Transcribed from the Islaahi Majlis conducted on 15/09/2023
In the Quraan Sharif, Allah Ta’ala mentions that whatever difficulty or calamity befalls a person, is due to his actions. [Surah Shurah, Verse 30] The conditions faced by the Ummah is due to their actions, whether these were perpetrated on an individual level, or by the Ummah at large. In fact, Allah Ta’ala overlooks many of our faults because, if Allah Ta’ala were to hold us accountable for every action, mostly all of us would be destroyed.
The Insight of Mirza Jaane Jana Rahimahullah
There was King in India named Naadhir Shah. He attacked Delhi which left the buildings burnt, businesses looted and people killed. This was during the time of Mirza Jaane Jana Rahimahullah, who was a great Buzrugh with a very delicate temperament. He needed everything to be perfectly in order, or else he would become restless. For example, if the bedding was creased, or the crockery was not orderly, then he would get a headache. However, Allah Ta’ala gave him an ill-tempered wife. This was his test, and he was patient with her in the hopes of attaining Maghfirah and Jannah.
A person brought the news of Naadhir Shah attacking Delhi to Mirza Jaane Jana Rahimahullah, and asked him why this was happening? He replied by saying that our evil actions have taken the form of Naadhir Shah. If we change our ways, then our difficulties will be removed. Today, we perform Salaah and discharge our Zakaah, we participate in Deeni gatherings, but we are not giving up sinning. We take sinning very lightly, or sometimes, even disregard an action to be sinful, for example, when we go sight-seeing, we visit Mandirs or Temples, Churches etc. not regarding it be Haraam to do so.
A pious person mentioned in a poem:
As long as our gaze is fixed on the faults of others, we will regard ourselves as angels.
But the day our gaze falls on ourselves, that is the day we will realize that there is no one worse in the world than us
Mashaaikh say we should make Dua to Allah Ta’ala to show us our faults so that we may reform and become better people. This is referred to as Islaah-e-Nafs (reformation of the soul). A person should read through those Kitaabs which highlight the major and minor sins so that he may repent and reform.
Allah Ta’ala is Sattar-ul-Ayoob (One that conceal faults) and Sattar-ul-Hasanaat (one that conceals good deeds)
Allah Ta’ala conceals our faults but unfortunately, we live in era where people commit sins and proudly expose it to the public by posting it on social media platforms. The Hadith states that Allah Ta’ala spreads out His hands during the day to forgive those that sinned at night, and spreads out His hand at night to forgive those that sinned during the day. Hence, sins should be concealed and one should sincerely repent if one has erred.
Allah Ta’ala not only conceals our sins but also conceals our good deeds. The wisdom behind this is that if a person knew the effect of his good deeds, it would create pride in his heart which would in turn, eat up all the good.
During the time of Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam, there was severe drought which affected the people and animals. Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam made an announcement that they would gather in an open field and perform Salaatul Istisqaa (Salaah to beg for rain when affected by drought) and make Dua to Allah Ta’ala. 70 000 Bani Israeel gathered behind Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam as he made Salaah and Dua for forgiveness to Allah Ta’ala. The adults and children alike were crying but there was no sign of rain.
The ruling is that if there is no rain on the first day, then the people should return on the second day. If again there is no rain, they will return on the third day. If after the third day there is still no rain, one has to stop. This was the condition of the Bani Israeel. So Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam made Dua to Allah Ta’ala saying, “O Allah! All these people are crying. When a person cries, immediately Your Rahmah (mercy) descends and one’s need is fulfilled. For three days we have cried but there is no sign of rain here.” Allah Ta’ala responded to Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam saying, “There is a person in the gathering who has disobeyed me for 40 years. For as long as he remains in the gathering, I will not send down the rain. So announce to the Bani Isra’eel that the person who has disobeyed Allah Ta’ala for forty years should remove himself from the gathering.” Moosa Alaihis Salaam said, “O Allah! 70 000 Bani Israeel, how will they hear me?” Allah Ta’ala said, “You make the announcement, and I will carry your voice!” So Moosa Alaihis Salaam made the announcement for the person in the disobedience of Allah Ta’ala for 40 years to leave the gathering. This person lowered his head down in Taubah and cried saying, “O Allah!” For forty years you hid my faults, please don’t humiliate me today in front of all these people. Everyone will curse me as I am the reason for them suffering without food and water.” No one in that gathering moved, when suddenly the wind started to blow and the clouds gathered, bringing with it the rain.
Nabi Moosa Alaihis Salaam turned to Allah Ta’ala and said, “O Allah! No one in the gathering moved and yet you sent the rain?” Allah Ta’ala replied, “O Moosa! The same person because of whom I withheld the rain, I have now sent the rain because of him. He made Taubah in the gathering and so I forgave him.” Moosa Alaihis Salaam then requested Allah Ta’ala to meet this person. Allah Ta’ala said, “For forty years I concealed his sins, and now, after he has made Taubah, you want me to expose him? I always concealed my servants, and I will continue to conceal my servants!” These are the Qualities of Allah Ta’ala – on one side, Allah Ta’ala is Sattar-ul-Uyoob, while on the other side, Allah Ta’ala is Sattar-ul-Hasanaat. Allah Ta’ala conceals our sins and Allah Ta’ala conceals our good deeds.
