'Karma' and 'Kifarah'

  

‘Are you rewarded for anything except what you have done?’ [27:92]

 

‘Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.’ (28:85)

 

‘He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust: He doubles any good deed and gives a tremendous reward of His own.’ (4:41)

  

In Hinduism and Buddhism, ‘Karma’ is the ‘sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.’ Many people believe in ‘Karma’ leading to multiple reincarnations in different states of existence before the human soul finds ultimate salvation. However, ‘Karma’, in general, is about good luck or bad fate; viewed as resulting from one’s actions.

 

From an Islamic perspective, we humans live only once in this world, and when we die, we leave forever from this world, only to give an account of our deeds on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement: man’s eventual fate is essentially linked to his own actions. On the Day of Judgement, man’s soul will testify on all deeds- good, or bad- to receive the true and enduring reward of Paradise, or the Fire of Hell as a consequence of one’s record of deeds.

On the Day of Judgement

 

Our moment of truth, our moment of reckoning is coming. Indeed, with every minute that is receding by, we are approaching the Day of Judgement. The Holy Qur’an calls this Day as the “Undeniable Reality” [Al Haqqah]. Like the Holy Qur’an states elsewhere, ‘Closer and closer it comes to you. Closer and closer still. Does man think he will be left alone? Was he not just a drop of spilt-out sperm, which became a clinging form, which God shaped in due proportion, fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female? Does He who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life?’ [75: 35-41].

 

On that Day, we will be presented at the infallible court of Allah (twt), ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’. On the hour of reckoning, the most comprehensive Book of Records will be unveiled; it is for us, each individual in her own merit, to face our beliefs, words, intentions and deeds- actions in complete detail- and to account for them in all fairness and justice. Our souls as well as our limbs will testify- for or against us. As the Holy Qur’an indicates:

 

‘When the Trumpet is sounded a single time, when the earth and its mountains are raised high and then crushed with a single blow, on that Day the Great Event will come to pass. The sky will be torn apart on that Day, it will be so frail. The angels will be on all sides of it and, on that Day, eight of them will bear the throne of your Lord above them. On that Day you will be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden.’ (69: 14-19)

 

‘We have bound each human being’s destiny to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out a record for each of them, which they will find spread wide open, ‘Read your record. Today your own soul is enough to calculate your account.’ (17:14-15).

 

‘On that Day, man will be told about all his commissions and omissions. Truly, man is a clear witness against himself, despite all the excuses he may put forward.’ (75: 13-16)

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 5

 

DAWA/ TABLIGH: How To Do This Work

 

The most important point in this work of Dawa / Tabligh is the way and method that we will do it. We simply need to follow exactly the principles adopted by the Sahaba (ra) who followed the teachings and practices of the noble prophet (pbuh) to the letter.

In this true form and meaning, the Tabligh is a very important action and a very great benefit. Verily, it is to follow truly the path of the prophets (as), because this work is a great work, and it is also based on the high principles that we must always follow carefully. Each individual needs to feel the need to reform himself instead of changing others. While doing this work, and even outside the Jamaat [Community], he should behave like a true Muslim, a sincere servant who at all times obey and follow Allah’s commandments as per the Shariah and he seeks always the blessing and pleasure of Allah (twt). This is the basic condition, the Ruh (soul) and foundation of this work of Tabligh. Once this has been rooted deeply and firmly into the hearts of the workers [of Deen], the other principles, regulations and actions that I will mention further on will become easy to follow:

Time: A Precious Asset

“O you who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forward for tomorrow, and fear Allah, for Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Al Hashar-59: 19).

Months, years, nights and days are times for action and measuring the length of life; they all end and pass very quickly.

Night and day follow each other incessantly. Time causes to move closer that which is far, it wears out what is new and even weakens the strongest. How much was expected in the future and has never materialized? And how much is hoped for tomorrow which shall not materialise?

“Allah does not grant respite to any soul when its appointed term has come. And Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Al-Munafiqun 63: 12).

In three months, a year of our life shall come to an end, to remind us that this world is not eternal. Rather, this world is a trap; how many times has it deceived people who thought that they shall live therein forever! And how many times has it killed those (people) who were immersed in it! Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) took me by the shoulder and said: “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.” 

And Ibn Umar (ra) used to say, “In the evening do not expect (to live until) the morning, and in the morning do not expect (to live until) the evening. Take (advantage of) your health before times of sickness, and (take advantage of) your life before your death.” (Bukhari).

Years went by being a witness for us or against us; it is for us now to increase good deeds in our life, to catch what we missed and enjoy the time we have left before the destroyer of pleasures (i.e. death) overcome us.

Jabir (ra) narrated that he heard the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said to a man and he was admonishing him, “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your leisure (free time) before your work, and your life before your death, because there is no forgiveness after the life of this world, and there are no home after this world except heaven or hell.”

On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Ash’ari (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Every person goes out in the morning to sell his soul, so he either frees it or destroys it.” (Muslim).