The natural instinct God has instilled in mankind:
I had a conversation with a British family consisting of a father, mother and a ten-year-old child. While I was answering the Mother’s question about Muslim faith, the beautiful and smart boy asked me: So according to what I understand from your words, if I was taking an exam at school and there was a difficult question, if I supplicated directly to God without Christ, am I a Muslim? I answered him: Yes. I then remembered the noble verse: So, devote yourself to the religion of monotheism – the natural instinct God has instilled in mankind…. [1]and I rejoiced with joy as I was able to tell from his understanding that the message I wanted to deliver arrived successfully.
And the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate:
I had a dialogue with a famous Latin soccer player, his mother, and his doctor. They were completely convinced with the concept of monotheism. One of the questions they had was about the failure of Muslims to express themselves and to report the correct religion.
The player said: Cartoons that offend the Messenger Muhammad are a series of cartoons that also happen to offend Christ and the Creator himself. The people who draw these cartoons are a group of atheists who devote their time and effort to mocking all crucial symbols in religions. So why do Muslims not protest in anger when they offend the Creator God, for example, or even Christ, and only demonstrate for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad? These actions resulted in a great misunderstanding, as we are certain that Muhammad is the god of Muslims.
I told him: This is true, but Muslims are imperfect.
I told them: I, myself, am very shocked at the fact that there are a huge number of Muslims in Europe, for example, and Europeans still don’t know about Islam except the pillars of Islam, such as prayer, Zakat (giving alms), and fasting. They don’t know about the pillars of faith which include the belief in Jesus’s prophecy and the true Bible.
I remember the story of a large group from the State of Panama. A large bus brought them to us, and they came very late after a busy day. It was clear to me that the tour guide who accompanied them brought them late because she didn’t want to give them an opportunity to listen to a brief presentation about Islam. She told me that time is limited, then she jokingly said: You look tired. There is not much time left for the call to Maghreb (sunset) prayer; the tourists will have to leave the mosque hall immediately.
I told her: No, I am not tired. I can end the visit before the call to Maghreb (sunset) prayer starts.
She reluctantly accepted. I began talking to them, and was surprised when everyone sat on the ground. They then brought me questions, including the difference between the religion of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, the prophecy of Muhammad, etc.
I told them: The religion of Islam is the religion of monotheism that is practiced by many in your country by nature. It means worshipping God alone without a mediator, and the belief that Christ is one of the messengers of God.
They said: Who is Allah?
I told them: Christians, Jews and Muslims in the Middle East use the word {Allah} to refer to God, which means the One True God, the God of Moses and Jesus. The word {Allah} was mentioned 89 times in the old version of the Old Testament.
Someone said: I read the Qur’an. Why does the Creator refer to Himself in the plural form as long as He is One and not a Trinity?
I told him: The reference of God to Himself as WE or US in many verses of the Qur’an denotes Grandeur and Power in Arabic. In the English language, this is known as the royal WE, where a plural pronoun is used to refer to a single person holding a high office, such as a monarch. For the avoidance of doubt, the Qur’an has consistently reminded us of the SINGULAR pronoun in reference to God, when called upon by His servants.
The tour guide then became angrier when the tourists kept refusing every time she asked them to leave because of the limited time. When it was eventually time for prayer, they still refused to leave because of the many questions they had. They consistently kept saying: We found the truth, and our years of life were lost without knowing it.
I also remember the story of a Mexican basketball team. They were a group of young people who are under twenty years old, who were carefully selected for their height. Their crew accompanied them as well.
I told them: A Muslim is whoever believes in One God and worships Him alone without a mediator, and also believes that Muhammad is a messenger, along with Jesus.
They shouted in one voice and said: This is what we believe in. More than half of the team declared shahada: “I bear witness there is no god but God and Muhammad is the final Messenger of God”. The rest rushed to ask for translation of meanings of the Qur’an in Spanish, as well as booklets for reading. Some of them wept too; I said to myself: What did I say that made them glow with joy? I spoke for only a few minutes. Glory be to Allah who created the good hearts for the righteous religion.
