Lut (PBUH) is well known. He was sent to a people who were involved in the vile and shameful act of sodomy. Despite that, Allah still calls him the brother of his people, even though they were not related by blood because we know from the Quran that Lut (PBUH) was the nephew of Ibrahim (PBUH) who had migrated to their land to preach to them. And it is not strange at all that Allah should introduce him as the brother of his people, because we all are brothers in humanity, progeny of our father Adam and his wife, Hawwa. Allah is reminding us, that we should consider those we are giving da’wah to, regardless of how vulgar and obscene their actions are, as our brothers. Only then will we give da’wah sincerely, because one does not wish for one’s brother to enter Hell, and so one will do the best one can to save him from following a path that will to Hell.

                Now the people of Lut were not just ordinary homosexuals who were ashamed and guilty of their deed. Indeed, many Muslims who have homosexual feelings today suffer from it due to no fault of theirs. Perhaps they were sexually abused as kids, or had no father figure as children, or whatever the reason may be. Many of them know that sodomy is categorically forbidden by Allah, and so if they are involved in it, they feel ashamed and guilty. The people of Lut however were proud of their shamelessness. They boasted about their vile crime and threatened to chase Lut and his family out of the city if he did not stop preaching to them. They were real criminals! Yet, the Lut (PBUH) says, “I am of those who detest YOUR DEED.” He did not say “I detest you all for your deed,” but said he detested the deed itself. Herein is a lesson for us. As da’ies, we must never hate the sinner, but only the sin. Hating the sinner will make us half-hearted in delivering the message and righting what is wrong, because when you hate someone, you don’t really care about that person’s future. “Let him rot in hell for all I care!” would be the thoughts of one who hates another. If even vile criminals who boasted about their sins and were harsh against their prophet were treated in such a kind way, then what about those who commit such sins, but are shameful and regretful of their deed? They should be treated even more kindly, since they are our brothers in Islam. They are struggling in their fight against their desires, just like every one of us, so why should they be treated any differently?

And if we think Lut was being too kind to his people, wait till you hear about Ibrahim (PBUH). When Allah asks the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and us to turn our faces towards the Ka'bah in surah al-Baqarah, He is actually asking us to remember the legacy of Ibrahim, the Prophet who cared for all people, even if they were sinners of the highest order, the evidence for which can be found in surah Hud when he argued with the angels who were on their way to destroy the people of Lut:

فَلَمّا ذَهَبَ عَن إِبراهيمَ الرَّوعُ وَجاءَتهُ البُشرىٰ يُجادِلُنا في قَومِ لوطٍ

And when the fright had left Abraham and the good tidings had reached him, he began to argue [i.e., plead] with Us concerning the people of Lot. (Hud 11:74)

Despite the lewdness of the people of Lut, the Prophet Ibrahim pleaded on their behalf. It is that kind of mercy that was also reflected in the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Thus we should ask ourselves, is our facing the qiblah in prayer five times a day, truly a facing that empowers us with the virtues of Ibrahim and Muhammad (peace be upon them both), or is it just a meaningless facing towards a direction like one lost in a desert staring aimlessly into the distance?

May Allah make us da’ies who when facing people who are involved in major sins, hate their actions but not them, so we remain sincere in our da’wah.

From Ingratitude to Murder of the Messengers

وَإِذ قُلتُم يا موسىٰ لَن نَصبِرَ عَلىٰ طَعامٍ واحِدٍ فَادعُ لَنا رَبَّكَ يُخرِج لَنا مِمّا تُنبِتُ الأَرضُ مِن بَقلِها وَقِثّائِها وَفومِها وَعَدَسِها وَبَصَلِها ۖ قالَ أَتَستَبدِلونَ الَّذي هُوَ أَدنىٰ بِالَّذي هُوَ خَيرٌ ۚ اهبِطوا مِصرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم ما سَأَلتُم ۗ وَضُرِبَت عَلَيهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالمَسكَنَةُ وَباءوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُم كانوا يَكفُرونَ بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقتُلونَ النَّبِيّينَ بِغَيرِ الحَقِّ ۗ ذٰلِكَ بِما عَصَوا وَكانوا يَعتَدونَ

"And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allāh [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing. " (Quran 2:61)

I was listening to a student's recitation of this verse during the tasmi' class this morning when i thought, just look at how ungrateful the Children of Israel were. They were gifted with heavenly food namely the Manna and Salwa (a type of honey and bird) which Allah sent down upon them daily. Yet they were unhappy and wanted more variety, so they called upon Musa to ask Allah to bring forth from the earth all the various kinds of earthly foods. They were willing to trade heavenly food for something earthly just because the latter had more variety and seemed better in their eyes.

