BLESSINGS OF WEALTH AND CHILDREN VERSUS THE EVERLASTING GOOD DEED Jummah Khutbah delivered by Maulana Syed Aftab Haider on the 3 rd of February 2017 at the Ahlulbait Islamic Centre, Ottery, Cape Town. After imploring Allah (swt) to send his choicest blessings upon Nabi Muhammad (SAW) and his pure immaculate Ahlulbait (AS), I invite all of you to pay careful attention to verse 46 of Surah Kahf in which Allah says: Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world, and the everlasting good works are better with your Lord in reward and better in expectation. 1 / 13
The above ayah informs us of a variety of important lessons, the first of them being that wealth and children are essential components in leading a pleasurable life. Instead of labelling wealth and children as a curse, Allah (swt) informs us that using these two blessings as a vehicle to living a comfortable life is not something abominable. Furthermore, Allah labels these two blessings as Zeenah (beauty) of the dunya. In verse 77 of Surah Qasas, we are informed further: and do not forget your portion in this world The above two ayahs of the Quran shows that if one desires to live a happy life in the dunya, one needs money and family. Adopting the idea of being an isolationist is not compatible with the Quran if one desires to lead successful live in both this world and the next. 2 / 13
The verse of Surah Kahf then continues and says: and the everlasting good works are better with your Lord Here the Quran draws our attention to a deeper reality. After acknowledging the fact that wealth and children are acceptable means to leading a prosperous life, Allah (swt) reminds us that they are not eternal. These blessings are good, but their benefit is still limited in nature. What one can enjoy from them is only limited to the worldly life, and once one encounters death these 3 / 13
enjoyments perish as well. Interestingly, Allah swt in the preceding verse explains the reality of the dunya through an example: And coin for them the similitude of the life of the world as water which We send down from the sky, and the plants of the earth mingle with it, and then becomes dry twigs that the winds scatter; and Allah is omnipotent over everything. 4 / 13
The above ayah reinforces the idea that the beauty of the dunya can be appreciated and benefited from, however one must be mindful of its temporary nature. Hence the Quran takes our attention from the temporary enjoyments of the dunya, to the eternal enjoyments of the Everlasting good deeds! The reason why the Quran describes the benefit of the good deed as enduring is because the enjoyment of that good deed in the akhirah cannot be imagined. Allah swt 5 / 13
further says: better in expectation. The expectation of the reward of the enduring good deeds is far greater than wealth and children. One cannot truly place their hopes in wealth as it cannot be wholly relied upon One moment it is for you, the next it results in your own destruction. Similarly, children today can be the delight of one s life, but tomorrow they are the source of the greatest pain and heartache. Even in this temporary life, wealth and children cannot be said to be sustainable for achieving happiness. WHAT IS BAQIYAAT SALIHAAT? 6 / 13
Some Ulama regard all good deeds as being everlasting good deeds. When an individual commits any act of worship with the pure intention for the sake of Allah, it becomes an everlasting good deed. This opinion is generally accepted, however there is greater understanding that needs to elaborated upon. Other exegetes say that the word Baqiyaat (everlasting) used in the ayah grants these good deeds a special status. Here we understand what these good deeds are through the noble traditions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his Ahlulbait (as). These enduring good deeds are understood to be those actions which are still of benefit even after one has departed this world. For example, one performs salaah. This individual will receive his reward for his good action, but when he dies the goodness received from that salaah also concludes. 7 / 13
However, there are certain good deeds that seen as everlasting. Once somebody asked the Prophet (SAW) what Baqiatul Salihaat is. The Prophet (SAW) then replied by saying, A virtuous child. If one trains their children to maintain a high degree of Akhlaq and a firm dedication to Islam, Allah (swt) rewards you with a share of whatever good that pious child does even after you have left this world. The opposite reality is also true. If a parent paid absolutely no attention to their children and did not ensure that they were religiously trained, that parent will also have a share of their punishment in the hereafter. This however is not a general principle. If an individual sincerely attempted to train their children in the path of Allah (swt) - but the children did not take heed to this advice then such a parent cannot be punished as they had fulfilled their responsibility to the best of their ability. If Nabi Nuh (as) son can have such a 8 / 13
terrible end, then who are we? The important point to capture is that as a parent, one should utilise all of their resources in order to nurture their children in the correct direction. Sadaqatun Jariyah Sadaqah (charity) has various different types of examples. Sometimes we may give a sadaqah to a needy person, while other times we offer a sadaqah in order to build a hospital. In the first instance, our sadaqah is virtuous, but not long lasting as its benefit is limited. The needy individual will only be able to use that resource to sustain himself for a brief period of time. But in the second instance, it is seen as Baqiyatul Salihaat since the benefit the community receives from the hospital is on a continual basis. There are various types of sadaqatun jariyah, but the one I would like to specially draw your attention is that Waqf. Waqf is commonly used to describe the possessions that belong to the mosque, but from a fiqhi perspective this is not completely accurate. Inshallah next week we will focus on this type of Sadaqatun Jariyah. 9 / 13
One example of such a practice is seen in a Jew by the name of Mukhayreeq. He converted to Islam, had participated in the battle of Uhud and became a Shaheed. Before he was killed, he made a will that seven gardens he owned should be given to Rasulullah (saw) as a Waqf. When Rasullalah (SAW) had received these gardens, he made them a waqf for Bani Hashim so that they remained economically stable in the future. On a communal level, one can leave a part of their property as a waqf in order to ensure that the masjid has a means of income in order to sustain itself. SECOND KHUTBAH In this week, we experienced the blessed birthday of Sayyidah Zainab (AS) who was a beacon of resistance and intolerance towards oppression. Her ability to lead in the most difficult of circumstances is an example that continues to inspire many across the world. 10 / 13
Anniversary of Islamic Revolution We thank Almighty Allah swt that after years of perseverance against the tyrannical rule, the Islamic Republic could be established and now stands as a clear personification of the ayah: A good word is like a good tree, the roots of which are fixed and its branches are in heaven, The recent rise of white supremacy in the USA and the staunch enemies of the Islamic Republic, Alhamdullillah, could not prevent Iran from exercising its military right in the form 11 / 13
testing ballistic missiles. As the Quran says : And prepare against them whatever you can of (military) power Iran s recent ballistic missile tests have completely been with the intention of defence. The logic of the Quran has always been to be prepared for war as this keeps the enemy at bay. By exercising their military power, they were able to deter the enemy from even thinking about threatening the security of the Iranian nation. Unfortunately some nations did not see the need for military security, and as a result the enemy was able to completely wipe them out, leaving their nation in ruins. What is truly amazing is that in this same Islamic world, we have a luminous example of that of 12 / 13
the Islamic Republic, but at the same time we have shameful leaders who completely align themselves with the ideals of Donald Trump. When protests erupted in the USA as a result of the Muslim Ban, we saw various sects of society that were never comfortable with Islam chanting on the streets saying, We are all Muslim. The simplest minded citizens of American can realise this reality, but so called leaders of the Muslims remain in delusion. Fear is arguably the underlying factor for such a response. These Arab leaders think they have found an ally that finally understands their concerns with regards to Iran, but in reality their turn too will come. 13 / 13