3. Allah s decree is a hidden secret, no one is aware of it until it

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1 We are working on the 2 nd of the 3 principles of Thalathul Usool which is 'What is your religion?' There are 6 pillars of faith in Islam. We have discussed the first 5 pillars and we are on the 6 th pillar which is 'Belief in the Decree ( Al Eeman bil Qadaee wal Qadr). We have discussed the four stages of Belief in the Decree (the Creation, the Wil l, the Writing & the Knowledge) and we were discussing the Will of Human Beings. While discussing the Will of Human Beings, we discussed how to reply people who argue regarding the decree (they say that we don t have a will and ability we are forced to do things). First answer was that Allah (SWT) has sent down messengers to give glad tidings and to warn the people. This doesn t make sense if everything was already decreed. The second reply was regarding the commandments of Allah (SWT) in the Quran. Allah (SWT) commands us to do certain things and forbids us from certain actions. If everything was pre decreed then what is the purpose behind the legislations in the Quran. Below is the continuation of our reply: 3. Allah s decree is a hidden secret, no one is aware of it until it occurs ( ). Since none of us is aware of what Allah has decreed for us there is no excuse for not following His commandments and to do good and abstain from evil. 4. A man opts for the best in the worldly matters so why doesn t he/she opt for paradise over hell fire ( ). For the entire worldly affairs, everyone selects the best for them. No one says that we will get what Allah has decreed then why is it that for the matters of hereafter people say that whatever Allah has decreed will happen. It s not at all logical that people are committing sins on the excuse that this is what has been decreed by Allah for them. If you are taking care of all your worldly affairs then why don t you choose paradise over hell fire and be an obedient slave of Allah. 1

2 In the time of Umar bin Khattab there was thief. When the thief was caught he said that I have committed the crime because it was decreed by Allah. Umar replied that we will cut your hand even by the decree of Allah. Fruits of belief in the decree of Allah: 1. Tawakul on Allah= reliance on Allah + trust on Allah. Don t rely/trust on the means or yourself. Your reliance and trust is completely on Allah (SWT) 2. Tranquility and peace. When a person knows that everything has been pre decreed by Allah and all he/she need to do is to rely and trust Him and to follow His instructions. In case anything bad befalls them they will not feel sad because they know it s preordained by Allah. Similarly if they don t get something they like it they will not be worried. They will be very calm no matter what situation befalls them. 3. It will remove proudness and arrogance in a person s heart. When a person succeeds in getting what he desired he doesn t feel proud because he believed in qadr. Achieving the target doesn t make him proud or arrogant because he knows that Allah (SWT) is the one to grant him the will and power to meet his goals. This ends our discussion of Belief in the Decree. 2

3 We were discussing the 2 nd of the 3 principles of Thalathul Usool which is 'what is your religion?. It consists of three stages: Islam, Faith and Ihsan. We have completed our discussion on the first two stages now we will discuss the third stage i.e. Ihsaan. Ihsaan: Ihsaan is to do everything with excellence. Religion consists of apparent actions and faith comprises of actions of the heart. Ihsaan is to perform the pillars of Islam and the pillars of faith in the best way. Ihsaan is derived from the word ihsan which means to do everything with excellence. The opposite of ihsaan is issaa a which means to do things in the worst manner. Definition of Al-Ihsaan: A man will do all his actions in the best way. The actions can be classified as follows: Towards the slaves of Allah (dealing with the people). Towards Allah (acts of worship). 3

4 Ihsaan towards the slaves of Allah: The Mohsineen are very helpful for people in the society. They help them for the sake of Allah. They help people even if they don t ask for it. They help people in the following ways: With money- By giving Zakat, Sadaqa and spending for the family. With Knowledge-Teaching the worldly or religious knowledge. If it s done for the sake of Allah then it s considered as ihsaan. Physically- To help people in lifting or bringing something. Prophet (SAW) said that helping a person for a ride is considered as sadaqa. With Rank- To help people in their affairs (that are not haram) if you have a position in the society. Ulema say that people who are giving others are happier than the ones receiving. That is why it s said that the upper hand is better than the lower hand. Mohsineen help others without a desire for a return from them. Their only purpose is to see the face of Allah. They don t want people to praise them or reward them rather they are longing for a reward and praise from Allah (SWT). It s mentioned in the Quran that Allah (SWT) loves the mohsineen. Ihsaan in worshipping Allah While performing the acts of worship (e.g. praying, fasting, reading Quran etc.) we should do it in the best manner. No one else is going to benefit from them. They are exclusively for the sake of Allah (SWT). We should ask Allah (SWT) to help us so that we can do them in the best way. Allah, He is the king- the richest one. He doesn t need our worship; it s for our own benefit. The purpose of our creation is to worship Allah and we should do it in the best way. There are two levels of Ihsaan in worshipping Allah. 4

5 Level 1: When you are performing the acts of worship, it is as if you are seeing Allah (SWT). It is the best way of Ihsaan because you are longing for praise and reward from Allah (SWT). Seeing Allah (SWT) doesn t mean to see Him with the eyes but to have knowledge about His names and attributes. This will encourage you to do more and more. Level 2: When you are performing the acts of worship, you cannot see Allah but you are afraid because Allah is watching you. The second level of ihsaan is that you cannot see Allah while worshipping Him but you are afraid of His punishment because He s seeing you. Both the levels are considered as ihsaan but the best one is the first level that you are worshiping Allah as if you are seeing Him and longing for His reward. Let s take the example of these two levels of ihsaan in the prayer. What is it that will make us do the best in the prayers? When we know about Allah and we really love Him and we can see Him. This will encourage us to do more and more. This is the best way of ihsaan. Second case is that I am praying and I cannot see Allah but I know that Allah is watching me. Still there will be ihsaan in the prayer but it can t be like the first one. You can have ihsaan by seeing Allah and hoping for a reward from Him or if you cannot see Him but you are afraid of His punishment. Allah has created us to worship Him and we should to do it with ihsaan. 5