It is interesting how Allah then says they drew upon themselves the wrath of Allah, and ended up in misery because they denied His Signs and killed the prophets without right, for they were a people who always trangressed. Wait a second. The verse began with how they were ungrateful towards Allah for the heavenly food He gifted them and sought to replace it with lesser earthly food just because it was 'less boring', but at the end of the verse, suddenly Allah says they killed the prophets without right. How are these two related? The essence of ingratitude is the want for all things to follow one's own will, and perhaps the gravest manifestation of that attitude is murder of the Messengers of God who came to ask humanity to humble itself before God, to challenge such an arrogant attitude.

On a more figurative level, perhaps the verse can be applied to those of us who prefer to follow certain ideologies or philosophies which are man made and hence earthly, exchanging our heavenly gift of Islam with them. Or to follow newly invented matters by the people, which not infrequently replace the sunnah acts taught to us by our Messenger SAW. In such cases, we too are murdering our Prophet because we seek to replace his sunnah with bid'ah (like insisting on reading Ya seen instead of al-Kahf on Friday night). It is not physical murder, but it is murder nonetheless.

May Allah save us from the arrogance of wanting all things to be in accordance with our will, for how dare we have such arrogance when we are but His servants. May He help us to be grateful for all His blessings, physical and spiritual, so we do not seek to replace His heavenly gifts, namely the Quran and the sunnah, with earthly, man-made ideologies and newly invented matters which are inherently lesser and inevitably lead to loss. Ameen.

Homosexuality and Blasphemy

Last night, while studying the Quran with a friend, I noticed something strange. If we study surah Al-A'raf, surah Hud and and surah Asy-Syu'ara, we will find that there is a section in the surah with repeated phrases about the prophets of old and their message. The ones common to all of them are Nuh, Hud, Soleh, Lut and Syuaib.

Now in surah Al-A'raf and Hud, you will notice that the usual pattern of verses when Allah speaks about the prophets stops for a while at the story of Lut, and the same pattern continues again after him when Syuaib is introduced. Each of the prophets apart from Lut was introduced as a brother to their people and they spoke the same words i.e. worship Allah for you have no deity worthy of worship except for Him. Then they rebuke their people for the specific sins they were involved in. Lut however is not given that kind of introduction. Allah narrates his story without mentioning his brotherhood to his people but jumps straight into his rebuking them for their filthy crime of sodomy. Two things are different here. His brotherhood to them is not emphasized, and there is no mention about worshiping one God alone. Their sin of sodomy was so great, Allah did not even bother to mention the main message all prophets came with that is the call to Monotheism, and instead jumped straight into the evil of their crime. It is as if Allah wanted to say, the sin of sodomy is comparable to the sin of worshiping other Gods besides Allah, which we know is the greatest sin of all. And since the sin of sodomy is mentioned straight away, Allah did not introduce Lut as the brother of his people because it would be inappropriate to say he was the brother of a people who were indulging in filth.
Now in surah Asy-Syu'ara however, he is introduced as a brother to his people, just like the other prophets, and if we look closely we will see that his initial words to them are about fearing Allah and obeying him as a messenger. Only after that their sin of sodomy is mentioned. So mentioning their brotherhood to him in this context is appropriate because his preaching to them does not start off with their filthy actions, but with the message of obedience to God.

How miraculously consistent is the Quran. A man would not be able to write a story with this sort of precision. The mood of each surah dictates the way the story is told. Lut was of course a brother to his people (which also proves that, we are all brothers in humanity regardless of how we feel about the 'other' person's vileness), but he was only introduced as such in a context where their filth was not mentioned first i.e. in surah Asy-Syuara'. It is not fitting that he should be mentioned as their brother in the contexts in the other two suras given his high status. The versions in the first two suras mentioned also remind us about the enormity of the sin of sodomy, and thus we should not view it lightly, especially in our times when all filth is considered normal and encouraged even.
Wal'iyazubillah.

p/s: Nuh too is not called a brother in the 2 suras but that's because he is the 1st in the list, and has a different introduction. But his message is still the same as the others. Lut is the only exception.

And Allah knows best.