Wordly Life

It is extremely uncertain. I have had a fairly long innings myself- I am 85 not out

 presently. But I have seen my own son, my own younger brother, my own younger sister, and many other younger persons die!

The thing that bothers me is that most human beings are bothered about this uncertain life only! They do not believe that therre is a permanent life in the  Hereafter. Allah Almighty has sent us here to this world only to check our eligibility for a permanent good life in the Hereafter. That should be our main concern; but, unfortunately it is not!

May Allah save us!

I am unable to send this FRIDAY SERMON in the usual manner as I am on a hospital bed as a Covid patient.  Please pray for me!I do pray for all.

Mohammad Shafi 

Friday, the 7th of May 2021.

O Muslims - 48

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

38. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ma lakum itha qeela lakumu infiroo fee sabeeli Allahi iththaqaltum ila al-ardi aradeetum bialhayati alddunya mina al-akhirati fama mataAAu alhayati alddunya fee al-akhirati illa qaleelun

---

9:38. O you who believe! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to set out in Allah's Path, you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer this life to the Hereafter when the provisions of this life count for nothing but little in the Hereafter? ¹⁹

---

19. The Verse itself depicts the circumstances in which it – as also the Verses that follow – was revealed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was to embark on a difficult military expedition. And several men were reluctant to go with him.

---

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 8^th of January 2021.

Worldly Life

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Worldly Life is but a Test

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

212. Zuyyina lillatheena kafaroo alhayatu alddunya wayaskharoona mina allatheena amanoo waallatheena ittaqaw fawqahum yawma alqiyamati waAllahu yarzuqu man yashao bighayri hisabin

---

2:212. The life of this world is made attractive for those who suppress the Truth, and they mock at some of those who believe. And those who fear Allah shall have an upper hand over them on the Day of Resurrection.³⁷⁵ And Allah provides for whomsoever He wishes, without measure!³⁷⁶

---

375. One of numerous ways in which Allah tests mankind is to give a plenty in this world to some of those who disbelieve, and to give less to the believers, in comparison. In such cases, the disbelievers are wont to scoff at the believers, taunting them that despite their belief, their Allah has provided them with less wealth. The believers' test lies in whether they remain steadfast in their faith even in such seemingly unfavourable and unfair circumstances. The All-knowing and Merciful Allah however strengthens the will of the believers in such trying circumstances by promising them that they shall surely have an upper hand in the everlasting Hereafter, if they but passed the test of the temporary life of this world.

376. In the exercise of this absolute divine prerogative of our Lord, we, the creatures, have no say at all. But let us be clear in our minds that our Lord is a Just Lord. If in this world, He chooses to give undeservedly more wealth to a disbeliever than to a believer, He knows what He is doing! We should remember that He has reserved His bounty bi ghayri huisaab (without measure), in the Hereafter, only for the believers.

---

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 2^nd of August 2019.

Sex

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Sex is a remarkable example of the wondrous ingenuity of divine design. No one, who deeply ponders over it, can miss the superhuman skill & wisdom that has gone into its design!

The principle purpose of this wonderful thing is of course the propagation of the species. But there is another purpose for humans, which is apparently not applicable to other creatures.

The other purpose is to put human beings to a test. It's like the test the first humans, Adam & Eve, were put to when they were placed in heaven after their creation. They were asked to enjoy everything there except for tasting fruit of a certain tree. They failed the test, became aware, for the first time, of their sexual urges, & were banished to live the hard life on this earth.

We, the progeny of those first humans, have come into being by means of that same sexual urge. And, we are being tested by our Creator, throughout our lives here, for eligibility to be restored back to heaven.

This sexual urge is one of the various means by which we are tested. Unlike in some other animals, its use is restricted within bounds of a marriage. Those who go beyond these bounds, fail the test. Sex beyond confines of a marriage tie is one of the forbidden fruits for mankind now!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 8th of February 2019.

Divine Test

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from Chapter 3 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Test:

140. In yamsaskum qarhun faqad massa alqawma qarhun mithluhu watilka al-ayyamu nudawiluha bayna alnnasi waliyaAAlama Allahu allatheena amanoo wayattakhitha minkum shuhadaa waAllahu la yuhibbu alththalimeena

---

140. If you are hurt, then surely the community is similarly hurt. And We rotate such periods (of hurt) among mankind, and We do so in order that Allah may distinguish those that believe and pick up witnesses from amongst you.¹⁵² And Allah does not love the offenders.

---

152. So the hurt that may afflict any person is a test from Allah that would distinguish him/her as believing or non-believing. If the person recognises the hurt as the test and suffers it patiently with prayers to the Lord, employing all fair means to overcome the effects of the hurt, he/she has passed the test. Allah Ta'ala then takes him/her as a witness to the truth of the hurt being only a test. On the other hand, if the person frets and fumes at the hurt, curses his destiny and does not hesitate to employ even foul means to overcome the effects of the hurt, he/she is an offender.

---

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 30^th of March 2018.