Semester A 17/18, 27 October 2017
- “Aim for the stars and you may reach the moon” – Strive for Ihsaan (excellence in all your actions). Taking into account our sins, even if we do the bare minimum in worship, there’s no guarantee we will attain Jannah.
- Jahannam is not to be dealt with lightly. It is a living creature held down with 70,000 chains; each one is gripped down by 70,000 angels amassing a total of 4.9 billion angels. The Fire of Jahannam is 70x hotter than the fire of this Dunya. This is but a small glimpse of the magnitude of the Hell-Fire.
“The last man to enter Jannah, he will leave crawling, with a body covered in torched black skin, a result of severe charring. He will see a tree and ask Allah to go near it, so he can sit under its shade and drink from its water. Allah replies, “Perhaps if I give it to you, then you will ask more?” The man says no and is granted his wish. The man then sees a better tree, same conversation with Allah occurs and he is granted his wish. Once again, the man sees a better tree, superior than the past two, and the man is granted his wish. He then witnesses the Gates of Paradise and hears the enjoyment of the People of Paradise through their voices and echoes. He becomes extremely distraught that he cannot experience this pleasure so He asks Allah to admit him into it. Allah says, “Oh Son of Adam, what will make you content? Shall I give you the best kingdom and a world with it. Will that make you content?” The man replies, “Oh Allah, You are The Lord of the Worlds, are you making fun of me?” Allah replies, “I am not mocking you, and, I am the Lord of the Worlds, and so you will be admitted to Jannah, and a world with everything in it 10 times.”
— Reported in Sahih Muslim (Hadith has been shortened and paraphrased)
- A lesson to take from this – this man, who is regarded as the worst Muslim, was not afraid to ask Allah for Jannah when reaching the gates of Paradise, so why should we be so embarrassed and reluctant to turn to Allah and ask Him to forgive us?
- Do not sell the next life for this life – the smart man gains the pleasure of Allah in this life and the pleasure of Allah in the next life. That is the true success.
- “Those who believe and do good deeds, they are the best of creation. Allah is pleased with him, and he will be pleased with Allah.” Surah Bayyinah [98:7-8]
- In this life, we enjoy the company of celebrities who come from abroad, for a 30-min gathering. Contrast that to the company of your family alongside you in Jannah, and better than that, sitting amongst the Prophets, Sahabah and the Angels is something we should all aspire to obtain.
- Our mentality should be moulded to such that we worship Allah as he truly deserves to be worshipped regardless of Jannah and Jahannam. Out of His Mercy, Allah gave us Jannah as an incentive, we should worship Allah for all that he has bestowed us with.
Ibn al-Qayyim’s (brief) description of Jannah:
A soil of musk and saffron. Rivers of honey, wine, milk and water. Food of whatever is desired. A shade of 100 years of horse travel. Singing of Hoor Al-‘Iyn. Buildings of gold bricks. Trees trunks of gold and silver. Fruits softer than butter sweeter than honey. Voices of Angels. View of the Throne of Allah. Voice of your Lord. Witness the Face of Allah.
- If you can’t stop sinning, reduce the amount you sin gradually whilst making tawbah to Allah.
- If you struggle to perform Salah, begin with 2-3 times a day and slowly build it to 5. Consistency is key, use this method rather than relapsing after a week due to burnout.
- If you want to know your relationship with Allah, check your relationship with the Qur’an. Understand and internalise the revelation, use its guidance, it will be your salvation.