Assistance through Divine Means
An incident is mentioned in the Kitaab, Nuzhatul Basaateen, that a person was making Tawaaf of Baitullah. This Buzrugh saw a lady making Dua to Allah Ta’ala. She said, “O The most Kind! O the most Generous! Your old promise that You have made O Allah! Your old promise!” So the Buzrugh questioned her, “What promise? Nothing is obligatory upon Allah Ta’ala! What promise are you referring to?”
The lady went on to say, “One time, we were travelling by ship on the ocean (It should be noted that one should not travel by sea except for Hajj, Umrah and Jihaad). We are not permitted to undertake cruises for entertainment. Various forms of Haraam are perpetrated on these cruise ships such as gambling, Zinah, music, wastage of money, drinking, etc. The unsinkable Titanic sailed with young girls of 16 and 17 years of age who served as evil women. When the ship sunk and they were removed they looked like elderly women of 70 and 80 years of age. The Quraan Sharif states that the terror of the day Qiyaamah will be so frightening that young people will become white (old.) Anyway, the ship was sucked into a whirlpool and was left completely wrecked. On a piece of plank, I managed to secure myself and a baby, and on another piece of plank, an Abysinnian man secured himself.”
Molana Qaasim Sema Saheb was also in a shipwreck and his Ustaadh advised him to read Durood Tunjeena when experiencing any difficulty. So Maulana Saheb acted on this advice and made a promise to serve Deen until he passes away. As a result, he was saved and thereafter dedicated his life to doing Deen work until he passed away.
In the morning, the Abyssinian sees the lady and comes towards her. He climbs on to the plank which she and the baby are, and expresses his desire to do Haraam with her. Allah Ta’ala had saved him; the entire ship was wrecked; they are stranded in the middle of the ocean, and yet he is overcome with lust. So the lady advises him, “How can you even think of something like that? Look at how Allah Ta’ala saved us! Make Dua that Allah Ta’ala returns us home safely.” But when a person is overcome with desire, no matter what you tell that person, he is not prepared to accept it. So the lady pinched the child and the child started crying. She told the Abyssinian that the child is crying, and she should calm the child first and then they can discuss the matter. He wasn’t interested and threw the child into the ocean. The lady realized there was no reasoning with this man, so she started making fervent Dua to Allah, “O Allah! You save me, You protect me! There is no other way out for me!” What was within her means, she did-she turned to Allah Ta’ala for help. A creature from the ocean emerged and in one motion, swallowed this person whole, and returned into the water. She reached an island on which there was fruit, vegetables and clean water for her. She remained on this island for four days until she saw a ship passing. She climbed on an elevated area and waved a cloth to get its attention. The sailors spotted her and anchored the ship. They sent a smaller boat with three people on board to investigate. They found the lady and brought her back to the ship. When she boarded the ship, to her surprise she saw her baby there. She became emotional and started kissing and embracing the baby. The passengers were surprised at this, and one person asked her if the baby belonged to her to which she replied that it did. She then narrated to them what had transpired with the Abyssinian man. They then told her what they had experienced. A creature came out from the ocean and obstructed their path. Then a voice from the unseen spoke, telling them to save the baby from the ocean or else they would not be able to reach their destination. One of the passengers retrieved the baby and brought it on the ship. This is how the baby came into their hands.
Look at the Qudrat of Allah Ta’ala! When she protected herself from the disobedience of Allah, then the help of Allah Ta’ala descended from the unseen. Where there was no hope of ever seeing the baby again, Allah Ta’ala brought that baby into the ship where eventually the mother would be. And the person who was adamant in breaking the command of Allah Ta’ala, he was destroyed. The calamities which befall a person are due to the sins that he commits.
Hadrat Abdullah Bin Zaid Radiallahu Anhu visits the Qabrastaan
Hadrat Abdullah Bin Zaid Radiallahu Anhu narrates that one night he visited the Qabrastaan. It was a moonlit night. He hears a sound emanating from one of the graves. Then he sees a person who seemed to have come out his Qabr and he looked as though he was being chased by someone. He was in chains and as he ran forward, someone pulled on the chains and he went back into the grave. Hadrat Abdullah Bin Zayd goes towards the Qabr and hears a discussion taking place. He hears the chained man telling the Malaa’ikah, “Didn’t I read Salaah in the world? Did I not take Ghusl whenever I was in a condition of impurity? Did I not fast in the world?” From this it appeared like all the commands of Allah Ta’ala had been carried out. The Malaa’ikah responded, “In front of everyone, you carried out the commands of Allah Ta’ala but in seclusion, you broke the commands of Allah Ta’ala.”
This is the reality that we need to wake up to. All the sins we are involved it, be it externally or internally, in seclusion or in public, a person should refrain from it otherwise, these are the calamities that we will face in the world and hereafter.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us Taufeeq. Ameen!