I had a meeting with a ninety-year-old British woman, who is a widow of a distinguished person in the society. She came with her British friend and her Indian driver. The woman cried as soon as I started talking, and said: I believe that there is no god but God and that Jesus is the Messenger of God.
Then she said: I love my husband very much, and he died ten years ago. If I convert to Islam now, what would be the fate of my husband? Will I meet him in heaven?
I told her: What was your husband’s belief in Christ? Did he also believe that he is a prophet? Or did he believe that he is a god?
She said: Will you believe me if I tell you that I do not know? Our marriage lasted sixty years, and I do not remember discussing this issue. Then the lady’s cry increased, until I felt sorry for her.
I told her: God is more merciful with his creation than the mother with her son. He has mercy on those who have in their hearts an atom’s weight of faith. Perhaps your husband is among them, and that is according to God’s will.
The lady left the mosque because her friend urged that she didn’t like the dialogue and she wanted to leave. The lady never asked me to convert to Islam.
The lady returned about three months later with her grandson, his girlfriend, and the lady’s personal driver who came last time. She asked the reception staff about me, and I was very glad to see her.
Her driver told me: Ever since she left that meeting, she never stopped talking about it. She wants to announce her Islam, because she is convinced that it is the true religion, and frankly I am also very convinced of that.
After the woman declared the testimony, I told him: Do you want to witness the same?
He said: Unfortunately, I am deeply convinced of this religion, but I cannot change the religion of my fathers and grandparents.
Should We treat the true believers and the wrongdoers alike?
An atheist once asked me: Why does God punish His servants if they do not believe in Him?
I told him: We must differentiate between faith and submission to the Lord of the Worlds.
The right required for the Lord of the Worlds, which no one can leave, is the recognition of His Oneness and His worship alone. He has no partner; the Creator alone who has the Kingship along with the command, whether we are satisfied or not. This is the origin of faith. We do not have another option, and accordingly man is accountable and punished.
Anything opposite to submission is a crime against the Lord of the Worlds.
Shall We then treat the (submitting) Muslims like the criminals (polytheists and disbelievers, etc.)? [2]
Injustice is worshiping a partner along with the Lord of the Worlds.
..so do not attribute to God equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him. [3]
They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice – those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided. [4]
He said: What would I lose if I disbelieved in the Creator?
I told him: The condition of any disbeliever in the worldly life:
The saddest among people, even if he’s pretending to be happy.
And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a de- pressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.[5]
When calamity happens to a disbeliever, he is not rewarded.
And We will approach [i.e., regard] what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed. [6]
When no one is able to help the disbeliever, he does not know who else to ask.
…and those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with a thing, except as one who stretches his hands toward water [from afar, calling it] to reach his mouth, but it will not reach it [thus]. And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [i.e., futility].[7]
The disbeliever’s best helpers are the weak creatures.
..and for (the ones) who have disbelieved, their constant patrons are the Taghut (i.e. false gods, idols, devils and seducers) who bring them out of the light into the darknesses; those are the companions of the Fire; they are therein eternally (abiding). [8]
If something makes the disbeliever happy, he still knew that he will die; hence it won’t last.
…and they exult with (the present) life; (Literally: the lowly “life”, i.e., the life of this world) and in no way is the present life, beside the Hereafter, (anything) except a (passing) enjoyment (Literally: belongings).[9]
If the disbeliever suffers from an injustice, he does not think that he will be supported by the Ever-Living Sustainer of all creatures.
Whosoever thinks God will not help him in the present world and the world to come; let him stretch up a rope to heaven, then let him sever it, and behold whether his guile does away with what enrages him. [10]
After all that, how does he not commit suicide!?
The condition of a disbeliever in the afterlife:
He asks for safety, but he does not find any.
But those who disbelieved – their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds God before Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and God is swift in account. [11]
The disbeliever would ask for help from those who worshiped other than God, so they abandon him.
And it will be said, “Invoke your ‘partners’ ” and they will invoke them; but they will not respond to them, and they will see the punishment. If only they had followed guidance![12]
The disbeliever would seek bliss, but he does not find.
