Assalamu Aleykum Wa Rhametulahi Wa Berekatu,

An extract from Tafsir Ibn Kathir of Surah 88 Al-Ghashiyah:

The Day of Judgement and what will happen to the People of the Fire during it Al-Ghashiyah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement.

This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. It has been called this because it will overwhelm the people and overcome them. Allah then says,

﴿وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَـشِعَةٌ ﴾

(Some faces that Day will be Khashi`ah.) meaning, humiliated. This was said by Qatadah. Ibn `Abbas said, "They will be humble but this action will be of no benefit to them.'' Then Allah says,

﴿عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ ﴾

(Laboring, weary.) meaning, they did many deeds and became weary in their performance, yet they will be cast into a blazing Fire on the Day of Judgement. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Burqani narrated from Abu `Imran Al-Jawni that he said, " `Umar bin Al-Khattab passed by the monastery of a monk and he said: `O monk!' Then the monk came out, and `Umar looked at him and began to weep. Then it was said to him: `O Commander of the faithful! Why are you weeping' He replied: `I remembered the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book,

﴿عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ - تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً ﴾

(Laboring, weary. They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah.) So that is what has made me cry. '''

True. that really make's me sad.

i've often wondered why is it so simple to revert to islam, merely by saying the shahadah?
i know it's easy to become a christian, but it isn't a whole way of life.
there is so much to learn in islam, shouldn't a person learn a few basic things (such as the 5 pillars, etc)?
islam is not as simple as it appears at first glance.
orthodox jews refuse to accept new converts until they have done some serious studying - i think they tell them to wait a year.
be interested in your thoughts.

Well if the person died in that one year of study, he/she would have died as a non-Muslim and so could not enter paradise, right? As long as the person is sure that Islam is the true path, then they should go for it.

Some people converted to Islam just by listening to a few lines from the Quran being read at the time of the prophet! But I guess for them it was easier to accept because of their culture and stuff (for some of them anyway)

the point is, he becomes muslim immediately, makes the shahada 1-2-3.
maybe a week later he learns about the 5 pillars and thinks he can just ignore the command to pray 5 times a day.
or maybe she learns the next day that she must cover and decides it's not important.
what i'm trying to say is that it's easy to become a muslim, but what if, after a little further study, he finds some things he can not accept because they're too inconvenient, or some other reason.
so he completely rejects islam.
isn't his punishment even worse than it would've been had he remained whatever he was before?
the impression is that it's simple to become a muslim - just say the shahadah and presto! but it is not all that simple and there is a lot to learn.
after studying islam for awhile, then he is in a position to make an informed decision.
somewhere i read of a christian group who tries to convert muslims in muslim countries. they were asked, well, in these countries if a muslim becomes a christian he can be killed - doesn't this concern you. the answer was no, because even if they kill him, he will be saved from eternal ****ation (or something like that). i thought that was pretty bizarre.

But why on earth would a person want to become Muslim if they didn't know anything about it?! That doesnt make sense, of course they would know enough for them to want to become Muslim and to be convinced that it is the right path!

What right do we have to tell someone to get lost and that he cant become a Muslim becuase he has to have some kind fo waiting period? Why should time have anything to do with it? As long as the person is convinced, then go for it.

well, you do have a point there.
if the person learns some things that he cannot accept, after he has reverted, and rejects islam as a result - is his punishment worse than if he remained a died a kafir?

Hi snakelegs

I think what's difficult for you as an agnostic to understand, is that for Christians (and Muslims for that matter) the afterlife is ultimately more important. Yes, this earthly life is wonderful and worth cherishing and being grateful for ... but ultimately it is the afterlife, the eternity in or out of God's presence, which matters more.

That's why many Christians and Muslims can accept suffering and hardship is this life - believing that it will lead to greater things in the afterlife ...

So, if somebody converts to the 'true religion' (let's keep aside any ideas on what that may be ...), and as a consequence suffers ridicule, persecution or even death threats, that's seen by many as just part of the way to salvation.

Peace

I agree with Glo. Islamic history is full of Muslims who knew the risks but didn't give up because of it. People would actually announce themselves to be Muslims in public in the early days of Islam in a majority non-muslim society who hated the Muslims. As soon as they made the announcement, the non-Muslims around them would gang-up on them and bash them up to an inch from death, but to many of them it was worth it.

And then you have the companions who would go out to war wanting death, and someone of them would even return to their familes alive and their familes would be disappointed that they didnt die in the war, because they know that the reward for the martyr is great.

This earthly life is heaven for disbelievers and hell for the believers

Thank you for your contribution, north_malaysian.
How much do you, personally, value your earthly life? I am just asking because you describe it as 'hell'. That seems a strong word to use ...

Peace

Hi Glo,

This is how the Prophet Muhammad pbuh explained it. He meant, compared to the believers home in paradise, this world is like hell (EDIT- he might have said a prison rather then hell, but same concept) , becasue they will love paradise soooo much more. However for the non-believer, this world is a paradise for him compared to the torment of the hell-fire.

Asalaamu alaikum,

i remembering hearing a lecture that the Prophet Muhammed's(PBUH) Umma will be half of the people that enter Paradise.

if that's so, doesn't that mean that close to half of the population will be non-Muslims??

are we told they will be Jews/Israelis and/or Christians somewhere?

my understanding is that we must see this life as not the "real life" at all. it's merely a "test" to see if we are willing to comply to standards set by Allah(SWT) to see if we are deserving of the REAL LIFE in Jannah!

therefore, our life here on Earth could be totally abysmal. but that would be OK, because that would be the life decreed for us by Allah(SWT). in fact, a "good life" with lots of blessings is also a test from Allah(SWT) to see what we do with all that is bestowed upon us!

the thing most "cherishable" thing in this life would be for Allah(SWT) to guide one to Islam and for one to accept it and follow it. all else is merely dust in the wind...

Peace



Yusuf

Oh man guys, I saw that this thread had 11 replies and I was like 'whoohooo' then I see that most are not much on the topic

Anyhow, the reason I posted this thread was to show or remind muslims that it's not a battle or a score board game type of conquest, it's not 'us' against 'them' or 'I got one more revert than that Christian' but it is actually a sad situation.
Also another motivation to post this was as to kind of remind t he Muslims who do have parents and loves ones who are not Muslims and that they worry about that it's ok to worry and it's ok to cry and so forth as those before us have done, and in the above case, cried for total strangers.

Snakelegs, in an ideal situation a person would learn some parts of Islam, for example, once I was on a bus with some brothers, and some guys heard us talk about Islam and they came upto us and said 'when does the Mosque open' we we're like 'Erm, not sure why?' and he just said 'I want to become Muslim' so we spent that evening diverting out route to just take time to sit with them and a brother explained to one of them the pillars of Islam some do's and dont's and one became Muslim and the other said he would like to research into it abit.

So it is ideal that a person is at least taught a little bit, but in some situations the person might feel ready already and so you help that person become Muslim and then you would explain parts to him.

I think in alot of cases, people who are willing to accept Islam don't disagree with many of the points afterwards anyone when they have been explained to them properly.

Wa aleykum salam,

What was Abraham? Muslim.

So we are now, from the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him, Muhammad's Ummah, those that he was sent to, we have him as our prophet and messenger and his law is what we use.

People before Muhammad, could have been Muslims, in the sense taht they obeyed and followed the right way. So followers of Moses who done good will be in paradise, so will be followers of Jesus and the list goes on.. Peace be upon them all.


Cheese - With regards to the hadeeth I have never seen it, not that earth is hell? I have heard that dunya is like a prison.