The Successful Believers

based on a khutbah by Br. Khalid El-Gharib

 "Successful indeed are the believers   Those who offer their Salat (prayers)  with all solemnity and full submissiveness  And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden) And those who pay their Zakát"

 These verses are from Surah Al-Mu' Minun which takes its name from the first verse. The name of the Surah reflects its theme and defines its subject. It begins with the attributes of the believers and continues with the signs of 'Imán in oneself and in the universe. The tone of the Surah is that of declaration and calm argument, of sentimental logic and of feelings that inspire the thought and the consciousness.   Its opening verse pictures the scene of  full submissiveness in Salat,

" Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness", followed by the splendid description of the believers and the attributes they possess. 

According to a Hadith related by 'Urwan bin Zubair, ' Omar said: " This Surah was revealed in my presence and I myself observed the state of the Prophet during its revelation. When the revelation ended, the  Prophet  said: "on this occasion, ten such verses have been sent down to me, that the one who measures up to them, will most surely go to paradise'. Then he recited the initial verses of the Surah" [Ahmad, Tirmithy, Nassa'ey, Hakem]. "Successful indeed are the believers".

This is the true promise and the declaration of success to the believers. "It is a Promise of Allah, and Allah fails not in His Promise" [30:6].

The "Believers", who have attained true success, both individuals and the Jama'ah, are those who have accepted the Message of Muhammad   and have acknowledged him as their guide, and followed the way of life taught by him. This statement cannot be fully appreciated unless one keeps in mind the background on which it was made. On the one hand, there were the well to do and prosperous chiefs of Makkah, the opponents of Islam, whose businesses were thriving and who were enjoying every good thing of life.

On the other hand there were the followers of Islam, a majority of whom were either poor from the beginning or had been reduced to poverty by ruthless opposition to Islam. Therefore, the statement, "Successful indeed are the believers" with which the  Surah begins, was meant to tell the disbelievers in every age that the criterion of success and failure that they had in mind was not correct. It was based on misconceptions besides being temporary and limited in nature, it led to real failure and imaginary success.

On the contrary, the followers of Muhammad, whom they regarded as failures were truly successful, because by accepting the invitation to the Right Guidance given by the Prophet, they had struck a bargain which would lead them to true success and everlasting bliss in this world, as well as in the Hereafter. Whereas by rejecting the Message, the opponents and the disbelievers had incurred loss and would meet with the evil consequences both in this world and in the next. This is the main theme of the Surah and the whole discourse, from beginning to end, is meant to impress the same.

The noble characteristics of the believers pointed out in the next few verses are the arguments to prove the above statement. It is these characteristics that represent the Muslim character of the highest eminence, that of Muhammad the best of Allah's creation, whom Allah described in His Noble Qur’án, "And verily, you [O Muhammad  are on an exalted standard of character".

When Ai'sha was asked about the character of the Prophet, she replied: "His character was the Qur'an", then she recited: "Successful indeed are the believers" till "And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational) Salawat (at their fixed stated time)". Then she said: "That is how The Prophet was" [Nasa'ey].

 "Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness". Khashi'un  here means  to express humility. Khushu,  is a condition of the heart and the body. Khushu’ of the heart is to fear and stand in awe to Allah, and Khushu’ of the body is to bow one's head and lower one's gaze and voice in Allah's Company. In Salat, one is required to show Khushu’ both of the heart and of the body and this is the essence of the prayer. When the Prophet once saw a person offering his prayer while playing with his beard, he remarked: "Had he Khushu’ in his heart, his body would have manifested it". Though Khushu’ is actually a condition of the heart, as stated by the above tradition, it is manifested and reflected by the body. One should neither turn to the right or left, shift about or incline side ways, but must fix the gaze on the place where the forehead would rest in prostration. Similarly, it is disrespectful that one should stand stiffly erect, recite the verses of the Qur’án in a loud resounding voice, or sing them, or burp and yawn repeatedly and nosily. It is also not proper that one should offer the Prayer in a hurry. The injunction is that each article of the prayer should be performed in perfect peace and tranquillity, and unless one article has been completely performed, the next should not be begun. Along with this etiquette of the body, it is also important that one should avoid thinking irrelevant things during the Prayer by purifying the thought and keeping the mind in full harmony and tune with the tongue. One should also try the utmost to ensure that the mind and heart are wholly turned towards Allah in order to sense His Grace and to worship Him exclusively.

