Say: "I am commanded to worship God, making my religion sincerely His." (Sura az-Zumar: 11)
Once having grasped the extent of God's infinite might, to forget His existence and remain heedless is merely to delude oneself. What God demands from human beings is that they seek to earn His good pleasure as their sole priority in life.
Since it is God Who created man, provided him his sustenance and all other such blessings, and Who promised him eternal life in the hereafter, it would be an act of ingratitude for man to seek the pleasure of others, or the gratification of his own self, as his primary aim. The punishment for such ungratefulness is eternal hellfire.
There are two choices a man can make; he can either found his life on God's good pleasure, and thus earn the reward of His Paradise, or choose the path that leads to Hell. A third option is not available for him. This is clearly expressed in the following verse:
Who is better: someone who founds his building on fear of God and His good pleasure, or someone who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the Fire of Hell? God does not love wrongdoers. (Sura at-Tawba: 109)
Those values praised in the Qur'an are those founded on purely that which achieves God's pleasure. For example, self-sacrifice, which is pleasing to God, is valid only if the person does not expect anything for it in return, but rather only to attain God's good pleasure. It is related in the Qur'an that believers conduct themselves correctly only to seek God's countenance:
They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives: "We feed you only out of desire for the Face of God. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks." (Sura al-Insan: 8-9)
God's Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) also stated in a hadith that God's Pleasure must always be held above man's pleasure:
Whoever seeks God's Pleasure at the expense of men's displeasure, will win God's Pleasure and God will cause men to be pleased with him. And whoever seeks to please men at the expense of God's Displeasure, will win the Displeasure of God and God will cause men to be displeased with him. (narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh)
The greatest honour and gratification man can ever attain is God's good pleasure. God makes His servants pleased with Him through the multitude of blessings He bestows on them. In a verse of the Qur'an, the reward for believers who are pleased with God, and with whom God is pleased, is related as follows:
Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever and ever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is for those who fear their Lord. (Sura al-Bayyina: 8)
God's good pleasure is not only earned solely by performing certain acts of worship at definite times. God's good pleasure is also earned by conducting oneself correctly throughout one's lifetime. The following verse informs us that a believer's entire life must be oriented towards a single goal:
Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for God alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Sura al-An'am: 162)
SIN AND REPENTANCE
One of the reasons for people's detachment from the religion is that they consider themselves unforgivable out of the deep distress they feel because of the sins they have committed. Satan attempts repeatedly to instil such despair in human beings. To one who has committed a sin, he stealthily whispers the message, "You are wicked and rebellious against God." If he has committed only a few sins, Satan tempts him to sin still more. Towards his purpose, Satan employs the feeling of embarrassment man feels towards God, but manipulates this feeling in order to draw man further distant from God.
However, like all others, this trick of Satan's is a feeble one. The fact that someone committed a sin does not mean that he has been cursed by God, and that he will never be able to follow the straight path again. Not just one simple sin, but even if he were to commit the greatest sins, over and over again, he will always have the opportunity to repent and turn towards God. God informs us in the Qur'an that He will forgive each person who sincerely repents of his sins, that is, asks for forgiveness and remains firm in not committing the same sin again:
But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and puts things right, God will turn towards him. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Sura al-Ma'ida: 39)
God is infinite in mercy. In a verse of the Qur'an, He provides the good news to His servants, "...I am the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful" (Sura al-Baqara: 160). Every individual has the opportunity to repent. God even accepted the repentance of Jews, who went astray and worshipped an idol they made out of gold, after having believed in Him, and forgave them:
And when Moses said to his people, "My people, You wronged yourselves by adopting the Calf so turn towards your Maker and kill your own (guilty) selves. That is the best thing for you in your Maker's sight." And He (God) turned towards you. He is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful. (Sura al-Baqara: 54)
After repentance and asking for God's forgiveness, a person may well again become heedless, committing the same sin again. In fact, this may happen many times over. However, provided that that person repents once and for all, and is committed to not sin again, he may hope for God's mercy.
