MUSJIDUL HAQ

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Imam Ghazzali Radi Allahu ‘Anhu narrates that in the past whenever people used to go out to earn a living, then the females of the house used to inform the men that they should only make an effort to earn Halaal sustenance and that they should not look at anything which was Haraam. They also used to say that they can display patience when they are hungry but will not be able to display patience in front of the Fire of hell. (Makaashifatul Qulub, 661)

Lesson

When we study the Qur’an and Hadith and bear these important lessons in mind, then a person is always careful on what he should earn and what he should not earn. A person is also able to gain piety in the path of Islam. A person will not even look at performing something which is against the commands of Islam and the Divine Pleasure of Allah Almighty.

Since the early Muslims were people who grew up in an environment in which Islam was truly practised, they never allowed themselves to become a tool in the hands of the Satan. They also made sure that others also knew of this important fact.

Pertaining to this important message, the following Ahadith should also serve as a reminder:

1. The Holy Prophet May Allah send peace and blessings upon him has stated that, “At the Baitul Muqaddas, there is an Angel which calls our every night that, ‘Whoever consumes Haraam, Allah Almighty does not accept his Fard nor his Sunnah.’” (Kimiyah Sa’adat)

2. The Holy Prophet May Allah send peace and blessings upon him has stated that, “A flesh which has grown up with Haraam, the fire is the best place for that (person).” (Baihaqi Shareef)

3. The Holy Prophet May Allah send peace and blessings upon him has stated that, “When a person attains Haraam wealth, even if he spends it in charity, it is not accepted. If he spends it (another way), there is no Barakah in this and if he leaves it and dies, then it becomes a means for him to enter Hell. Allah Almighty does not cancel evil with evil, yes, He does cancel evil with goodness. Without doubt, an evil thing is not cancelled with another evil.” (Musnad Imam Ahmed)

In Surah Mudassar, verse 27 to 29, the Qur’an states:

وَ مَاۤ اَدْرٰىکَ مَا سَقَرُ ﴿ؕ۲۷﴾

And what did you know what the hell is?
لَا تُبْقِیۡ وَ لَا تَذَرُ ﴿ۚ۲۸﴾

It leaves not and spares none.
لَوَّاحَۃٌ لِّلْبَشَرِ ﴿ۚۖ۲۹﴾

It takes out the skin of man.

In Surah Nisaa, verses 21 to 26, the Qur’an declares:

وَکَیۡفَ تَاۡخُذُوۡنَہٗ وَقَدْ اَفْضٰی بَعْضُکُمْ اِلٰی بَعْضٍ وَّاَخَذْنَ مِنۡکُمۡ مِّیۡثٰقًا غَلِیۡظًا ﴿۲۱﴾

How you shall take it when each of you has already become unveiled before one another and they have taken from you a most firm covenant?
وَلَا تَنۡکِحُوۡا مَا نَکَحَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ اِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ فٰحِشَۃً وَّمَقْتًا ؕ وَسَآءَ سَبِیۡلًا ﴿۲۲﴾٪

And do not marry those women whom your fathers have married; except what has already passed. Undoubtedly, that is an act of indecency and wrath and an evil way.
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَیۡکُمْ اُمَّہٰتُکُمْ وَبَنَاتُکُمْ وَاَخَوٰتُکُمْ وَعَمّٰتُکُمْ وَخٰلٰتُکُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الۡاَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الۡاُخْتِ وَاُمَّہٰتُکُمُ الّٰتِیۡۤ اَرْضَعْنَکُمْ وَاَخَوٰتُکُمۡ مِّنَ الرَّضٰعَۃِ وَاُمَّہٰتُ نِسَآئِکُمْ وَرَبٰٓئِبُکُمُ الّٰتِیۡ فِیۡ حُجُوۡرِکُمۡ مِّنۡ نِّسَآئِکُمُ الّٰتِیۡ دَخَلْتُمۡ بِہِنَّ ۫ فَاِنۡ لَّمْ تَکُوۡنُوۡا دَخَلْتُمۡ بِہِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیۡکُمْ ۫ وَحَلٰٓئِلُ اَبْنَآئِکُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنْ اَصْلَابِکُمْ ۙ وَ اَنۡ تَجْمَعُوۡا بَیۡنَ الۡاُخْتَیۡنِ اِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ؕ اِنَّ اللہَ کَانَ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿ۙ۲۳﴾

Forbidden to you are your mothers and your daughters and sisters and your father’s sisters and mother’s sisters and your brother’s daughters and your sister’s daughters, and your mothers who have given suck to you and your foster sisters and the mothers of your wives and daughters (your step daughters) who are in your care from the wives with whom you had intercourse but if you had not intercourse with them, then there is no harm in their daughters, and the wives of your sons who are of your loins and to have two sisters together except what has already passed. Undoubtedly. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

وَّالْمُحْصَنٰتُ مِنَ النِّسَآءِ اِلَّا مَا مَلَکَتْ اَیۡمٰنُکُمْ ۚ کِتٰبَ اللہِ عَلَیۡکُمْ ۚ وَاُحِلَّ لَکُمۡ مَّا وَرَآءَ ذٰلِکُمْ اَنۡ تَبْتَغُوۡا بِاَمْوٰلِکُمۡ مُّحْصِنِیۡنَ غَیۡرَ مُسٰفِحِیۡنَ ؕ فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمۡ بِہٖ مِنْہُنَّ فَاٰتُوۡہُنَّ اُجُوۡرَہُنَّ فَرِیۡضَۃً ؕ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیۡکُمْ فِیۡمَا تَرٰضَیۡتُمۡ بِہٖ مِنۡۢ بَعْدِ الْفَرِیۡضَۃِ ؕ اِنَّ اللہَ کَانَ عَلِیۡمًا حَکِیۡمًا ﴿۲۴﴾