And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of Paradise, “Pour upon us some water or from whatever God has provided you.” They will say, “Indeed, God has forbidden them both to the disbeliever. [13]
The disbeliever asks to win, but he ends up losing.
On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment. [14]
He even requests permission to get rid of the torment, yet he cannot.
And they will call, “O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!” He will say, “Indeed, you will remain.” [15]
Even the devil abandons him.
And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “Indeed, God had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you obeyed me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I reject the way you associated me with God before.’ A bitter torment awaits such wrongdoers,[16]
The disbeliever will forever be immortalized in the fire.
As for those who were [destined to be] wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them therein is [violent] exhaling and inhaling. [They will be] abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will. Indeed, your Lord is an effecter of what He intends.[17]
If the stones spoke, and the trees and birds, they would have said: There is no god but God.
If We had sent down this Qur’ān upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of God. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.[18]
“There is no god but God”, is the Fort of God, the Key to Heaven, and Safety from torment. It is the best remembrance, and there is no barrier between it and God, and it is required for the intercession of the Messenger.
The Messenger of God said:
The happiest with my intercession on the Day of Resurrection is he who says: There is no god but God pure from his heart or soul.[19]
The Messenger of God said:
The best remembrance is to say: There is no god but God, and the best supplication is to say: Praise be to God.[20]
The atheist asked: What do I gain if I convert to Islam?
I answered: The condition of the believer in this world and the Hereafter:
There is no fear for him or sadness.
Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is God,” and then remained on a right course – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. [21]
God promised the believer safety.
They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice – those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided. [22]
God promised the believer the reward for calamity.
Rejoicing in what God has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them – that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. [23]
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. [24]
Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to God, and indeed to Him we will return.”[25]
The believer finds shelter in adversity.
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So, let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. [26]
God is the believer’s guardian.
Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.[27]
The believer will be rewarded for his patience in this world and the Hereafter.
And those who emigrated for [the cause of] God after they had been wronged – We will surely settle them in this world in a good place; but the reward of the Hereafter is greater, if only they could know. [28]
Say, O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of God is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward with- out account [i.e., limit].[29]
God promised the believer victory in this world and the Hereafter.
Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.[30]
God promised the believer eternal bliss.
And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will – a bestowal uninterrupted”. [31]
The atheist said: How do I practice Monotheism in my life?
I told him: If you want to practice monotheism, then follow what the Messenger of God said:
O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried. [32]
I continued: Whenever you feel afraid, say:
…Sufficient for us is God, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.[33]
So, they returned with favor from God and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of God, and God is the possessor of great bounty.[34]
If you are deceived, then say:
… I entrust my affair to God. Indeed, God is Seeing of [His] servants.[35]
So God protected him from the evils they plotted.. [36]
If you want to ask for the present life and its enjoyment, then say:
..what God willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in God. [37]
…it may be that my Lord will give me [something] better..[38]
If you feel sad, then say:
There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrong doers.[39]
So, We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus, do We save the believers.[40]
Faith is an unseen issue that requires faith in God, His Angels, His Books and His messengers, the Last Day, and acceptance to God’s judgment and destiny.
The bedouins say, “We have believed.” Say, “You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds1 of anything. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful.[41]
The verse above indicates that faith is of a higher rank and degree, which is contentment, acceptance and conviction. Faith has different levels and degrees that increase and decrease. The ability of a person and the capacity of his heart to accommodate metaphysical matters varies from person to person. Human beings are distinguished according to their understanding of the divine characteristics of Beauty and Majesty, along with their knowledge of their Lord.
A person will not be punished for his lack of realization of his narrow horizon. But God will hold man accountable for the minimum accepted level for him to avoid eternity in Hellfire. He has to accept monotheism, which means believing that Allah is the Creator, and He is the only One worthy of worship. By this submission, God forgives all other sins of whom He wills. There is no other choice for a person, either faith and victory, or disbelief and loss.
Indeed, God does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for. whom He wills.[42]
Faith is a concept related to the unseen. It stops when the unseen is revealed or the signs of the Hour appear.
… On the Day some of the signs of your Lord come up, its belief will not profit a self that did not believe earlier or earned some charity, (i.e., benefits) in its belief. Say, “Wait! Surely, we (too) are waiting. [43]
If a person wants to benefit from his faith by doing good deeds, and wants to increase them, then this must be done before the Hour and the Unseen are exposed.
As for a person who does not have good deeds, he should not leave the world except when he submits to God, by accepting the concept of monotheism, which means worshiping God alone, and that’s if he hopes to escape the eternity in the Hellfire. Some people who sinned, other than disbelieving or associating with a mediator apart from God, may temporarily fall in the Hellfire. It is under the will of God, if He decides to forgive them, or to send them to the Hellfire temporarily.
O you who have believed, fear God as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. [44]
Faith in Islam should be practiced by both verbally (faith) and physically (actions). It shouldn’t be only practiced verbally, similar to the teachings of Christianity today, nor should be practiced physically, similar to the concept of atheism.
The actions of a human being who believes in the unseen along with his patience are not equal to the actions of whoever witnessed the unseen in the Hereafter. In addition, the actions of whoever works for the sake of God in the stage of distress and weakness of Islam, are different than the actions of whoever works for the sake of God when Islam is popular and strong.
..not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it] . Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterwards and fought. But to all God has promised the best [reward].And Allah, with what you do, is Acquainted. [45]
The Lord of the Worlds does not punish without a reason. Man is either held accountable and punished for messing with the rights of people, or the right of Him.
The minimum we have to do in order to escape from an eternal life in the Hellfire, is to give the Lord of the Worlds his right. That’s done by submitting to Him by worshiping only Him who has no partner, as well as saying: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and I testify that God’s messengers are true and I testify that Paradise is true and Hellfire is true.”
We are not allowed to stop the path of God, or support any action intended to stand in the face of advocacy or the spread of God’s religion.
We are not allowed to mess with people’s rights or commit injustice.
We must stop doing evil things to creatures; if it’s necessary, man should distance himself from people.
A person may not have many good deeds, but he has not harmed anyone, nor is preoccupied with any act that is harmful to himself or to people, and he has witnessed to God’s oneness. Hence, he is to be saved from the torment of Hell.
What would God do with [i.e., gain from] with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is God Appreciative and Knowing.[46]
Humans are classified into ranks and degrees, starting from their deeds in the real world until the rise of the Hour, the exposure of the unseen world, and the beginning of judgement in the hereafter.
Some people will be tested in the Hereafter as was mentioned in the Prophet’s saying.
The Lord of the Worlds punishes people separately each according to his bad deeds and actions. He either punishes people in the world or delays it to the afterlife. The punishments depend on the severity of the act whether it has repentance or not, and the extent of its impact and its harm on plants, offspring and other creatures, and that’s because God does not like corruption.
The people at the time of other prophets, such as the people of Noah, Hood, Saleh, Lot, etc. didn’t believe in messengers, so God punished them during their lifetime because of their reprehensible actions and their tyranny. It’s not only that they never stopped their evil actions, but they also exceeded the limit. The people of Prophet “Saleh” killed the camel; people of the Pharoah wronged the people of Prophet “Moses” and tortured them. In addition, the people of Prophet “Lut” insisted on the obscene; the people of Prophet “Shoaib” insisted on corruption, and they committed injustice against people’s rights in the measure and the scale. Also, the people of Prophet “Hood” were tyrants; the people of Prophet “Noah” insisted on polytheism, which is worshiping partners apart from the Lord of the Worlds.
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And God would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves. [47]
Whoever does righteousness – it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants. [48]
The atheist said: You are defending Islam because you were born in a Muslim family. If you were born in a Christian family, you would now preach to Christianity. No one can change the religion of his fathers and grandfathers.
I told him: You have made a person dependent on others, and decided that he will not leave the religion of his family! You robbed his right of intellectual independence and to distinguish between the right and wrong. You also monopolized his request for information! This is a grave mistake, because a person has the right to seek knowledge and research the horizons of this universe. God Almighty has deposited in us these minds to use them, and not to disable them. Every person follows the religion of his father without using his mind, and without thinking and analyzing this religion. He is undoubtedly unjust to himself, and despises himself. He despises this great grace that God Almighty has placed in him, namely, the mind.
I continued: How many Muslims grew up in a monotheistic family, and strayed from the path to polytheism? There were people who grew up in a polytheistic or Christian family that believed in the Trinity, yet eventually rejected this belief and said: There is no god but One God.
I went on: I will tell you a symbolic story to explain this point. A wife cooked a fish for her husband but she cut off the head and tail before she cooked it, and when her husband asked her: Why did you cut off the head and tail? She said: My mom cooks it this way. The husband asked the mother: Why do you cut the tail and head when you cook fish? Mother answered: My mom cooks it this way. Then the husband asked Grandma: Why do you cut off the head and tail? She answered: The cooking pot in the house was small and I had to cut the head and tail to be able to insert the fish into the pot.
The reality is that many of the previous events that took place long time ago stick to that age and time, and have their reasons associated with them. It’s a catastrophe to live in a time we don’t belong to anymore and imitate actions without rethinking in spite of changing conditions and changing times.
…God will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves… [49]
The atheist asked: What is the fate of those whom the message of Islam didn’t reach?
I answered: These people will not be oppressed by God Almighty, but He will test them on the Day of Resurrection.
He said: How about the people who did not get the opportunity to explore Islam well?
I told him: These people have no excuse, because as we mentioned, they should not fail to search and think. In addition, if God Almighty’s judgment is torture then it is not unjust after all these arguments that he made against them, from reason, instinct, messages and signs in the universe and in themselves. The least they were supposed to do is getting to know Allah and worship only Him. If they had done that they would escape eternity in Hellfire, and they would achieve happiness in this world and the Hereafter. Do you think this is difficult?
The right of God Almighty over His servants whom He created is to worship Him alone; the right of servants to God is not to torture those who do not share anything with Him. The matter is simple. They are words that a person says, believes in them and acts accordingly, and is sufficient to survive the fire. Is this not justice? This is the rule of God Almighty, and He is the Judge the Just, the gentle, and the Expert. This is the religion of God Almighty.
The real problem is not that a person should sin or commit sin, because it is the nature of man to make mistakes, for every son of Adam is a mistake, and the best of sinners is the one who repents, as the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, told him. But the problem is the persistence in committing sins and insisting on them, and also that the person is advised but he does not listen to advice nor work accordingly ,and to be reminded and not benefit from the reminder, preached and does not listen nor consider nor repent nor seek forgiveness, but insists and walks away arrogantly.
And when our verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard them, as if there was in his ears deafness. So, give him tidings of a painful punishment.[50]
The atheist asked: Why don’t we disobey God?
I told him: If you want to disobey God, do not eat from His provision, get out of His land, and look for a safe place where God does not see you. If the Angel of death comes to you to seize your soul, tell him to delay me until I repent sincere repentance and do good deeds for God. If the Zabaniah (angels of torture) come on the Day of Resurrection to take you to the Hellfire, do not go with them; resist them and refrain from going with them, and take yourself to heaven. Can you do that?
I continued: When you have a pet in your home, the most you want from it is obedience, and this is because you only bought it and did not create it. So what about your Creator and your Initiator? Is He not worthy of you to obey, worship and submit to? We are submitting in our worldly journey in a lot of things. Our heart is beating, our digestive system is working, and our senses are fully aware. We only have to submit to God in the rest of our affairs in which we have been given the choice to arrive to safety.
He asked: What is safety?
I answered: The end of the journey and the arrival to safety are summed up in these verses.
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. (69) And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do. (70) And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, “Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?” They will say, “Yes, but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers. (71) [To them] it will be said, “Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant.” (72) But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, “Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein,” [they will enter]. (73) And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers.” Or [lest] it say, “If only Allah had guided me, I would have been among the righteous.” [51]
by faten sabri