Nevertheless, as it is in every issue, the important factor is sincerity. An insincere action is unacceptable in God's sight. If one is not resolved to ending his sinning, and says, "I will repent eventually," he is clearly insincere, which is likely to bring sorrow to man. God warns those who hold such rationale as follows:
God only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly make repentance after doing it. God turns towards such people. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, "Now I make repentance," nor for people who die disbeliever. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Sura an-Nisa': 17-18)
RELIGION IS IN CONFORMITY WITH THE NATURAL INCLINATION OF MANKIND
So set your face firmly towards the religion, as a pure natural believer, God's natural pattern on which He made mankind... (Sura ar-Rum: 30)
Surely, it is God Who best knows the nature of man, which He has Himself created. This being the case, He is the One Who best knows people's needs and the ways to meet them. From how to maintain one's physical well-being, to how to remain spiritually strong, or how to attain a satisfying social life, are all known to God. For example, a human being, by nature, is attracted to all forms of mercy, love and virtuous conduct. He expects to be treated with mercy and compassion. He detests and avoids injustice, immorality, and all forms of wickedness. He feels so by God's Will. Because, God has instiled these values as part of a human's nature, he likes the good and avoids the wicked.
There are certain basic values in the Qur'an that God commands man to adopt; to be compassionate, merciful, reliable, honest and humble and to avoid tyranny, injustice and wickedness. In other words, that which is demanded by the religion of Islam, which God has revealed to mankind, and what man is naturally inclined to, are like the lock and the key that unlocks it, in perfect harmony with one another. God informs us of this fact in the Qur'an as follows:
So set your face firmly towards the religion, as a pure natural believer, God's natural pattern on which He made mankind. There is no changing God's creation. That is the true religion-but most people do not know it. (Sura ar-Rum: 30)
Unless people observe the limits set by God in the Qur'an, they wrong their own souls. Because, by failing to adopt the values that are in accordance with their creation, they appropriate attitudes against their very nature; this causes anxiety not only in themselves, but also makes them troublesome to society. As here stated:
...God does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves. (Sura Yunus: 44)
We need to keep in mind that one can only live by the values praised by the religion of Islam if he feels it sincerely, with a heartfelt desire. A religion that is imposed by force is both unacceptable in God's sight, as well as a cause for the proliferation of insincere people, referred to as hypocrites in the Qur'an. This leads to the formation of an undesirable societal structure. God commands that people must not be compelled in the name of religion:
There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned. Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false gods and has faith in God has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Sura al-Baqara: 256)
Consequently, in no realm does the religion of Islam exert pressure on people; on the contrary, it provides the basis upon which true freedom of conscience can be established. A person who adopts the values of the Qur'an can in no way be bound. Since he lives in compliance with his faith of his own accord, and through the exercise of his reason, he always feels contented and at peace.
Those who do not adhere to these religious values, on the other hand, can never attain the freedom believers enjoy, due to the countless norms and traditions that prevail in society. Societies that fail to live according to the values of Islam formulate values and criteria themselves, embracing taboos, and thereby, of their own doing, merely limit the freedom endowed to them by God. This being the case, those who are distant from the religion remain deprived of spiritual freedom, due to inappropriate rules and sanctions the society has imposed on them, as well as the many principles they unnecessarily adopt themselves.
The main force binding man, greater than any law of society, is the corruption of his own soul. Immoderate desires are a source of continual anxiety to him. They foster in him feelings of insecurity and fear of the future. Because of these negative tendencies within himself, he becomes ensnared in a difficult struggle with his various passions and desires. His soul relentlessly commands him to accumulate more assets, to make more money, or to win the admiration of others. Yet, these are all insatiable desires. The desire for wealth is a deep-seated passion, common to many. However, the fulfilment of this desire only arouses further false desires. Essentially, worldly desires always tend to become part of a vicious cycle.
Man can only save himself from such ignorance through faith in God and surrender to Him. As the Qur'an puts it: "...It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful." (Sura al-Hashr: 9)
Man attains freedom only when he ceases to be a slave to his passions. From then on, satisfying the endless desires mentioned above finally ceases to be his purpose in life. He begins a life in which earning God's good pleasure becomes his only purpose, the purpose for which God created him.
