Sat 17 Mar 2018
✏️ Lesson 9: The Purpose of our Creation, and the falsehood of Atheism and Polytheism
- Brief recap of previous lessons
- Importance of having a connection to Allah
- Ibn Qayyim’s statement that the need of the slave to remember his lord is just as the need of a fish for water
- One who makes no remembrance of his lord, then his heart is an empty void
- Allah gave us a purpose and an objective to our existence
- Allah says: “And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone)” (Surah Dhaariyaat (The Winds that Scatter) verse 56)
- Allah, from the very beginning of the creation of our father Adam, this was the objective and Allah ordered all of the Angels to prostrate to Adam
- Shaitaan (Satan), unlike the Angels, refused to prostrate and so he became from the disbelievers
- NOTE: Unlike some Christians, we do NOT believe that Shaitaan (Satan) was an Angel or a “fallen angel”. He is a Jinn.
- Shaitaan attempts to misguide the people and lead them to the hellfire
- The falsehood of Atheism.
- It is from our innate human nature that we believe and recognise that we have a creator. Even the atheist cannot escape the recognition that there is a being greater than themselves
- The story of the Muslim scholar vs a group of Atheists (approx. 1300 years ago)
- What did the Scholar say to them?
- The clear error of Atheists that they recognise purpose and design in everyday life, yet reject purpose and design in life itself, or in the complexity of the world we live in. They will refuse to accept that a ship can come about without a ship maker, yet they insist to believe that the creation/everything in existence can come about without a creator.
- Allah says: “Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;” [Surah Al-Mulk (The Dominion) verse 67]
- The test requires effort. Following the commands of the devil is easier than following the commands of our Lord.
- Certainly, there will be a resurrection and the results of this test will become clear to see
- Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Three follow the deceased, two of them return, and one remains. He is followed by his family, his wealth, and his deeds. So his family and his wealth returns, and his deeds remain.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi]
- Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: “My slaves! I have forbidden injustice for Myself and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another. “My slaves! You err by night and day and I forgive wrong actions and do not care. Ask me for forgiveness and I will forgive you. “My slaves! All of you are hungry unless I have fed you, so ask Me to feed you, and I will feed you. All of you are naked unless I have clothed you, so ask Me to clothe you and I will clothe you. “My slaves! If all of you, the first of you and the last of you, the jinn among you and the men among you, were to be as godfearing as the most godfearing heart of any one of you, that would not add anything to My kingdom. If they were to be as corrupt as the most corrupt heart of any one of you, that would not decrease anything in My kingdom. If they were to join together in one place and then ask of Me, and I gave every man among them what he asked for that, that would not reduce My kingdom at all, except as the sea is decreased if a needle is dipped into it. “My slaves! It is only your actions which I have appointed for you. Whoever finds good should praise Allah. Whoever finds other than that should only blame himself.’” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
- Allah says: “But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you.” [Surah Infidaar () verse 10]
- Everything we say and do is recorded by Angels
- The message of Islamic monotheism has been brought throughout history via the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (may peace be upon them all) such as Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isaa (Jesus) and finally Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
- In Islam,
- Isaa (Jesus) did NOT command his followers to take him as a god, nor his mother
- Allah says: “And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): “O ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’ ” He will say: “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.” [Surah Maa’idah [The Table spread with Food) verse 116]
- Continued: ““Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world).” [The Table spread with Food) verse 117]
- What is the difference between the Qur’an and the other books of revelation such as the Bible and Torah?
- Allah did not just create us to live and wander on this earth for 40 – 60years, then die and become soil in the ground. That cannot be the purpose of life.
- Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “All my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” They said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who will refuse?” He said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it).” [Sahih al-Bukhari]
- If a Muslim is disobedient, he/she may enter hell, however due to still being a believer and Practising Islamic monotheism (Tawheed), they will eventually enter Paradise.
- Parable: If you were to be in the desert, and you were to see camel dung, yet no foot prints, what do you conclude? You conclude swiftly and without doubt that a camel must have passed by this area. Likewise, when we look around us at the beautiful, complex and vast world we live in, we likewise see that we indeed do have a creator and our goal is to worship him.
- The heart which is alive can clearly see the above
- Where there is an effect, you naturally conclude that there must have been a cause. Nothing happens or comes into existence by nothingness.
- Q&A:
- Could you explain the terms “Islam” and “Muslims”
- What happens to those who came before Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
- When you are at the day of Judgement, what happens if your good deeds and bad deeds are exactly equal?
- What about those who kill in the name of Islam such as ISIS
- How does one become Muslim? Is there something special one must do?
- What if a person is in the amazon rainforest and Islam never came to him, how will he be Judged?
- What if you give something as a gift and then want it back?
- What celebrations do Muslims have? What about birthdays? Mothers’ day? Fathers’ day?
- How will Allah reward the non-believers who did good?
- What if someone intends to become Muslim, but dies before that?