“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayerand spend out of what We have provided for them. And who believe in what has been revealed to you [Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him] and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.”
The Book, the Holy Quran, is the response of the supplication made in the previous chapter for right guidance. Chapter 1 Al Fatihah, verses 6-7:
“Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.”
Therefore, muslims are left with no excuses except to respond to the Holy Quran by fulfilling its rights. This involves reciting it regularly and correctly in order to please Allah, the Exalted, and acting upon it according to the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, without cherry picking the verses which suits one’s desires. This is the attitude of those who are conscious of Allah, the Exalted.
There is no doubt in regards to the origin of the Holy Quran, as it is unchallengeable and unmatchable in elegance, practical application, right guidance and covering every aspect of human nature. As human nature is timeless, the teachings of the Holy Quran are also timeless. There is no doubt that the Holy Quran guides one to success in both worlds, as it is from Allah, the Exalted, the One who knows what is best for those He created.
The guidance mentioned in the main verse has been left open. This indicates that the Holy Quran will guide every person, irrespective of the situation they are facing, to what is best for them at that time, something which varies from person to person and situation to situation. This is another sign indicating the miraculous nature of the Holy Quran. This also dispels the misconception that the Holy Quran only guides one to Paradise. It actually guides people to peace of mind and body in both worlds, irrespective of the situation they face, the time they live in or any other external factor. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
But this right guidance in both worlds is only available to those who fear Allah, the Exalted, as they alone will sincerely strive to understand and act on the Holy Quran irrespective of their desires or the desires of others.
Those who fear Allah, the Exalted, will sincerely obey Him and avoid His disobedience. If they happen to fall into sin, they will sincerely repent. This involves feeling remorse, seeking forgiveness of Allah, the Exalted, and the people involved, as long as this does not lead to further trouble, promising not to return to the same or similar sin again and to make up for any rights which have been violated in respect to Allah, the Exalted, and people, as long as the latter does not lead to further problems. In addition, it is important to note that an aspect of adopting the fear of Allah, the Exalted, meaning, piety, is to avoid lawful things out of fear it may take one to what is unlawful. This has been advised in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2451. This means one should not indulge in lawful worldly things as it contradicts piety. Indulging in worldly things leads to vain things, which will be a great regret for a person on Judgement Day, especially when they observe the reward given to those who used their resources in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted. Also, vain things often lead to sinful things. For example, vain talk often leads to lying, backbiting and slandering others.
Even though the Holy Quran was revealed for all of mankind, yet it will only rightly guide those who fear Allah, the Exalted, and their accountability on Judgement Day. Allah, the Exalted, and Judgement Day are part of the unseen. The unseen are the things which cannot be perceived by the five senses. Having belief in unseen things is an essential part of faith as believing in something which is apparent has little real value. This is why the belief of the one who experiences Judgement Day and witnesses the unseen elements, such as Hell and Paradise, will not be accepted by Allah, the Exalted. Those who fear Allah, the Exalted, will hasten to obey Allah, the Exalted, and prepare adequately for their final judgement. This is only achieved when one learns and acts on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Whereas, those who do not fear Allah, the Exalted, nor fear the consequences of their actions, have no need to prepare for Judgement Day and will therefore ignore the Holy Quran. This attitude is enough to distinguish between those who truly believe in Allah, the Exalted, and their accountability and those who do not. In addition, those who fear Allah, the Exalted, will not cherry pick from the Holy Quran to suit their own desires, nor will they intentionally misinterpret its teachings to justify their misguided ways. They will instead strive to implement all the teachings of the Holy Quran irrespective of their desires and the desires of others. Chapter 17 Al Isra, verse 82:
“And We send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 2-3:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.”
It is important to note that it is unwise to claim that one will not believe in something until they perceive it with their five senses and understand it as there are many things in this world which are unseen yet people believe in them and make use of them. For example, very few people understand the mode of action of the medicines their take yet they make use of them. Even those who fail to see any obvious improvement in their health do not stop taking medicine as they are convinced it does help them, even if this help is unseen to them.
It is actually a great mercy from Allah, the Exalted, that He expects people to believe in the unseen and does not expect them to understand the unseen things, as they are often beyond the comprehension of people in this world. One only needs to firmly believe in them to be counted as a believer. But it is important to note that even though unseen things cannot be perceived through the five senses, Allah, the Exalted, has placed signs and evidence within the universe indicating their existence and reality. For example, when one observes how a dead seed sprouts to life after it is buried within the ground through rain, similarly, the dead seed named human will be brought back to life. If one observes the perfectly balanced systems within the universe, such as the distance of the Earth from the Sun, the water cycle, the perfect density of the seas and oceans, which allows for ships to sail on them while maintaining life within them, the density of the Earth and other balanced systems, they will deduce that the imbalanced actions of people, where people are not fully compensated according to their actions in this world, will also be balanced someday: Judgement Day. If one observes the perfect synchronisation of the day and night, the seasons and other systems within the universe, they will understand that it cannot all be random. If there were multiple Gods than it would lead to chaos within the Heavens and the Earth, as each God would want different things. The countless perfect balanced systems within the universe indicate a Single Creator: Allah, the Exalted. Chapter 21 Al Anbiya, verse 22:
“Had there been within them [i.e., the heavens and earth] gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined…”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 2-3:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.”
Those who fear Allah, the Exalted, will act on the teachings of Islam, which ensures they establish their obligatory prayers, which involves fulfilling them with their full conditions and etiquettes, such as offering them on time. It is sufficient to understand the importance of the five daily obligatory prayers by the fact that Allah, the Exalted, has used faith and the prayer interchangeably in the Holy Quran, thereby indicating that there is no faith without the prayer. For example, the following verse was revealed indicating that the prayers of those who faced the first prayer direction was not in vain. This has been discussed in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 40. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 143:
“And thus We have made you a median [just] community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the prayer direction which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allāh has guided. And never would Allāh have caused you to lose your faith [your previous prayers]…”
In other places, Allah, the Exalted, has tied disbelief with not praying. Chapter 75 Al Qiyamah, verse 31:
“And he had not believed, nor had he prayed.”