This is true freedom; being a servant to God, and thus liberating oneself from everything other than God. It is for this reason that the wife of Imran prayed thus:
...My Lord, I have pledged to You what is in my womb, devoting it to Your service. Please accept my prayer. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Sura Al 'Imran: 35)
For the same reason, Abraham said to his father:
Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see and is not of any use to you at all? (Sura Maryam: 42)
Throughout history, the messengers God sent to humanity invited them to save themselves from the corruption of their own souls, or becoming servants to human beings, to serve only God. Only when they save themselves from such perversion, which is against the purpose of their creation, can they find relief. It is for this very reason that God's messenger (saas) is depicted in the Qur'an as a person who "...relieves people of their heavy loads and the chains which were around them":
...those who follow the Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Gospel, commanding them to do right and forbidding them to do wrong, making good things lawful for them and bad things unlawful for them, relieving them of their heavy loads and the chains which were around them. Those who believe in him and honour him and help him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with him, they are the ones who are successful.' (Sura al-A'raf: 157)
Another factor in Islam's conformity with human-nature is its simplicity. God has also made the religion, which He has revealed as a religion in conformity with the creation of the human being, easy to practice. This fact is stressed in various verses:
God desires to make things lighter for you. Man was created weak. (Sura an-Nisa': 28)
...God desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you... (Sura al-Baqara: 185)
But as for him who believes and acts rightly, he will receive the best of rewards and we will issue a command, making things easy for him. (Sura al-Kahf: 88)
From a drop of sperm He created him and proportioned him. Then He eases the way for him. (Sura Abasa: 19-20)
This simplicity also holds true for acts of worship. Regarding the rite of fasting, a religious duty observed during the month of Ramadan, God commands the following:
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. God desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim God's greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful. (Sura al-Baqara: 185)
To conclude, Islam is a religion that is entirely in conformity with the nature of man. Because, it is God Who is pleased with Islam as a religion for man, and it is He Who has created him. God desires not difficulty but ease for His servants, and determined as their religion those values that best conform to their needs, wishes and manner of living. In a verse of the Qur'an, our Lord commands as follows:
...Today disbelievers have despaired of overcoming your religion. So do not be afraid of them but be afraid of Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you... (Sura al-Ma'ida: 3)
BELIEVERS MUST BE TOGETHER AND COOPERATE
Hold fast to the rope of God all together, and do not separate. Remember God's blessing to you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and He rescued you from it. In this way God makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided... (Sura Al 'Imran: 103)
People generally tend to make friends with others who possess similar qualities of character. They prefer people who share their outlook on life, enjoy the same things, and with whom they can get along well. As a consequence, those who share the same views inevitably build a strong bond among themselves. Honourable and honest people attract honourable and honest people like themselves; they do not make friends with wicked people. People who are dishonest and prone to mischief, on the other hand, tend to associate with others who are dishonest.
Believers, who are the only group, among all others, with whose character God is pleased, must, in accordance to God's command, and in conformity with their natural inclination, always remain together.
Indeed, it is an act of worship commanded by God in the Qur'an. God commands believers to remain together with other believers, and not to obey those who are irreverent:
Restrain yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face. Do not turn your eyes from them, desiring the attractions of this world. And do not obey someone whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own whims and desires and whose life has transgressed all bounds. (Sura al-Kahf: 28)
Believers are the only group of people on earth that seek God's pleasure. Only they adopt the character traits with which God is pleased. These are not sufficient alone, however; it is necessary for there to be an environment where these values may be practiced and people to whom they may be exercised. God wants us to be just, to behave compassionately and mercifully, to enjoin what is right, and to adopt the values praised in the Qur'an. However, one cannot adhere to these values without the existence of other people. In other words, to be a compassionate and self-sacrificing person, one needs to be around the type of people who can appreciate this excellence of character, as well as deserve such treatment. Such people are the believers.
No sincere believer wants to make friends with someone who does not conduct himself as God commands, who has not adopted the values of the Qur'an, and thus, who wants only to be around other thoughtless people like himself. Furthermore, he does not nurture affection towards people who do not respect his beliefs, who condemn him because of his faith in God and his living his life by the values of the religion, and wants to drive him away from society and treat him with hostility:
You who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends, showing love for them when they have rejected the truth that has come to you, driving out the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in God your Lord. If you have gone forth to strive for My sake and seeking My pleasure, keeping secret the love you have for them, I know best what you conceal and what you make known. Any of you who do that have strayed from the right way. If they come upon you, they will be your enemies and stretch out their hands and tongues against you with evil intent, and they would dearly love you to become disbelievers. (Sura al-Mumtahana: 1-2)
God informs us that it is not right to harbour love for such people, nor to make friends with them, and adds that believers must always remain with other believers:
You who believe! Have fear of God and be with the truly sincere. (Sura at-Tawba: 119)
Of course, a believer must approach everyone, including disbelievers, with a friendly and tolerant manner, and treat them justly. However, treating disbelievers with tolerance and justice is very different from actually adopting them as close friends. A believer takes only those who are believers like him as friends. This is God's command:
Your friend is only God and His Messenger and those who believe: those who attend to their prayers, pay the welfare tax (zakat), and kneel down in worship. (Sura al-Ma'ida: 55)
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder