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027 Not to die as an unbeliever -2-
Not to die as an unbeliever, a believer must correct his faith in accordance with the information given by ahl al-sunnah scholars, must avoid from prohibitions, and must fulfill the orders. Avoiding from prohibitions is called as "riyazah", fulfilling the orders is called as "mujahadah". All of them are called as servitude to Allah (worship).
Believer must be between fear and hope. If a believer have fear of Allah is understood from if he performs Riyazah (avoiding from forbidden), and if he pins hope on Allah is understood by if he performs Mujahadah (worshiping). But it should be remembered that all practice of religion we have been performing for years can not correspond to even benefaction of vision for only one hour or breathing for a few minutes granted us by Allah. That’s why, a believer mustn't trust his worship by a thought “I perform practice of religion permanently, all these practices of religion are sufficient for me” and he must attempt to gain his Creator’s consent with a full resignation. Allah is the creator of all realms. He has a full competence and possession on its creatures. Allah is sole sultan and lord of all realms. He has the power of perform, create or destroy whatever he wants, at any time. Absolute sovereignty belongs to him. Nobody can call Him to account for anything. But He can call everybody to account at any time. For this reason, nobody can be assured from torment of Allah. It is ordered in a Quran verse that: "For their Lord's punishment is not a thing to feel secure from;" [Maarij, 28]
It is required to avoid of expressions and behaviors exceeding the border of decency in His religion (correct living rules set by Allah), which is a divine mercy for us, and we should have fear of Allah as required. It is ordered in the verses from the Quran that: "Fear Allah as He should be feared." [Al Imran, 102] "so fear Allah, O ye that understand; that (so) ye may prosper," [Maida, 100] "Verily We have directed the People of the Book before you, and you (O Muslims) to fear Allah." [Nisaa, 131] "And fear Allah, and know that Allah is strict in punishment." [Baqarah, 196] Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that : "If you had known what I knew you would laugh less, but you would cry more." [Bukhari]
A believer shouldn't fall into despair from mercy of Allah, considering his sins and his rudeness. Our Rab is fair, He doesn’t persecute any one, and has endless mercy. It is ordered in a Quran verse that: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Zumar, 53] It is also ordered in a hadith qudsi that: "Even if my servant's sins are so much that they could extend to the heavens; but asks me for forgiveness, unless he falls in despair, I forgive him." [Tirmidhi] No matter which the human is a believer or a atheist, cruel or a wild sinner, slave of his self’s desires, must always take shelter of his Rab by repenting. The Creator is vast merciful. Moreover, there is no shelter for the human other than the Creator. No matter how long he lives, he returns to his Lord. He mustn't wait for parting breath for repent.
Repent is the door of salvation for a believer. It is ordered in the verses from the Quran that: "Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance; that He may grant you enjoyment good (and true) for a term appointed and bestow His abounding grace on all who abound in merit!" [Hud, 3] "If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." [Nisaa, 110] Dear readers, Restating briefly, as a believer mustn't feel himself in safety on the wrath of God, he shouldn’t fall in despair on Allah’s mercy. If he feels between fear and hope, Allah makes him feel sure in safety about things that he fears, and ensures him to acquire his hopes. It is ordered in the hadith that: "If a believer feels between havf and reca (fear and hope), Allah dedicates his hopes to him and makes him feel sure in safety about things he fears." [Tirmidhi] We hope that our Lord makes us feel sure not dying as an unbeliever, makes us feel sure in safety about things we fear, and dedicates our hopes.
Dear readers, one of the things causing to die as an unbeliever is "cruelness". For the purpose of explaining the cruelness, justice and beneficence, I want to give a simple sample. Suppose that you and I bought a bread revealing equal amount of money. If I divide this bread into two equals part and take half of it to myself and give you half of it, it means that I act in "justice" to you. If I don’t divide the bread equally and I take the bigger one and give you the smaller one, it means that I "behave cruelly" to you. On the contrary, if I take the smaller one and give you the bigger one, it means that I "vouchsafe” to you. This is very simple example, but it is a very good example making us to understand cruelty, justice and beneficence very easily. As seen from this example, to do injustice by deforcing rights of others is "cruelty", to act fairly protecting rights of others is "justice", to give your own right to other people is "beneficence".
Allah has forbidden behaving cruelty, and ordered to act with justice and beneficence. It is ordered in the verses from the Quran that: Relating to cruelty and cruels; "Allah guides not those who do wrong." [Tauba, 19] "Eternal: hopeless indeed will be the man that carries iniquity (on his back)." [Ta-ha, 111] "The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a chastisement grievous." [Shura, 42] "The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong." [Shura, 40] "O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that in rancor and injustice, soon shall We cast them into the Fire:" [Nisaa, 29-30]
Regarding Justice; "O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do." [Maida, 8] "Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just." [Mumtahana, 8] "Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and given to kith and kin, and He forbids all indecent deeds, and evil and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition." [Nahl, 90] Regarding beneficence; “for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good.” [Araf, 56]
It is ordered in the hadiths that: "Who helps to a cruel, Allah inflicts that cruel upon him." [Ajluni, Ibn-i Asakir] "Allah gives somewhat a chance to cruel, but when Allah grabs him, he can’t escape any more." [Muslim] Dear readers; cruelty, justice and beneficence have such wider meaning that it is concerned with order established by Allah. Allah established the divine order basing on fairness, and established the rules basing on justice. If you don’t obey these rules established by Allah, and violate them, it means that you behave cruelly. It is ordered in a Quran verse that: "Now then hath come unto you a Clear (Sign) from your Lord,- and a guide and a mercy: then who could do more wrong than one who rejected Allah's Signs, and turneth away therefrom?" [Anaam, 157]
For this reason, in the broadest sense, it is the major cruelty done against to the Creator and creatures to live without taking into account the provisions established by Allah. Atheists behave cruelly to themselves by rejecting the religion, a mercy and benefaction of Allah, and also behave cruelly to Allah, by not subjecting to His provisions. What a bad situation it is. We wish Allah (swt) to convert them to Islam by His vast mercy. Dear Readers, Islamic scholars informed that due to cruelty and injustice were so bad behaviors, it was very difficult for them to keep their faith when they breathed their last breath. That’s why you must avoid from injustice and cruelty not to die as an unbeliever when you breathe your last breath. Be entrusted to Allah. Dr. Ismail Ulukus
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