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Characteristics of the Desired Muslim Generation in the Qur’an and - Muslimah - 03-23-2004
By Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi
Translated by Amin E. Shehata Revised by Ibrahim M Kunna and Abu Aya
Sulaiman ‘Abdus-Sabur
Copyright and published by the International Islâmic Publishing House
(IIPH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1999.
The characteristics the desired generation are obvious to those who
peruse the Holy Qur’ân and Sunnah. One can find these people in so many
verses of the Holy Qur’ân :
(And of those whom We created a nation who guide with the Truth and
establish Justice therewith.) (Qur’ân 7: 181)
The Truth (Shari‘ah) is their aim, clear way, and source. To it they
invite, with its light they lead, and with its judgment they do justice.
In Surat Al-Maidah, Allâh (I) gave good news to the believers about
this generation, warned therewith the apostates and saved them to fight
apostasy and brace faith at the end of this life:
(O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from his
religion [islâm], Allâh will bring a people whom He will love and they will
love Him, humble towards believers, stern towards the disbelievers;
fighting in the way of Allâh , and never fear of the blame of the blamers.
That is Grace of Allâh which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allâh
is All-Sufficient, All–Knower.) (Qur’ân 5: 54)
These are the characteristics of this generation. They are with Allâh
(I) through love, with believers through mercy, i.e. humbleness; with
disbelievers through sternness, namely, superiority, with truth through
sincere Jihâd for Allâh ’s Cause, with all people through advice, that
fears no critic whatsoever, for Allâh ’s Sake. In Surat At-Taubah, we
also find some distinct features of their personality, way of acting
and morals-compared to those of the hypocrites. Hypocrites are all alike
in their devotion to falsehood:
(They resemble one another, they command wickedness, forbid decency,
and clench their fists [from giving alms, etc. for Allâh ’s Cause].)
(Qur’ân 9: 67)
Then the Aspired Generation is, as described in the Holy Qur’ân:
(The believers, men and women, are Awliya [helpers, supporters,
friends, protectors] of one another; they enjoin [on the people] Al-Ma‘ruf
[i.e all that Islâm orders one to do], and forbid [people] from Al-Munkar
[i.e. All that Islâm has forbidden]; they perform As-salah
[iqamat-as-salah], and give the Zakah, and obey Allâh and His Messenger. Allâh
will have His Mercy on them. Surely Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.)
(Qur’ân 9: 71)
Characteristics of the Desired Muslim Generation in the Qur’an and - Muslimah - 03-23-2004
We find them in the opening verses of Surat Al-Baqarah, where Allâh
(I) mentioned the characteristics of the guided pious and righteous
persons in His Book and in the middle verses where He (I) described the
real, virtuous persons:
[Those are the people of the truth and they are the pious.) (Qur’ân 2:
177)
Allâh (I) has described the heirs of Paradise in the opening Ayât of
Surat Al-Muminin. The last verses of Surat Al-Furqan describe the slaves
of the Most Beneficent. The middle verses of Surat Ar-Ra’d describe the
prudent people:
(Those who fulfill Allâh ’s Agreement and do not break the Covenant.)
(Qur’ân 13: 20)
The last verses of Surat Al-Zujurat, answer Bedouins who fancied faith
merely as a sheer verbal claim:
(Only those are believers who have believed in Allâh and His
Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings
and their persons in the cause of Allâh : Such are the sincere ones.)
(Qur’ân 49: 15)
Not just that, when one opens the Holy Qur’ân and reads Surat
Al-Fatiha, one can see, at first glance, the characters of such people,
ascending the spiritual paths and mansions of the riders of ranks:
(You [Alone] do we worship, and You [Alone] do we ask for help.)
(Qur’ân 1: 5)
They are the real monotheists, worshippers of Allâh (I) alone and
seekers of His help. On Him (I) they depend and to Him (I) they repent.
What they aspire most and ask Allâh (I) for, is to guide them to “His
straight way”, the way of those on whom He (I) has bestowed His Grace; of
the path of the prophets, loyal persons, martyrs and the righteous;
away from those who earned His Anger (the Jews) nor of those who went
astray (the Christians). As mentioned in the Prophet’s ® saying (Hâdîth):
“The Jews are angered with and the Christians are astray.”
Whoever peruses the purified Sunnah and the honoured Hâdîth will
clearly see this generation with his mind and elaborately identify them, as
the Messenger ® described them and talked of their appearance in the
future. The Prophet ® saw in them “the safe party” amongst the seventy
three doomed parties according to a Hâdîth in this context. They do not
follow their desires, nor deviate from religion, as the arrow passes
through the target. But they follow the way of the Prophet ® and his
Companions. He saw in them “the honourable descendants” who bear the onus
of the prophethood’s legacy and cherish it dearly:
(Indeed, they rejected the truth [the Qur’ân and Muhammad] when it came
to them, but there will come to them the news of that [the torment]
which they used to mock at.) (Qur’ân 6: 5)
Nor are they like someone to whom Allâh (I) gave His signs, but he
slipped away from them. On the contrary they preserve this legacy intact.
The Prophet ® identified them as “his brothers” from the later times,
as his companions were the men of old. He longed for them before they
even existed and wished to see them before they were born. He said in a
relative Hâdîth:
“I wish I had seen my brothers.” They (the Companions) said: ‘O
Messenger of Allâh ®, are we not your brothers.’ He said: “You are my
companions, yet my brothers are generations of later times.”
He ® described them as “ the strangers” who hold on to the forgotten
Sunnah and improve what others depraved. (Blessed they are!) He
distinguished them as “the most remarkable believers.” They believe in the
Messenger of Allâh ®; though they never saw him, and believe in His
book (the Qur’ân ) and act accordingly. He identified them as “the
holders to their religion” at times of sedition - among squanderers and
losers - though it is as if holding on to embers of cool in times of
hardship. No wonder the reward will be fifty fold each companion. He foresaw
them as “the party who strive to preserve the Truth.” They are the
moderates among the exaggerators and slackers. He foresaw them as “the
triumphant party” by which Palestine will ultimately be freed and the Jews
conquered. The whole universe will be on their side; even trees and
rocks will somehow support them by saying:
“O Muslim O Abdullah [slave of Allâh (I)] Here is a Jew hidden
behind me come and kill him.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
A Generation that Believes in Reality and Science
They pass randomness, reject demagogy, seek decision from grass rooted
facts - not illusions. While looking up high, they realise that their
feet are on the ground. So they do not yield to false fancy, hollow
dreams, or illusive hopes, i.e. to swim in no water and fly with no wings!
They live with high hopes, yet with realistic thinking. They turn their
eyes to the beach of dreams, yet they expect the sea to get rough. They
realise the ups and downs:
(Such days [of varying fortunes] We give to men and men by turns.)
(Qur’ân 3: 140)
A realistic generation that does not swim on land, plow in water, seed
in barren soil, spin a yarn, or build castles in the air! They are
never in despair of Allâh ’s Mercy; yet they acknowledge the boundaries of
their insight and the scope of their capacities. They do not rush
things prematurely. They do not get involved in any thing, unless they know
their way out. They watch Allâh ’s rules in His Universe. They attend
to Shari‘ah. They adopt the endurance and patience. They wait patiently
for the seed to grow and give its fruit - in a long process - by Allâh ’s Will!
They believe in science, respect the mind, admit the solid proof,
reject myth and do not follow conjecture and what souls fancy. They learned
from the Holy Qur’ân and Sunnah that thinking is obligatory;
contemplation is worship; seeking knowledge is Jihâd; sticking to the old, for
just being old, is ignorance and aberrance; blindly tracking of the
steps of forefathers and masters is only corruption and unsoundness. They
therefore think before judging, learn before acting, infer before
guessing, and plan before executing. They do not accept a ruling without
evidence nor a claim with no proof. They keep in mind Allâh ’s words:
(Inform Me with knowledge if you are so truthful!) (Qur’ân 6: 143)
[say: ‘Have you [all] any knowledge that you can produce before Us.’)
(Qur’ân 6: 148)
(Say: produce your proof if you are so truthful.) (Qur’ân 2: 111)
A Generation of Collective Actions
A generation whose progeny does not settle for landing glories of the
past, mourning setbacks of the present, or wishing for victories of the
future. They believe that glories are attained through giving not
bargaining; productivity, not blabbing. Conquering today’s tragedies and
fulfilling tomorrow’s hopes are to be achieved through diligence not
joking, building not destruction, and through quiet effort not noisy
shouting. True faith is what is settled in the heart and rendered by action.