Finally, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has also warned in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2618, that the difference between belief and disbelief is abandoning the obligatory prayers.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 2-3:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.”
Therefore, those who fear Allah, the Exalted, will therefore establish their obligatory prayers and they will use every blessing they have been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. One must understand that the worldly blessings they have been granted are a loan, not a gift. A gift would indicate they are free to use them however they please, whereas a loan indicates one must use them in ways stipulated by the Owner: Allah, the Exalted. This behaviour is the practical proof of their verbal declaration of faith and certainty in Allah, the Exalted, the Holy Quran, the other divine books, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and Judgement Day. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 4:
“And who believe in what has been revealed to you [Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him] and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].”
One must strive to adopt certainty of faith so that they sincerely obey Allah, the Exalted, which involves using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted, thereby ensuring they obtain peace of mind and body in both worlds. As indicated by verse 4, certainty of faith is achieved by learning and acting on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
It is important to note that verse 4 mentions certainty in the hereafter instead of only belief. A person can believe in the hereafter without practically preparing for it, which involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Whereas, the one who is certain of the hereafter will practically prepare for it. In addition, certainty in the hereafter means one believes in the Day of Judgement according to its reality. Whereas, one can believe in the Day of Judgement while possessing a twisted and corrupt belief in respect to how people will be judged and the severity of the Day of Judgement. For example, many muslims believe that as they belong to the nation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, they are the beloveds and chosen ones of Allah, the Exalted, and will therefore be pardoned easily without facing the consequences of their persistent disobedience to Allah, the Exalted. This was the same twisted belief which the previous nations possess and it has been criticized in the Holy Quran. Chapter 5 Al Ma’idah, verse 18:
“But the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allāh and His beloved.” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created…”
Other muslims belittle the seriousness of Hell and believe its punishment is not so severe. They compare it to a worldly prison thereby fooling themselves into persisting on the disobedience of Allah, the Exalted. Other muslims incorrectly believe that as they are muslims today, they are guaranteed to leave this world with their faith and therefore claim that even if they go to Hell, it will only be for a limited time. A similar claim has been made by the previous nations. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 80:
“And they say, “Never will the Fire touch us, except for [a few] numbered days.” Say, “Have you taken a covenant with Allāh? For Allāh will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allāh that which you do not know?””
They fail to understand that no one is guaranteed to leave this world with their faith and the more one’s persists on the disobedience of Allah, the Exalted, the greater chance they will leave this world without their faith. In addition, even a moment of Hell is unbearable so how can one be satisfied with staying there for longer than that, even if they are eventually released? Allah, the Exalted, has described Hell and its severity vividly in the Holy Quran in order to eliminate this false belief.
Other muslims false believe they can persist on sins and someone else will intercede on their behalf and save them, such as the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Even though his intercession is a fact, yet some muslims will still go to Hell. This has been confirmed in the Hadiths which discuss his intercession on Judgement Day, such as the one found in Sunan Ibn Majah, number 4308.
There are many more twisted and corrupt beliefs which are prevalent amongst muslims in respect to the hereafter, which one must avoid. This has been indicated by verse 4.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah verses 2-4:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayerand spend out of what We have provided for them. And who believe in what has been revealed to you [Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him] and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].”
This is the summary of Islam and how it must influence every aspect of one’s life and how they interact and use every blessing they have been granted. The one who actualizes Islam in this manner will be rightly guided through every situation they face. In times of ease, they will maintain gratitude to Allah, the Exalted, by using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him. This in turn leads to more blessings. Chapter 14 Ibrahim, verse 7:
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]…””
In times of difficulties, they will avoid complaining through their speech and actions and maintain their obedience to Allah, the Exalted, by accepting that He chooses what is best for everyone involved, even if this is not obvious to them. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 216:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
This will in turn, lead to an uncountable reward in both worlds. Chapter 39 Az Zumar, verse 10:
“…Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit].”
It is important to note that the one who actualizes Islam is worthy of hoping in the mercy of Allah, the Exalted, in both worlds. But the one who fails to behave in this manner and expects Allah, the Exalted, to grant them success in both worlds is nothing but a wishful thinker and this attitude has no value in Islam. This difference between the two attitudes has been discussed in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2459. One must never forget that even the past nations claim to love their Holy Prophets, peace be upon them, but as they failed to practically follow in their footsteps they will not unite with them in the next world. Love must be supported by actions, otherwise it has no value.
The one who actualizes their faith is rightly guided and they will obtain peace of body and mind in both worlds. This is the ultimate success. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 5:
“Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.”
As indicated by this verse, one must remember that behaving correctly is rooted in the mercy of Allah, the Exalted, as the inspiration, knowledge, ability and opportunity to behave correctly and obey Allah, the Exalted, comes from His mercy. Remembering this will prevent one from adopting pride, thereby destroying their reward and right guidance in both worlds.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah verses 2-5:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah. Who believe in the unseen, establish prayerand spend out of what We have provided for them. And who believe in what has been revealed to you [Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him] and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.”
These verses make it crystal clear that right guidance and success in both worlds is only obtained by practically following the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. One must therefore ensure they adhere to these two sources of guidance and refrain from anything which does not run in line with them. Anything which is not rooted in the two sources of guidance will be rejected by Allah, the Exalted. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawud, number 4606. One should avoid acting on other good things until they first implement these two sources of guidance. The more one acts on other things, the less they will act on these two sources of guidance. This leads to misguidance.
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