Please help me in understanding - Faith in Allah

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To Praise Allah is to be greatful to Him.

Gratitude in the Qur’ân

Allâh tells us: “Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me” (al-Baqarah 2:152).

And He has told us that only those who are grateful to Him truly worship Him:

“... and be grateful to Allâh, if it is Him you worship” (al-Baqarah 2:172)

Allâh has mentioned gratitude alongside îmân, and has made it clear that He gains nothing from punishing His people if they give thanks to Him and believe in Him:

“What can Allâh gain by your punishment, if you are grateful and you believe?...” (an-Nisâ’ 4:147)

In other words: if you carry out the duties for which you were created, namely gratitude and îmân, why should Allâh punish you? Allâh has divided people into two categories, the people of gratitude (shukr) and the people of ingratitude (kufr). The thing most disliked by Him is kufr and the people of kufr, the thing most liked by Him is gratitude and the people of gratitude:

“We showed him (i.e. man) the way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”(al-Insân 76:3)

According to the Qur’ân, the Prophet Sulaymân (AS) said:

“... This is by the grace of my Lord! - to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is free of all needs, Supreme in honour!” (an- Naml 27: 40)

And Allâh said:

“And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): ‘If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; but if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed’” (Ibrâhîm 14:7).

“If you reject (Allâh), truly Allâh has no need of you; but He likes not ingratitude from His slaves: if you are grateful, He is pleased with you...” (az-Zumar 39:7).

There are many âyât in the Qur’ân where Allâh makes a contrast between gratitude (shukr) and ingratitude (kufr). For example:

“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will you then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allâh, but Allâh (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude” (Āl ‘Imrân 3:144).

The rewards of gratitude

The reward of gratitude is unlimited:

“...If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you...” (Ibrâhîm 14:7)

In contrast, other rewards and divine favours are conditional upon His will, for example, relief from poverty:

“... but if you fear poverty, soon will Allâh enrich you, if He wills...” (at-Tawbah 9:28)

answering prayers:

“Nay – on Him would you call, and if it be His Will, He would remove (the distress) which occasioned your call upon Him...” (al-An‘âm 6:41).

rizq (sustenance, provision):

“... He gives Sustenance to whom He pleases” (ash-Shura 42:19).

forgiveness:

“... He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills…” (al-Fath 48:14).

Divine mercy:

“Again will Allâh, after this, turn (in mercy) to whom He will...” (at-Tawbah 9:27).

But Allâh has made the reward for gratitude free from any conditions, as in:

“... And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve Us with) gratitude” (Āl ‘Imrân 3:145).

“But Allâh will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude” (Āl ‘Imrân 3:144).


Iblîs and gratitude

When the enemy of Allâh realized the virtue of gratitude, he made his main aim to keep people away from it:

“‘Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: nor will You find, in most of them, gratitude (for Your mercies).’” (alĀ‘ râf 7:17)

Allâh has described the people of gratitude as being very few:

“... But few of My slaves are grateful!” (Sabâ’ 43:13).

Gratitude and ‘ibâdah

Allâh explained in the Qur’ân that the only people who truly worship Him are those who give thanks (gratitude) to Him, so those who are not among the people of gratitude are not among the people of ‘ibâdah:

“... and be grateful to Allâh, if it is Him you worship” (al-Baqarah 2:172)

He instructed His slave Mûsâ (AS) to accept what He had bestowed upon him with gratitude:

“...O Mûsâ! I have chosen you above (other) men, by the mission I (have given you) and the words I (have spoken to you): take then the (revelation) which I give you, and be of those who give thanks.” (al-Ā‘râf 7:144)

Allâh has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude:

“... If you are grateful, He is pleased with you...” (az-Zumar 39:7).

Allâh praised Ibrâhîm (AS) for being grateful for His favours:

“Ibrâhîm was indeed a model. Devoutly obedient to Allâh, (and) true in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah. He showed his gratitude for the favours of Allâh, Who chose him, and guided him to a straight way.” (an-Nahl 16:120-121)

Allâh mentioned that gratitude is the purpose of creation:

“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allâh).” (an-Nahl, 16:78)

“Allâh had helped you at Badr, when you were a contemptible little force; then fear Allâh; thus may you show your gratitude.” (Āl ‘Imrân 3:123).