Allâh (I) has not created mankind just for work, but for testing as
well:
(In order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in
conduct. ) (Qur’ân 18: 7)
Therefore, they consider work a must, because doing it perfectly is
worship, and helping one another is Jihâd. They believe Allâh (I) does
not waste the reward of any one whose action is kind. They do not harm
anything so much as an atom’s weight because He (I) will see their deeds,
and so will His Messenger ® and the believers.
They believe that teamwork, for the sake of Islâm and for restoring its
superiority, is a duty and necessity; a duty forced by religion and a
necessity imposed by reality. They believe that the redressing of any
individual - though it is the basis for any reform - can only be achieved
within the framework of the society in which he/she lives.
They memorise the Qur’ânic verses that address them with obligations in
the plural form: “ O you who believe”, so that they can feel equivalent
to execute what Allâh (I) enjoins and refrain from what He (I)
forbids. They also memorise Surat Al-Fatiha as it clearly says in the plural
form:
(You alone do we worship and You alone do we call for help. Guide us
along the straight way.) (Qur’ân 1: 5-6)
The individual recites this Surah in the plural form, even if one is
all-alone, the spirit of the group is kept alive in one’s conscience, and
mentioned on one’s tongue. Thus, individuality is thawed for the
nation’s sake and the pronoun “I” is replaced by “ we.” They also learn to
cling firmly to the Qur’ân, Allâh ’s rope, and do not separate. They
cooperate with one another for virtue and heedfulness, encourage one
another to truth and patience, and do not disagree among themselves, as did
those before them - lest they became doomed.
Verily! They have been educated through religion, history, and the
fact of life that one is loneliness and two is company. That is, it takes
two hands to clap. That Allâh ’s support is for the group, that a wolf
hunts only a lonesome sheep, that the power of unity compensates the
weakness of minority and that differences among the majority weakens it.
They believe in high hopes - freedom, unity, development, and that
ruling by Islâm inside and spreading it outside, cannot be done except by
constructive and collective efforts. In other words, if something is
required as a duty, then it is a duty in itself.
By scrutiny of the accomplished fact, they learned that, since the
people of falsehood gather around it, it is more appropriate for the people
of truth to gather around their truth, and those who broke up their
ties with kith and kin during times of ease, should gather in the hour of
hardship, namely, “afflictions reunite the afflicted,” and that great
battles unify those who are at variance before the common enemy:
(Truly Allâh loves those who fight in His Cause in ranks as if they
were a solid cemented structure.) (Qur’ân 61: 4)
Scattered adobes, however countless and solid, never raise any
construction a man uses. They become useful when aligned together in a matrix
according to a specific design and elaborate architecture. That’s why
they insisted on searching for their counterparts, who seek the truth and
reject the falsehood; call for well-being and deny evil-doing; command
decency and forbid dishonour; join hands and efforts so that scattered
adobes are once again a solid wall; the separate walls are a huge
house; and the various houses are a sizeable city. They take the road of
collective work. They act silently; live interconnected with truth and
patience, in ease and in hardship. They build with patience and fight
tirelessly. They insist on co-operating with one another for virtue and
heedfulness, and support one another in happiness and hardship, as the
Messenger ® is reported to have said:
“The bonds of brotherhood between two Muslims are like parts of a
house, one part strengthens and holds the other.”
A Devout Generation
Devout people are those who live in this world with the hearts of the
after world. They live on earth, but their hearts yearn for the
accompaniment of Allâh (I) and the seven persons (who) will be sheltered under
the shade of Allâh (I) on the Day of Judgement, when there will be no
other shade besides His. (An authentic Hâdîth)
“They interconnected their loops with the Rope of Allâh (I), lit their
steps with His light, filled their hearts with His love, moistened
their tongues with His invocation (and remembrances), and preoccupied
themselves with His obedience. To Allâh (I) they cling and stand. From
Allâh (I) they get support and to Him (I) they flee. In the light of His
Book they move and are still. They like and dislike; join and sever;
give and refuse to give; make peace and fight for Allâh ’s sake.” For
them:
(He is the First and the Last.) (Qur’ân 57: 3)
(And that to your Rabb lies the final end.) (Qur’ân 53: 42)
What distinguishes them from others is their “sincerity.” They have
purified their religion for Allâh (I). They believe this world was made
for them; but they were created for Allâh (I) alone. No wonder, they
put before their eyes Allâh ’s Words:
(Say: that my prayer and my sacrifice, my living and my dying, [all]
belong to Allâh , the Rabb of the worlds; He has no partner.) (Qur’ân 6:
162-163)
People’s aims vary in this worldly life; namely, some have lusts for
money; some are fascinated with fame; some are lured by power; some are
infatuated with women; some are addicted to liquor; and some others long
for sovereignty. The devout people want neither haughtiness nor any
corruption on earth; they want neither rank nor wealth; they pant neither
lust nor fame; they pray to their Rabb not to let the world be their
utmost concern nor their whole knowledge. Yet, if the world comes to
them, they will take it in their hands not in their hearts. They take it as
a means, not as a goal in itself. Their ultimate concern is the
Hereafter; and their end is to please their Rabb. In other words, any thing
other than Allâh (I) and Paradise is just a mirage. What is above the
earth, is sheer dust!
Their hearts are soaked in Allâh ’s Tawheed (Monotheism). They seek
neither some other Rabb nor judge with other than the rule of Allâh (I).
Nor do they adopt some one as a patron other than Allâh (I). They
shatter all the images in their minds and hearts for the sake of Allâh ’s
Word. They digest the meaning of the Ayah:
(You [Alone] do we worship, and You [Alone] do we ask for help.)
(Qur’ân 1:5)
They no longer worship any one other than Allâh (I), nor call on any
one for help other than Him. They are released from worshipping
themselves and their whims, as well as anything else other than Allâh (I)!
They do not worship idols, illusions, fancies, individuals, nature, or
tyranny; whatever name, title or shape it takes. They memorise from the
Messengers of Allâh ® their call to mankind:
(Worship Allâh [Alone], and keep away from taghut [all false
deities].) (Qur’ân 16: 36)
For them truth stands clear from error; so they reject taghut and
anything worshipped besides Allâh (I). They believe in All?h (I); so they
grasp the firmest handhold that never breaks.
Characteristics of the Desired Muslim Generation in the Qur’an and - Muslimah - 03-23-2004
A Generation Whose Kinship is Islâm
Whoever inquires of their nationality, kinship or identification will
find out that they are true “Muslims”. Not by name or title, nor by
virtue of heredity or milieu, rather by scrutiny and proof, tasting and
copying. They believe in Islâm upon a clear-cut sign, reject ignorance,
invite unto Allâh (I) through insight, denounce all evil deeds with
certain knowledge. They seek no other religion than Islâm, opt for nothing
but its Shari‘ah as their way of life, nor do they choose other than
the Holy Qur’ân as their charter. Why not so, and Allâh (I) has chosen
it for them, and completed with it His favour upon them:
(This day I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My
favour upon you, and have chosen for you Isl?m as your religion.] (Qur’ân
5: 3)
(If any one desires a religion other than Islâm, never will it be
accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.) (Qur’ân
3: 85)
(The only statement of the believers, when they are called to Allâh
and His Messenger to judge among them, is that They say: “we hear and we
obey” And such are the successful.) (Qur’ân 24: 51)
However, if they are called to judge by taghut - any thing other than
Allâh (I) and His Messenger ®, they say: “we refuse and we disobey.”
They reject heteronym to the East or West; as their light of guidance
is extracted from a blessed Olive Tree:
(Neither of the East nor of the West, Whose oil would almost glow forth
[of itself] though no fire touched it. Light upon Light.) (Qur’ân 24:
35)
They refuse the oppression of capitalism and the darkness of communism.
They do not belong to Right or Left parties. They are always in the
center. They stand in the middle among the divergent extremes. They do not
work for any individual, sect, party or regime. They work for Islâm
only. Their loyalty is only for the Muslim Ummah.
(And whosoever takes Allâh , His Messenger, and those who have
believed as protectors, then the party of Allâh will certainly triumph.)
(Qur’ân 5: 56)
They are devoted only to the All-Merciful. They are proud only of
faith. They take sides only with the Holy Qur’ân . Their motto is: Islâm is
my parent, and no one else, even if they brag of ‘Qais or Tamim’ (two
noble tribes of Arabia).
A Generation of D‘awah and Jihâd
A Generation of Da’w’ah (propagation of Islâm) and Jihâd, as the
Companions of the Prophet ®, Muhajirun (Emigrants) and Ansar (Supporters)
were. They derive their light from the Companions, and they tread in
their steps. They fight against their whims for Allâh ’s sake as well as
against Allâh ’s enemy and theirs. They engage in both fights
simultaneously. They are in a continuous battle against their inner enemies -
the evil soul and Satan- and the outer one - the real enemy of Islâm.
They are in a constant struggle against the doers of inequity inside and
the disbelievers outside. They do not lay arms aside, nor rest after a
battle until there is no more persecution and all religion belongs
Allâh.
The spacious earth of Allâh (I) is their battlefield, and the Muslim
states their homeland. You may see an Arab fighting the red communist
invasion in Afghanistan and some Pakistani fighting the black Jewish
plague in Palestine or in Lebanon. Infidelity is but one denomination:
(The unbelievers are allies of one another.) (Qur’ân 8: 73)
(The believers, men and women, are Awliya' [protectors, friends,
supporters] of one another.) (Qur’ân 9:71)
They fight in Allâh ’s cause in every battle and with all weapons
available and, if necessary with money, if Jihâd needs it. Nevertheless,
Jihâd needs funds badly!
“He who prepares a Ghazi (Muslim fighter) going in Allâh’s Cause is
(given a reward equal to that of) the Ghazi.” (Hâdîth)
(And strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the Cause of Allâh
) (Qur’ân 9:41)
Jihâd may be also with the tongue - if it is necessary - that is,
spelling out the word of truth, audible or visual - before unjust men. If
they cannot fight with arms, surely they can do it with the Qur’ân ,
which is the great Jihâd as so named by Allâh (I):
(Therefore, obey not the unbelievers, but strive against them with the
utmost striving, “with the Qur’ân .”) (Qur’ân 25: 52)
Their religion is so precious to them that their worldly life has
become despicable. Their tenet is so valuable that their lives and
properties have become valueless, or as the proverb goes: (He, who proposes to
the beautiful girl, shall not withhold her due dowry. Allâh (I) has
made a deal with the believers, and they have accepted it with no regrets.
What a profitable deal! Allâh (I) bought the souls He (I) had created,
and the properties He (I) had provided. Then He (I) said: Here is the
price, a garden broader than the heaven and earth! Truthful are the
words of Allâh (I) when He (I) says:
ا(Verily, Allâh has purchased of the believers their lives and their
properties, for [the price] that theirs shall be the Paradise. They
fight in Allâh ’s Cause, so they kill [others] and are killed. It is a
promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Taurat [Torah] and the
Injil [Gospel] and the Qur’ân . And who is truer to his covenant than
Allâh? Then rejoice in the bargain, which you have concluded. That is the
supreme success.) (Qur’ân 9: 111)
“Whoever fears his enemy sets out in the early hours of the night; and
he who sets out early, arrives at his destination. Behold that Allâh ’s
property is precious: Be informed that the asset of Allâh (I) is the
Garden.” (Tirmidhi)
How splendid are such dealers! They hope for a business which will
never slacken. Their goods are faith and Jihâd; their marketplace is niches
and battlefields; their capital is days and lifetimes; and their profit
is forgiveness from their Rabb; as their reward are gardens with rivers
flowing underneath.
Whenever they see Jahiliyah (any society that does not abide by Islâmic
rules - regardless of time or place) dressed up in any outfit, their
hearts boil out with anger and melt away with grief over the sacred
matters of Allâh (I). Because nothing can be tougher on the believer than
the Truth’s retreat to make way for the Falsehood and the erasure of
Allâh ’s Word for that of the taghut to prevail!
Unlike the worldly people, who care for nothing but themselves and
their next of kin, the foremost concern of the Divinely guided is the
Muslim Ummah. The religion is their top priority, whereas the worldly life
is their last. They all say: my Ummah comes first. No one says: myself,
myself. They are preoccupied with bringing the disobedient back to
Allâh (I) penitently, calling the lost back to the fold of Islâm and
deterring the invaders of the Qur’ânic Ummah to turn back defeated and
forsaken:
(And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Rabb is Allâh ] and
invites [men] to Allâh and does righteous deeds, and says I am one of the Muslims.) (Qur’ân 41: 33)