 "And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden)". Literally, Laghw is anything nonsensical, meaningless and vain, which is no way conductive of achieving one' s goal and purpose in life. The believers pay no heed to such useless things and show no inclination or interest in them. If by chance they see such things being indulged in, they keep away and avoid them scrupulously, and treat them with utmost indifference. This attitude has been described in Al-Furqan  " .. if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity". [25:72]:

This is indeed one of the outstanding characteristics of the believer. There are many thoughts that distract the believer from evil vain talk. His attention is diverted towards the remembrance of Allah and the contemplation of His signs in the universe. He is also occupied with obligations in Aqeedah such as purification of the soul, holding steadfast to Ímán , enjoining what is good and forbidding what is wrong, protecting the community from corruption, and the obligation of exercising Jihád in all its possible ways for the sake of Allah. Hence, He is a person who feels the burden of responsibility at all times, he regards the world as a place of test, and the life is a limited time allowed for the test. This feeling makes him/her behave seriously and responsibly throughout life and spends each moment of his/her life on works, which are useful and productive in his ultimate results. So much so that even in matters of recreation and sport, he makes a choice of only those things which prepare him for higher ends in life and do not result in mere wastage of time. For him time is not something to be killed but used profitably and productively.

Besides this, the believer is a person who possesses a right thinking mind, pure nature and fine taste. He has no inclination to indecent things and can talk useful and healthy things but cannot indulge in idle talk.  The Prophet  said: "Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or keep silent"   The believer has a fine taste of humour, but is not given to jesting, joking and ridicule, nor can he endure dirty jokes. For him a society in which the ears are never immune from abusive language, backbiting, slander lying, dirty songs, fortune tellers and indecent talk is a source of torture and agony. A characteristic of the promised Paradise is: "No Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk) will they hear therein, nor any sinful speech (like backbiting, etc.)" [56:25]. "And those who pay their Zakát". the word Zakát literally means purification and development without obstruction. As an Islamic term, it implies both the portion of wealth taken out for the purpose of purifying the rest of wealth and the act of purification itself. The words of the original Text mean that the believer constantly practices purification. Thus the meaning is not confined to paying off of Zakát dues only, but it is extended to self- purification, which include purification of morals as well as wealth, property and life in general. This purification is thus, not limited to one's own self, but includes the purification of the lives of other people as well. So the verse could be read to mean, "The believers are the people who purify themselves as well as others". This fact has been stated at other places in the Qur'án, for instance, "Successful is he who practiced purification and remembered his Lord and prayed" [87:14-15]. But this verse is more comprehensive in meaning because it stresses the purification of both society and one's own person. The Prophet   confirmed this when he said: " To smile in the company of your brother is a charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place were he can go astray is a charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is a charity. To pour water from your jug of your brother is a charity. To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you" [Bukhari].   

The Attributes of the Believers as Defined in Surah Al-Mu'minun 2/2I The believer who attains noble attributes and upright conduct has truly found the road to Paradise. The guide to these noble attributes can only come from the last revelation, the Holy Qur'an. When the opening verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun were revealed, the Prophet (s.a.w.) remarked: ".. the one who measures up to them, will most surely go to paradise" [Ahmad Tirmithy, Nasa'i, Hakem]. And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts) They are modest in every sense of the word. They are free from sex abuse and sex perversion. They are so modest that they even conceal those parts of their bodies, which the Law forbids to expose before others. This is the true purification of the household and the society and the true prevention from corruption of lineage and genealogy. Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that the right hand possess, for them, they are free from blame; This is a parenthesis which is meant to remove the common misunderstanding that sexual desire is an evil thing in itself and satisfying it even in lawful ways is not desirable, particularly for the righteous and godly people.

The parenthesis has been added to say that there is nothing wrong in satisfying the sexual desire in lawful ways and that living unmarried lives, away from the world, like monks and hermits is not the Islamic way of life. What is evil is that one should transgress the prescribed limits for satisfying the sex desire. Marriage is strongly encouraged in Islam and is considered a sign that reflects the Bounty of the Creator. "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect" [s30:v21].

The facets of wisdom supporting the institution of marriage are numerous and diverse; Marriage establishes the best method for slaking one's innate sexual drive and satisfying it in a lawful and rewarding way. Marriage fashions the best format for having children, raising a family and increasing one's progeny. The sense of responsibility in being married and caring for children spurs one towards work and taking care of obligations. Marriage induces a certain order in life, and promotes cohesive relationships between distant families. It also sustains harmony in the society.

But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors; Here are briefly a few injunctions which are based on this parenthetical clause: 1)            Two categories of women have been excluded from the general command of guarding the private parts: wives and women who are legally in one's possession, i.e. slave girls. Thus, the verse clearly lays down the law that one is allowed to have sexual relations with one's slave-girl as with one's wife, the basis being possession and not marriage. It should be noted that Islam came at a time where slavery was an international system and when the prisoners of war were taken as bondsmen according to the national law. It is clear that Islam during the battles with its enemies, could not have forbidden this system unilaterally, so that Muslim captives could be taken as slaves while Islam frees the captives of his enemy. So, Islam prevented all the sources of slavery, except the source of the prisoners of war. Hence, when captives in war fall as bondswomen, it was permissible for Muslims to have sexual relations with those whom they possessed.

This sexual relation is to satisfy the natural need of the captured women, so that they do not involve in filthy sexual relations like what is happening today with the prisoners of war all over the world under the New World Order, even though policies have forbidden them. This anarchy is discouraged by Islam and so Islam encourages the freedom of such slaves by many methods, for example, when the bondswoman bears a child, then her son is a free man; if her master freed her voluntarily or as an atonement to hitting her on the face; by an agreement which the bondswoman can pay a sum of money as her ransom, etc.

In any case, slavery was a necessity of war at that time, and it was the system of dealing in reply. However, it was not a result of the Islamic social system.

1 (2)     The law prescribed in the parenthesis is only applicable to men as is clear from the Text and the bondsman is unlawful for the woman possessing him. The wisdom why the slave has been forbidden for the woman is that he can only satisfy her sexual desire but cannot become guardian and governor of herself and her household, which leaves a serious flaw in the family life. The sentence "But whoever seeks beyond that (in lust for sexual desire) , then those are the transgressors" has made satisfaction in other ways unlawful, whether it be through fornication, homosexuality, sex gratification with animals, or some other means. The jurists only differ slightly with regard to masturbation. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal regards it as lawful if it aids in preventing adultery, but Imams Malik and Shafi'i regard it as absolutely unlawful; and though the Hanafies also regard it as unlawful, they give the opinion that if a person indulges sometimes in masturbation under the fit of passion, it is expected that he will be forgiven the error. Masturbation is unhealthy and can lead to medical and psychological problems. The jurists agree that anything that brings harm is unlawful especially if it becomes a common habit.

(4)            Although the absolute prohibition of Mut’ah (temporary marriage) was not until the year of the conquest of Makkah, some commentators argue the prohibition of Mut’ah from this verse. The correct position however, is that the prohibition of Mut’ah is based on the authentic Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and the consensus opinion of the jurists. Therefore it is wrong to say that it was prohibited by Umar (r.a.a.). Umar (r.a.a.) only enforced it as a law of Islam and publicised it among the people. This had not been done earlier because the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) had forbidden Mut’ah only during the latter part of his worldly life. The deviant Shi'ite view that Mut’ah is absolutely lawful and permissible has no sanction and support in the Qur'an, Sunnah or sound mind. The fact is that a few of the companions, their followers and jurists who regarded it permissible in the early days of Islam, did so only in cases of extreme necessity and need. None of them held the view that it was absolutely lawful like marriage and could be practised in normal circumstances. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (r.a.a.) who is generally cited as a prominent supporter of the view of permissibility has himself explained his position, thus: "It is just like carrion which is lawful for a person only in extreme necessity". Even Ibn 'Abbas had to revise his opinion when he saw that people were abusing permissibility and started practising Mut’ah freely regardless of genuine need and necessity. Holding Mut’ah as absolutely permissible, practising it without any real necessity or restoring to it even when one has a legally wedded wife or wives is a kind of license which is abhorred by good taste, much less it be attributed to the Shari'ah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) and imputed to the learned jurists of his family. For if Mut’ah it would imply that there should exist in society a low class of women, like the prostitute who should be available for the purpose as and when required, or if not that, Mut’ah be restricted to the daughters and sisters to the poor stratum of society and the well to do be given the freedom to exploit them as and when they like. Can such an injustice and discrimination be expected of the Divine Law? And those who are faithfully true to their Amanat (all the duties which Allah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility, and trust, etc.) and to their covenants; The believers fulfilled the terms of their trust which are placed in their charge. Amanat is a very comprehensive word and includes all those trusts, which are placed in their charge by Allah, society or individuals. Like wise "'ahd" includes all those covenants, pledges and promises which are made between Allah and man, and between man and man. According to a tradition reported by both Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

"Four characteristics are such that if a person has all the four in him, he is beyond any doubt a hypocrite, and the one who has one of these is a hypocrite to the extent till he gives it up: when something is placed in his trust, he commits breach to the trust, when he speaks he tells a lie, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he has a quarrel with somebody he exceeds all limits (of decency and morality).” And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational) Salawat (prayers) (at their fixed stated hours). The believers strictly adhere to the prescribed times of the prayers. They perform them with due regard for their pre-requisites, conditions and articles, with clean body and dress and necessary ablutions. They do not recite mechanically but understand what they recite and are conscious that they are supplicating their Lord like humble servants These are indeed the inheritors who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever. Firdaus or paradise is a vast garden adjoining the dwelling of a person and enclosed by defence walls and containing all kinds of fruit trees, especially vines. The inheritance of paradise by believers should be their dwelling forever.

By Br. Khalid El-Gharib 

 

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