In the name of Allah

The All Compassionate, the All Merciful

7th Shawwal 1444 (28th April 2023)

Islamic Universal Association

20 Penzance Place, Holland Park

London, W11 4 PG

www.arafeh.co.uk

 

 

Jihad An-Nafs – Part 129

Purification of the heart-Part 71

As explained earlier, on the Day of Reckoning all men will appear in the Court of their Lord, where no secret of theirs shall remain hidden and each man’s record will be placed in his hand. In this context today I would like to elaborate on Ayahs 25-37 of Surah Al-Haqqah, which is reproduced below for your ready reference:

 

“But He who is given his book in his left hand, will say: “I wish that the book was never given to me;

And that I had never known what my account was;

O would that it had put an end to me.

My wealth availed me naught;

And all my power has gone from me!”. 

(It will be said): “Seize him and fetter him!

Then into the blazing fire, burn him!

Then into a chain, seventy cubits long, tie him!

Verily, he used to disbelieve in God, the Most Great; 

And did not urge the feeding of the poor;

So there will be no friend for him today;

No food for him saves the pus from the washing of wounds;

Eaten by none other than the sinners,”

 

Valuable points

• In contrast to the righteous, the wicked will be given the record of their deeds in their left hand. They will remember their past life with agony and repentance which will be of no avail to them.
• They will wish that they had not been given any record at all and that death had been an end of the world and their life in it, but to their disappointment death is only a transition to a new world.
• It has always been the tendency of the evil doers that when they face the consequences of their misdeeds, they wish that they had not been in the knowledge of it.
• They will lose their power and authority which they enjoyed on earth and their wealth will be of no use to them as only righteous deeds will be valuable on that Day. In Islam, wealth has to be acquired in accordance with the Shariah and every soul will be questioned about it.
• The expression, “did not urge the feeding of the poor”, includes obstruction or preventing the dispensation of the poor rate.
• Moreover, friends will abandon the evil-doers.
• Allah (s.w.t.) will command His angels to seize and fetter them with a 70 cubits long chain and to throw them in the blazing fire of hell. 70 cubits represent the enormity of its size, weight and grievousness.
• They will also have no food to eat, other than oozing pus or vile excretions.

 

Second Sermon

 

Battle of Uhud

According to some narration, the Battle of Uhud had taken place on the 7th of Shawwal, 3 Hijri; it was a reprisal by the Meccan/disbelievers against the Muslims following the Battle of Badr. The Meccan army had 3000 seasoned warriors. Most of them were foot soldiers duly supported by a strong contingent of cavalry. The Muslims had a small band of 700 fighters, but they were invincible because of their strong faith. The two mismatched armies met at the slopes of Mount Uhud, outside Medina.

 

Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Muslims gained early initiative and forced the Meccan to retreat. It was at that time two incidents occurred which caused a reversal in the fortunes of Muslims. The first of was the death of Hamza. Secondly, the Holy Prophet (s.a.) assigned 50 archers to guard the mountain pass to prevent the Muslim army from being surrounded and encircled by the opposing cavalry. The archers were under strict orders not to leave their positions under any circumstances. When the battle was close to a decisive Muslim victory, many of the archers disobeyed orders and ran down the hill to claim the spoils of war. When the enemy saw the sudden vacuum created by their disappearance, they attacked the Muslims from the rear killing many in the process. The enemy fought their way close to the Holy Prophet (s.a.) who was injured and the Muslims fled when false rumours of his death filtered through them, plummeting their morale. The Holy Prophet (s.a.) then decided against further combat, wisely choosing to retreat which saved his army from further losses. Disobedience of the archers had thus changed the Muslim victory into a catastrophe, but with Allah (s.w.t.)’s help they were pulled back from the brink of disaster. Ayahs 139 to 145 from Surah Aale Imran were revealed which provides as follows:

 

1. Believers should not lose heart or grieve for they will gain the upper hand ultimately for Allah (s.w.t.) does not love the unjust and He will destroy the infidels.
2. Allah (s.w.t.) brings about days of varying fortunes among men in turns, so that He may ascertain who sincerely believes in Him.
3. Victory in battlefield is only achievable through full commitment and determination.
4. One cannot enter paradise without enduring hard work and especially when Allah (s.w.t) has not ascertained those who have striven hard in His cause, or He has tested the steadfast (the sabir).
5. A true Muslim is one who performs Jihad, that is, defends Islam and its principle in whatever situation.
6. Moreover, one’s sabr (patience) is tested by Allah (s.w.t) during difficult times especially in warfare.
7. Everyone will face death and no one can escape it and we must be ready for it at all times.
8. Believers should perform their duties and not hanker after this world and be grateful to Allah (s.w.t.) whether the Holy Prophet (s.a) is alive or dead as provided in Ayah 144 of the said Surah.
9. Allah (s.w.t) fulfilled His promise to the believers and routed their enemies until they disobeyed the Holy Prophet (s.a.). However, He has forgiven them now as He is the Lord of Grace and Mercy.