As well as being the purpose of creation, gratitude was also the purpose of sending the Prophet (SAAS):

“Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me.” (al-Baqarah 2:152).

i like the way i can skip most of your stuff and get right to the doubts

say Audhubillah himinash shaytaanir rajeem

Why should he command a person to praise him? Allah knows he is the greatest .. There can be none like him.. He is the best.. But why Allah likes praise, is my query

ask him when you meet him, if you should get such an honor

why worry yourself with that? you think a God who lets the blasphemer breathe eat and live merry is prideful and egotistical then your the one with logical problems, and sis im sure you dont think of GOd that way, what being a muslim and all

Animals have only five senses, if I am not wrong. In that case, how can the goat be punished?

im assuming your saying "why should a creature without free-will be punished?" its not punishment, its an example of Allaahs justice, even the animals who suffer will find their retribution

Allah has created all of us. Allah has even decided the wrong doers. Lets assume "X" has been created by Allah, and that "X" has was a merchant and had marketed goods unlawfully .. in that case, Why should Allah refuse to see him..

Allaah has DECIDED the wrong doers?
where does it say Allah forced X to commit such and such action>? we all choose our own action and if Allaah chooses not to see a person then he has reasons for that





i've noticed a lot of your questions have to do with pre-destination. If i was you i would seriously avoid that - i could go to lengths attempting to explain but end of the day what does it change?


If Allaah is here (which he is) then our discussions will change nothing, who he throws in the fire, who he saves, who he chooses to be pleased with and from whom he turns away, it is all subject to his Justice and Mercy, his mercy overcomes his wrath, he allows the worst sinners to have a long life giving them ample opportunity to turn in faith. He has given every man a choise to choose his actions...

questioning Allah at every turn and corner wont get you anywhere, turning to HIM for guidance and in obedience will surely bring you good

the prophet sallallahi alaihi wasallaam says in a sahih hadith:

When Allaah wills good for a person he grants them understanding of the religion!

so my advice is keep praying for this understanding.. and seek refuge in Allah from your doubts !

Salam Alaikum:

I don't have the answers right now, but inshallah, I am going to give them more thought and research in an attempt to respond appropriately. I have my ideas and understanding, but I want to confirm my line of thinking is correct before I respsond. Inshallah, one of our more knowledgeable members will be able to explain in the meantime.

My dear sis Serene: I think what she means is if Allah, swt, created this person to be "bad", thereby ordaining him to be "bad", why is He then punishing him for being exactly as he was created.

At least, this is how I understand it. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Wa'alaikum salam,
Hana

Salam Alaikum:

Brother IbnAbdulHakim, with all due respect, please don't discourage people from asking questions. Nothing is off limits in Islam and we are not supposed to accept blindly. Her questions are sincere and valid and I am 100% confident they will be answered with proofs as I have yet to see any question go unanswered in Islam, Alhamdulillah! It is one of the reasons I reverted.

Wa'alaikum salam,
Hana

^ sry sis, its just ive seen people asking questions without being ready before, took a turn for the worst.

I reckon questions like these can only be answered by time via experience.


wisdom comes from experience and analysis... right?

format_quote Originally Posted by IbnAbdulHakim

^ sry sis, its just ive seen people asking questions without being ready before, took a turn for the worst.

I reckon questions like these can only be answered by time via experience.


wisdom comes from experience and analysis... right?

You are absolutely right! And to add to that, although I've had every questioned answered for me, there are still times I scratch my head and ponder and this is normal. We can't know everything and not all things will be 100% clear all the time. After all, we are mere humans. But, like you said, with life experience comes wisdom and we gain better understanding.

Jazak Allah Khair

Wasalam,
Hana

format_quote Originally Posted by Katheeja

Walaikum Salam,
My Doubt: Allah has created all of us. Allah has even decided the wrong doers. Lets assume "X" has been created by Allah, and that "X" has was a merchant and had marketed goods unlawfully .. in that case, Why should Allah refuse to see him..

Lets see the hadeeth ... "When the small quantity of sperm remains in the womb for forty nights, God sends an angel it to shape it and fashions its hearing, sight, skin, flesh and bones, then he asks : My Lord! Will it be a male or female? Your Lord ordains what ever he pleases and the angel writes it. Then he asks, O My lord! What age will he attain? Similarly the sustenance is questioned. Your lord will ordain whatever He pleases and the angel writes it. Then the angel leaves with his document of destiny and nothing is added or erased from it. It will be asked, "Is he good or bad?". Then God will make him good or bad." (Sahih Muslim)

From the hadeeth it is evident that, before we are lay our legs on earth.. What we are going to be, whether we will remain as a True Beleiver or not, is documented. In that case, why should Allah punish us? May Allah forgive me for speaking this way. Allah is punishing the wrong doers, as Allah pleases to punish them.
Any inputs?

