DR. FIROZ MAHBOOB KAMAL

 The most crucial issue

 Finding the right path towards paradise is the most crucial issue for a human. The ultimate success -both here and in the hereafter, entirely depends on it. And the failure takes one only to the eternal hellfire. It is also true, no man or woman can find guidance on his or her own. Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la doesn’t keep such an utmost crucial task under the discretion of anyone else; only under His Own Domain. Hence, “inna alai’nal huda” (guiding mankind is indeed My domain) is the Qur’anic pronouncement. The Almighty Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la delivers guidance by sending prophets and through revelations. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet and the Holy Qur’an is the final and the most comprehensive guidance. That is why the Holy Qur’an has been the all-time greatest blessing of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la for all men and women on earth; nothing can stand equal to it. If there is no Qur’an, there is no way to find the right way towards paradise. In such void, one can only reach to the hellfire. Hence, understanding the Qur’an and the tight adherence to the Qur’anic guidance is crucial. But how many Muslims have read through the whole Qur’an to take the guidance even once in his or her lifetime?    

Divine guidance has never been a birthright or automatic entitlement for anyone claiming to be a Muslim. For it, adherence to the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is also equally crucial. In fact, only those who follow the prophet (peace be upon him), follow Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la - as revealed in the Holy Qur’an. It is also crucial that for drawing the full benefit from the Divine guidance, one needs to be fully qualified for that. And the qualification doesn’t come from academic qualifications, but from taq’wa. It is the key to access this Divine Treasure. Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la made it clear in the following verse: “This is the Book; there is no doubt therein. It is the guidance for the people who possess taq’wa.” –(Sura Baqara, verse 2). Taq’wa is indeed the relentless readiness to seek the Divine guidance and to avoid all forms of misguidance. It is indeed the expression of true faith. 

Taqwa: the key for the paradise

Humans’ greatness, piety or religiosity wholly depend on taq’wa. In absence of taq’wa, no amount of good deed, effort or sacrifice is acceptable to Allah Sub’hana wqa Ta’al. The blood of the sacrificed animals, the wealth spent on charity, the hunger and the thirst endured in fasting and the bodies of the people killed in a war do not reach Him. Instead, what reaches the Almighty Lord and makes a strong case for the forgiveness is Taqwa. It is the only key to open the gate of paradise. In the hereafter, it is the only acceptable currency for making any transaction in the day of Judgement. Otherwise, all the rituals, the charities and the supplication turn fake. In fact, all forms of ibdah are aimed only to build taq’wa. Strong linkage with Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala is built on it. So, the revelation comes: “Know that Allah is always with people of taqwa”–(Sura Taubah, verse 36). It is revealed: “The transgressors are friendly to each other; but Allah is the guardian of the people of Taq’wa”-(Sura Al-Jasia, verse 19). “On that Day (day of Judgment) the people of taq’wa will be assembled as the honoured delegation before the All-Merciful” (Sura Mariam, verse 85). Therefore, nothing could be wiser and nobler than investing all physical, intellectual or economic possession to increase taqwa. The early Muslims could set an unsurmountable example in such endeavour; in order to attain its highest level, most of them even sacrificed their life.

Taq’wa doesn’t generate on its own. Mere faith in Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la and the obligatory rituals can’t help it grow on their own either. A range of conceptual, ritual and institutional inputs and throughputs need to work together to give birth taq’wa.  For that, the most basic and important ingredient comes from the Qur’anic knowledge. Without Qur’anic knowledge, all the rituals turn to be failed ibadah. So, for the first 11 years of prophet-hood, the sole emphasis was to build up Qur’anic knowledge. The Divine decree on five time prayer, fasting, haj and jihad came much later. Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la emphasized on this crucial point through the following revelation: “innama yakhsha’Allah’a min ibade’al ulama” (meaning: out of all humans, only the people of (Qur’anic) knowledge fear Allah). So, the holy Qur’an is not only the Book of the right path (siratul mustaqeem) to the paradise, but also the Book of knowledge that builds uptaq’wa. It is the most crucial issue that needs to be deeply understood.

Satan and his followers do not miss this seminal point. Hence their worst enmity is not against the Muslim states, madrasas or mosques, but against the spread of Qur’anic knowledge. So, immediately after coming to power, communist Soviet Russia closed all the Qur’anic teaching schools in occupied Muslim lands of Central Asia. For the same reason, the US-led coalition and their partners in the Muslim World impose a strict restriction on the teaching of the Qur’an. They consider it a great threat to their global dominance and security interest. Their hatred against the Qur’an is so toxic that many of them –like the old people of jahelia, call this greatest Gift of the Almighty as the book of terrorism! During their colonial occupation, the British colonialists too imposed very selective and restrictive study of Qur’an. Topics like sharia, hudud, khilafa, Muslim unity and jihad were kept out of the madrasah curriculum. This way, the occupying enemies allow Muslims to grow up without proper Qur’anic knowledge and true Islam.      

Without taq’wa, one can recite the holy Qur'an thousands of times, can also perform thousands of units of nafl prayers, can keep fasting for months, can even go for haj multiple times, but may miss the siratul mustaqeem. This is indeed the current scenario of the Muslim World. The siratul mustaqeem isn’t within the premise of mosques or prayers; rather attained by seeking the Qu’anic guidance and practising khilafa, sharia, hudud, shura, pan-Islamic Muslim unity and jihad fi sabilillah. But, awfully, the practice of the Qur’anic guidance is seldom seen in Muslims’ life. Instead, they take the route of nationalism, tribalism, secularism, despotism, kufr law and other established satanic deviation. Instead of submitting to the sovereignty to Allah Sub’hana Ta’la, they declare their own sovereignty through their self-made law and constitution.

Whereas, claiming sovereignty is totally incompatible with the Islamic faith. A Muslim can only be akhalifa (viceroy), not a sovereign ruler. It goes against taq’wa and feeds only his or her kufr or disbelief. Sovereignty offers an entitlement to frame laws and defines the right and the wrong. This is the most restricted privilege belongs only to Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la. The holy Qur’an is very explicit on this issue. Hence, here comes the stern warning: “In’il hukmu illa lilla (meaning: the right to legislation belongs to none; it is only to Allah)” (Sura Yousuf, verse 40). Even King David (peace be upon him) and King Suleiman (peace be upon him) were the kings only by name; they were de facto the most obedient khalifa.About King David (peace be upon him), there comes the following Qur’anic revelation: “(We said), “O David, indeed we have made you khalifa upon the earth, so rule among the people according to the revealed truth (sharia), and do not follow your own desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah.” -(Sura Sa’d, verse26).

The war against the Almighty

King David (peace be upon him) is known in history for his great wisdom, sagacity and amazing ability to make justice. Even he was not given the right to frame law. So, the message is clear: even the prophets are not immune to deviation from the true path of justice if they follow their own intellect. So, the right to frame law is taken away even from the prophets. Therefore, how can a monarch, or a despot, or a parliament of common men and women dare claim to be the law-giver? It is indeed the ugliest treason against Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la; it tantamount to declare war against His Sovereignty. Both King David (peace be upon him) and King Suleiman (peace be upon him) established the rule of sharia that was revealed to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the rightly guided khalifas did the same. But now, the Muslims have taken the path of active rebellion. They claim the sovereignty and are engaged in the collective war against Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la by dismantling sharia. Not only they are deviated from siratul mustaqeem, but also have usurped the entitlement of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’ala.

Moreover, constant ibadah (slavery) to the rule of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’ala is indeed the prescribed curriculum to build taqwa. So, the revelation comes: “O mankind! Do slavery to your Lord, who created you and those before you, so that you may acquire taqwa.”–(Sura Baqarah, verse21). Islam mean full submission to all revealed rules and prescriptions of Allah Sub’haan Ta’la. Hence, Islam means full Islam (full submission); there is no scope of half or partial Islam. So Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la issues the command: “Ud’khulil silm’i ka’ffa”. It means: “Enter into full submission (to rule of Allah) with (your) entirety”.  Hence, there exist not scope in Islam that any domain of life –be it politics or policies, law or legislature, education or culture, commerce or economics, war or warfare should stay outside the Qur’anic guidance. Only such inclusive submission to the Almighty Lord gives birth to taqwa. Hence in an Islamic state, submission to the Qur’anic prescription must overwhelm everywhere. As a result, every man or woman becomes the moving showcase of Islam. Only then, the Muslims receive the promised blessing from Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la. Otherwise, one meets only failure -both here and in the hereafter.