And forbidden to you are the women having husbands save the women of infidels who come in your possession. This is the prescription of Allah unto you and the remaining besides those are lawful for you; so that you seek them in exchange of your properties bringing them in bondage (through marriage) and not desiring for lust. Therefore, as to those women whom you wish to marry, give them their fixed dowries. And there is no sin in what you mutually agree upon after fixation. Undoubtedly, Allah is Knowing, Wise.
وَمَنۡ لَّمْ یَسْتَطِعْ مِنۡکُمْ طَوْلًا اَنۡ یَّنۡکِحَ الْمُحْصَنٰتِ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِ فَمِنۡ مَّا مَلَکَتْ اَیۡمٰنُکُمۡ مِّنۡ فَتَیٰتِکُمُ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِ ؕ وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ بِاِیۡمٰنِکُمْ ؕ بَعْضُکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعْضٍ ۚ فَانۡکِحُوۡہُنَّ بِاِذْنِ اَہۡلِہِنَّ وَاٰتُوۡہُنَّ اُجُوۡرَہُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوۡفِ مُحْصَنٰتٍ غَیۡرَ مُسٰفِحٰتٍ وَّلَا مُتَّخِذٰتِ اَخْدَانٍ ۚ فَاِذَاۤ اُحْصِنَّ فَاِنْ اَتَیۡنَ بِفٰحِشَۃٍ فَعَلَیۡہِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَی الْمُحْصَنٰتِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ لِمَنْ خَشِیَ الْعَنَتَ مِنْکُمْ ؕ وَ اَنۡ تَصْبِرُوۡا خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمْ ؕ وَاللہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۵﴾٪

And amongst you one who cannot marry free believing women due to insufficient means; then let him marry such of the believing handmaids who are the possession of your hands. And Allah knows your faith very well; the one of you is from the other, therefore, marry them with the leave of their masters and give them their dowries according to convention bringing them into bondage (through marriage), not desiring for lust, and nor making lovers; when they come under bondage and again commit any act of indecency, then on them the punishment is half of that, for free women. This is for him who of you is afraid of adultery and it is better for you to have patience. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
یُرِیۡدُ اللہُ لِیُبَیِّنَ لَکُمْ وَیَہۡدِیَکُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبْلِکُمْ وَیَتُوۡبَ عَلَیۡکُمْ ؕ وَاللہُ عَلِیۡمٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۶﴾

Allah desires to explain to you His commandments and to tell you the ways of those before you and to turn to you with His Mercy. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Yet, it is very sad indeed that the state of most of our sisters in the modern era has certainly changed. In fact, when they grow up, the first thing that they hear is the crying of people complaining of lack of income. At the same time, the menfolk are forced to earn all types of livelihood so that they can fulfil the needs of some of these greedy females. They have no concern for what is Haraam or what is Halaal. When the children see this type of environment in their homes, then they also start to think in this fashion as well. At the same time, the parents do not even think about educating their children about the basic laws of Islam.

When the house is seen to be a place of war and battle, and the environment is free of Islamic education, and when someone enters this house, the same type of un-Islamic behaviour is also displayed by this person. When a girl enters a house like this, she also begins to demands for things as it was practised in her own house.

In other words, fighting and arguing becomes a normal thing in this house and sometimes they separate and sometimes the husband is forced to earn Haraam income making the entire house a path to Hell.

If only we could bear in mind that various advices which we have been given by Allah Almighty and if we would only remember His Divine Promise that every object in this universe will get what he requires on a daily basis.

In Surah Al An’am, verse 151, the Qur’an declares:

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا اَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّکُمْ عَلَیۡکُمْ اَلَّا تُشْرِکُوۡا بِہٖ شَیْـًٔا وَّبِالْوٰلِدَیۡنِ اِحْسٰنًا ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوۡۤا اَوْلٰدَکُمۡ مِّنْ اِمْلٰقٍ ؕ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُکُمْ وَ اِیَّاہُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوٰحِشَ مَا ظَہَرَ مِنْہَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۚ وَلَاتَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِیۡ حَرَّمَ اللہُ اِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ؕ ذٰلِکُمْ وَصّٰکُمْ بِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَعْقِلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۵۱﴾

Say you, ‘Come I will rehearse to you what your Lord has forbidden to you, ‘that you associate not anyone with Him, and that you do good to parents, and that you kill not your children because of poverty. We shall provide for you and for them, and that you approach not shameful deeds whichever in them is open and whichever is hidden; and slay not unjustly the life which Allah has made sacred. This He has ordered you that you may understand.

In Surah Hud, verse 6, the Qur’an declares:

وَمَا مِنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ فِی الۡاَرْضِ اِلَّا عَلَی اللہِ رِزْقُہَا وَیَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّہَا وَ مُسْتَوْدَعَہَا ؕکُلٌّ فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۶﴾

And there is none moving on this earth, the provision of that is not upon the generous responsibility of Allah, and He knows its place of stay and the place of return. All is recorded in a clear explanatory Book.