Salam Alaikum:

Sister, my understanding is this way, May Allah, swt, forgive me if I am wrong.

Yes, we are created as Allah, swt, wills. We have a beginning (birth) and an end (death). These things CANNOT be changed. We have a destiny that is determined, but how we get there is our free will. So, if a man was created to be "bad", then that is his inclination, but how he deals with that is where his free will comes in. Perhaps he will be a liar and a cheat, then turn to Allah, swt, for guidance, then turn back to his ways, etc. Those are his choices and it is also an example for others.

For some, they are "good", but that doesn't mean they are also not tested on their way to the finish line. For someone to be created with the inclination to be "good", should be considered a blessing from Allah, swt, as their struggles should be "easier" with the strong faith. Imagine how bad it must be for them to cheat, lie, steal when they have been blessed?? This is their test.

For me, it is always, "will this person turn to Allah, swt., in their darkest moments?" "Will they use their free will to do everything possible to resist the "bad"?" Remember, intentions are everything in Islam and only Allah, swt, knows your heart.

Basically we have a start point and a finish line which we can't control. We can only control, to a point, the decisions we make on our way to the finish line.

I hope this makes sense to some degree. It's from my head so I'm typing as I understand it. lol

Wasalam,
Hana

as per your first question, well see the point of praising him is not to benefit him rather consider what would the opposite or simply lack of praise accomplish, if you didn't praise at all then how are you going to feel his presence and strive to obey his commands? normal rulers need to be called 'Mr. president' or 'your highness' so that the people understand they have authority, it's been like so for most human history , thus we have praise.
oh and seeing him as merely a tyrannical ruler is not very good, it's a misconception many have , untrue as it may be. perhaps it's caused by the mindset of some scholars who, having lived under the yoke of oppressive government-and there is plenty- transmitted that into their writings.

as for the second question, he hasn't decreed everything for you, rather you are completely free in making your choices, your 'fate' being 'documented' doesn't mean it was imposed on you, rather Allah knew it before it happened since his knowledge encompasses all.
another way of looking at it, is imagine you suddenly had the power of knowing everything that happened in the store across the street, would that mean the people going there and making the choice to buy something or not has anything to do with you knowing what they were going to do anyway-assuming you're not directly interacting with them-.

why do we need to live our lives if he knows it before hand? well, imagine now that all of humanity was willed to existence and judgment began, wouldn't we question why were some people being rewarded and others not? is it allowed to punish some one for things they didn't commit in the first place...

oh and it is important to ask, don't make some answers or reactions deter you

format_quote Originally Posted by Katheeja

assalam alaikum...

I am a born muslim. I had been reciting quran in arabic for almost twelve years. Recently, I had the chance to read the translation, of the quran.

And am stuck with two questions

1. From top to bottom, all that I could find was "praise". "Praise Allah" - The very sentence has risen a question, why should we praise allah?

A human being on earth, feels happier when he is praised. A king loves to be praised, because he is a human being, thats the nature of human being, because thats how we are created by Allah. But why Allah?? Kulhuwalahu Ahad surah says - that there is nobody like him. But, I am .. how do I say this.. I can find Allah as an ordinary king, hunger for appreciation and praise.


2. I understand that he has created us, he has created everything around us. He has concluded our fate when we are born - that this person on earth will enter Heaven and this person will go to Hell. When such is the case, why are we forced to live in this earth? and why should we experience the punishment (i.e., being in hell) when he has already defined my life?

I am sorry if am wrong in my words. May Allah forgive me, since I am wrong in my thinking. But, this very thought has been troubling my mind, so long, thought its better to get clarified from learned people like you, instead of dwelling in it coz it decreases my faith, and I am ashamed of myself to get such thoughts. Can some one help me?

Thanks in Advance.
May Allah bless all of us. Forgive our sins and keep us away from Saitan.
Remember us in your duas

The way I look at things is that I think back to basic the purpose of our life. There are some facts we can not deny. In this life many come and go no body lives forever. You may be here today gone tomorrow, what I’m trying to say is there is so much that is portrait to us in life how do you really know what is right and what is wrong? The only way of knowing what is right is by following the book of Allah the Quran which reveals everything there is to know.

When Allah tells us to praise to him he is saying it for our good. When we pray to Allah as well as it’s a way of getting close to Allah and getting to know Allah we are also asking Allah to guide us and protect us. Allah has the ability to know the future which we don’t so it’s like asking Allah to help us follow the right path. It’s like when you start a new job you would ask people of knowledge experience in the role to help you decide whether to take it or not.

When you apply logic to situation you can see that in order to get something in life you have to give. The way we become close to our friends peers colleagues is by interacting, sharing experience and sharing good times and bad but obviously we cannot see Allah the way we build our relationship with Allah is through prayers making duas asking for guidance asking for forgiveness. Only Allah knows what future holds so we pray to Allah for our protection and safety. How are we expect to ever get anything unless we ask even though Allah is all knowing and all aware of our hearts and what goes in our thoughts but prayers is a way of communicating directly with Allah.

If you read the words of each prayer eg salah and the surahs we use and listen to the words carefully you can understand why Allah asks us to pray for e.g surah fateha if you listen to the translation it ask allah to “Guide us to the straight path. The path of those whom You have Favoured not of those who earned Your wrath and nor of those who went astray”. On our day to day activity we may commit sins knowingly or unknowingly but the only one who can forgive us is Allah (swt) so in our prayer we say “Allaa-humma Innee Zalamtu Nafsee Zulman Kaseeran wa Innahu Laa Yaghfiruz-Zunooba Illaa Anta Faghfirlee Maghfiratam Min 'Indika Warhamnee Innaka Antal Ghafoorur Raheem”. “O' Allah! I have oppressed my soul and undoubtedly there is no forgiver of sins but You alone. O' Allah! Forgive me and have mercy on me. Undoubtedly, You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful”.

This is just an overview sister I try to look at things in the simplest forms and the way I look at things some may agree and some may disagree

The only way we can make difference and change our destiny is through dua because Allah (swt) knows how your feeling about a certain situation and you’re not going to ask anyone else for help you’re recognizing that the only person who can change your destiny is Allah (swt) so inshallah Allah will place mercy on you.

There is a saying that we can search for something all our life and never get it. Allah can either make it come close to you when it is far or make it go away from you when it is near. But whatever reason that may happen there is always good in everything that happens we are who we are because of our experience our knowledge and intellect. When we make decision or take actions there is always consequences of our actions therefore how are we suppose to know when were in the right without having guidance and the best guidance can be seeked only from the knower of all Allah (swt). The only way we can make a difference is through prayers we can change our destiny through our dua’s

Ask your self this questions:
When your alone who is there where do you get your courage from.
When calamity and bad things happen to us who do you turn to?
Who can really make the difference of our state in life?

Family and friends can always lend their kind words and help in hand. And how do those people come in our life it’s a blessing from Allah one way or another Allah (swt) make things tie in together. However people in life will always come and go every body has their own life to live. But Allah (swt) will always be there no matter what and one may ask how when your alone you know Allah is always there you may be scared but you know nothing can hurt you without the will of Allah so if you ask Allah to protect you inshaallah allah will do so. When bad things happens there always something good follow because when you go through sorrows we are closer to Allah (swt) because we ask for his mercy and to ask Allah (swt) to make our path easier for us. Another way to look at it is there are so many obstacles so many things that could happen we don’t know when we will fall ill or when we will have accidents or anything could happen so we ask Allah to protect us from those things and there are many duas to protect us from them. Also if we do come across hardship we ask Allah to give us courage to fight those difficult times.

There is a saying that we can search for something all our life and never get it. Allah can either make it come close to you when it is far or make it go away from you when it is near. But whatever reason that may happen there is always good in everything that happens we are who we are because of our experience our knowledge and intellect. The only way we can make a difference is through prayers we can change our destiny through our dua’s.

I think sister the shaitan is trying to play with with your head and no doubt it tries to do it to all of us so don’t feel bad but take this as a positive sign and think to your self how and what you need to do to strengthen your faith so when next time those thoughts come to your head you have the knowledge and the correct information to tackle it. In a way at least this gives you the opportunity to learn more about Islam and tackle those doubts that you have and look for the answers. Have you heard the saying by Yaser Fazega that this man was hired to cut a tree and first day he cut about 20 and next day he cut about 16 or so on the point is each day he kept cutting less and do you know the reason why he kept cutting less tree its because he has not sharpened his axe. Just like the man we ask our selves question and our faith some how day by day is questioned because we do not sharpen our knowledge in Islam. More we know about it more we can understand the religion it’s not just a religion which consists of rules it’s a religion which guides and shows way of life.

You can learn about Allah (swt) 99 names and what they mean to help you to get to know Allah (swt) more.
This is a quite good website list 99 names of Allah (swt) <Link Removed>


I know this is long sister but I hope I have helped in some ways. Sorry if some of sentence may not make sense I’m trying to work at the same time as do this. I should be working more hard.

Assalamulaikum may Allah’s peace and mercy be upon you.