Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan,

Salaam Aleikum,

I have gone through your mail Which you sent..But I am having few suggestions, In Christians and Hindus there are having media technology powers. like they are having Missionaries/ Colleges / Universities / Schools and Hospitals. Even they are having seprate TV channels and websites. But in our religion most of the people are illiterates. And they are not aware of this Basic Principle of Islam. Like I belongs to community where the Imams are telling only to read Qur'an not to go through the meaning. So we do not know what has been told for us. I want to know more about Islam. And I am very happy if you send me some good informations. May Allah bless you and give you and your family more happy prosperous life.

Please pray for me that I can enter in Sirat al Mustaqeem.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Most Muslims are not aware of the Basic Principles of Islam

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah bless you for sending us your comments on this forum. May Allah help you and guide you to increase your knowledge in Islam. Brother, it is evident from your letter that Allah has blessed you with the quest for knowledge, and we pray to Allah to increase this quest.

Brother, you are absolutely right that the Hindu and Christian missionaries have millions of dollars at their disposal and they used the media information technology to propagate their beliefs and their religion. It is indeed unfortunate that muslims spend their wealth in buying luxuries for the benefits of this world, and muslim nations spend billions of dollars on arming themselves. Allah has given us the Truth, but we have not behaved gratefully to this Sublime Mercy and Grace of our Creator.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185: "Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

Allah, in His Sublime Mercy and Grace, has revealed the Holy Quran for our guidance. Then, in His Mercy, He appointed the Last Messenger, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws) to live a practical example of a perfect muslim in perfect guidance of the Holy Quran. Between these two sources of knowledge, the whole universe and its secrets are revealed… for success in this world, and especially for the success of the Hereafter.

But man is ingrate indeed! He prefers the life of this world to the life of the Hereafter, and in consequence of that bargain, he loses both, this world and also the Hereafter! He has taken this life as a sport and a play, and lives like animals live … eats, drinks… sleeps … reproduces… enjoys… dies!!! He does not think for a moment, that the angel of death can come knocking at his door anytime … He does not think that he will be raised up One Day and presented before His Creator to answer for all these blessings and the deeds he did in the world. He does not think that there is an eternal and ever lasting life after this short span of life in this world!!! He sees loved ones die, but always thinks his own death is quite far!! The Truth is that he prefers this transitory and fake life, more than the everlasting life of the Hereafter!! He does not deny the appointment of death, and some even believe in the Day of Judgement, but live their lives in ignorance of the clear guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankaboot verse 38: Shaitaan made their deeds fair-seeming to them and misled them from the right path, although they were sensible people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 70: And leave alone those who have taken their ‘deen’ as a sport and past-time, and have been deluded by the life of this world. Nevertheless, you go on admonishing them by reciting the Quran to them, lest any person should be seized because of his own deeds; and that too, at a time, when there would be no protector, no helper and no intercessor to rescue him from Allah; when no conceivable amount of ransom would be accepted from him. This is because such people shall be seized, in consequence of what they themselves had earned.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 69: You are behaving just like those who went before you. They had more power than you, and possessed greater riches and had more children than you. They had enjoyed their portion of the good things of the worldly life, and you too, have enjoyed your portion of the good things like them. You are also engaged in idle discussions like the discussions they held. Consequently, in the end everything they did, proved vain in this world, and shall be vain in the Next World. Surely they are the losers!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 57 Surah Hadid verses 20: Know it well that the life of this world is nothing but a sport and a pastime, and a show, and a thing of boasting among yourselves, and a rivalry in wealth and children. Its example is of vegetation after a shower of rain, which delights the tillers; then the same ripens and you see it turn yellow; then it becomes straw. Contrary to this, in the life to come there is severe torment; and forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but an illusionary screen.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 70 Surah Mairaj verses 42-44: Therefore, leave them engrossed in their vain talk and sport, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they are being promised; when they shall be rushing out of their graves as though they are racing towards the shrines of their deities. Their eyes shall be downcast and abasement shall be covering them. That is the Day they are being promised.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankaboot verse 64: And the life of this world is nothing but a sport and a pastime. The home of real life is indeed the Hereafter. Would that these people knew (what awaits them)!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 32: This worldly life is but a sport and a pastime. In fact, the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who desire to be safe from harm. Will you not, then, use your common sense?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verse 83: Well, let them remain absorbed in their falsehoods and sports, till they see that Day of theirs with which they are being threatened.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 50-51: (On the Day of Judgement) The inmates of Hell will cry out to the people of Paradise: “Pour upon us a little water or throw down a bit of the provisions Allah has bestowed upon you.” The people of Paradise will reply, “Allah has forbidden both these things to the disbelievers, who had made their religion a sport and a pastime, and who had been deluded by the worldly life.” Then Allah will say, “Today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day, and rejected Our Revelations.”

Allah have given us ample forewarnings in the Holy Quran of exactly what is going to happen and what we need to do to be successful in this world, and to attain the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah in the hereafter. All one has to do is read this Message of His Lord and Creator with understanding, and he will realize what are the requirements for attaining this success!!! The material success of this world is nothing but a mirage!! People sell their souls to make more and more money, but no one has taken this wealth he created with him in the grave! But the ones who believed the promises of Allah and His Messenger (saws), are the ones who will come out successful in the hereafter. They spent their lives in obedience to the commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), and nothing done in the Cause of Allah will ever go to waste. This is Allah’s promise, and His Promise is nothing but the Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa verse 122: The promise of Allah is true, and who can be truer in his word than Allah?

The people who tell you not to read the Quran with understanding, are those, who wear the garb and make-up of very religious and pious people, but are nothing more than the partners of ‘Shaitaan’! Their intention is to take you away from the clear guidance and teachings of the Glorious Quran, so that you become their obedient followers and slaves, rather than becoming the obedient slaves of Allah Subhanah. They might preach an aayah here and an aayah there, but they generally discourage the people not to read the whole Quran with understanding. These are the ones who conceal the clear guidance of the Holy Quran in order to subjugate you and swindle your hard earned money! May Allah take full retribution from them on the Day of Judgement for misguiding people away from the Quran. Anyone who guides you not to read and understand the Quran cannot be guiding you to the Truth … because the Quran is nothing but the very words of Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174: Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 159: Those who conceal the clear (Revelations) and Guidance We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah’s ‘laanah’ and the ‘laanah’ of those who are entitled to curse!

Thus the first and foremost thing you need to do is you are indeed true in search of Islamic knowledge is read the Quran with understanding. You don’t need to attend any class, or follow any school. You can read any translation in the language you understand best from any recognized author. Beg Allah Subhanah to guide you to the Truth. And then see the miracle of the Quran for yourself!

May Allah increase yours and our knowledge in Islam. May Allah help us, guide us, and forgive us our sins. May Allah guide us to the True Path of Islam.

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the simple and plain words of the Glorious Quran. May Allah increase our knowledge from the Holy Quran. May Allah guide us to the Siraat al Mustaqeem.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan