Sunday, June 1, 2008

Strive (your utmost) in the Cause of Allah with your property and your persons: that will be best for you.....

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ تِجَـٰرَةٍ۬

تُنجِيكُم مِّنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ۬ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ

وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ

بِأَمۡوَٲلِكُمۡ وَأَنفُسِكُمۡ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ

تَعۡلَمُونَ يَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلۡكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬

تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً۬

فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ۬‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

وَأُخۡرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَہَا‌ۖ نَصۡرٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَتۡحٌ۬ قَرِيبٌ۬‌ۗ

وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

"O ye who believe! shall I lead you to a bargain that will save you from a grievous Penalty?― That ye believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that ye strive (your utmost) in the Cause of Allah with your property and your persons: that will be best for you, if ye but knew! He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and to beautiful Mansions in Gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the supreme Achievement. And another (favour will He bestow) which ye do love― help from Allah and a speedy victory: so give the Glad Tidings to the Believers."

(Qur'an: Saff: 61: 10-13)

REFLECTION

2 comments:

blue said...

Assalamualaikum wr wb Ustaz

Could you elaborate more about striving in the cause of Allah with your property and your persons?

Zhulkeflee Bin Haji Ismail said...

Wa 'alaykum salaam wr wb.

Actually, I have not yet come to this verse to comment and post my reflection on.
Anyway, since you ask, let me briefly respond...
Allah s.w.t. in His abundant generosity and Mercy is offering us a ‘bargain’ deal – the price for gaining security through His forgiveness from the Penalty of the hellfire, for all our sins. The nature of life being a test, he gave each of us the ability (with our life and property/possession), and from it He showed the two path – obedience & disobedience. Because disobedience would lead to damnation in Hell, He wish us to be saved.
His Wisdom has placed upon us a rule as Allah says: “Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction? Lo! We tested those who were before them. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.” (Q: Ankabut: 2-3) and : “ As for those who answered Allah's call is bliss; and for those who answered not His call, if they had all that is in the earth, and therewith the like thereof, they would proffer it as ransom. Such will have a woeful reckoning, and their habitation will be hell, a dire abode.” (Q: Ra’ad: 18).

What it takes is that we must:

[1] have Faith (iiman) in Allah and His Messenger; and His Justice and Wisdom require of us to strive – “iiman” is conviction that must be manifested through righteous deeds;

[2] Allah s.w.t. is most Just, Who would not burden us with something beyond our capability. Thus He gave us our whole assets (property and indeed our whole life -person) – which actually is also our ‘liabilities’ (in that we shall have to account to Allah in Hereafter). So what we do with these, can have consequences. Thus, Allah s.w.t. reminds all believers lest we become forgetful.

So, when there is still opportunity to do the right thing, remember this generous ‘bargain’.

Hope this briefly explains.
Insha Allah, I’ll continue the series of reflections – (there are so many yet to go). May Allah give me Taufiq and Hidaaya – Laa-haw-la wa-laa quw-wata il-la billaah al-‘aliy-yi ‘azeem.!

Was-salaam