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Tuesday, 31 October 2023

How to develop true Believing (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

One of the most difficult things to practice is true believing. And especially so when something that we believe in does not have proof. Remember the age-old dictum: Seeing is beleiving! Well sometimes even seeing a thing can be deceiving and most of the time unseen things turn out to cement one's faith.

Without confusing the issue of beleiving anymore, we share today a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in which the revered Messenger of Allah teaches us how to develop believing and where true beleiving would lead us to.

This Hadith is mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book # 43 General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab) / كتاب الأدب / Chapter # 143 Spreading Salam / باب فِي إِفْشَاءِ السَّلاَمِ ) as Hadith number # 5193, quoted herein under:

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying:
By him in whose hand my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another: should I not guide you to something doing which you will love one another: spread out salutation among you.
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَفَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

To understand the spirit of the Hadit, instead of reading this Hadith from beginning to end, lets us read it from the end to the beginning. Believing in something cannot be developed unless we develop mutual love for each other. And the best way to induce love among ourselves is to extend salutations much too often. 

The best greeting that Muslims can extend to each other is As-salamu alaykum (Arabic: ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, as-salāmu ʿalaykum, that means 'Peace be upon you'. In fact, the salām (سَلَام, meaning 'peace') has become a religious salutation for Muslims worldwide, and is even emulated by non-Muslims too. (Though, the complete phrase is as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuhū (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ, 'Peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of God and His blessings'.)

In response to this salutation, the receiver should respond by saying: Wa ʿalaykumu s-salam (وَعَلَيْكُم ٱلسَّلَامُ) meaning "may peace be upon you too". The complete form is "Wa ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuhū" (وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ, "And upon you be peace, as well as the mercy of God and his blessings").

Now just imagine the love and peace expressed by one beleiving man to another. These salutations are much better than mere Good Morning or Good Afternoon etc. Unlike the latter, the Muslim greeting mean much more than a mere salutation. These convey one's inner sincerity and love for one's fellow believer. Oce this salutation from the very heart becomes a habit, it would induce love for each other, as mentioned in the above quoted hadith. Once this love becomes solidifies, one's belief too becomes strong to understand Islam, which is founded on the main theme of peace. And when every Muslim believes in peace, nothing wrong will accrue from him for his brethren in Islam. If and when such a high standard of love coexists between Muslims, nothing would stop them from entering the Jannah, the ultimate paradise.

So you see, how simple salutation can turn into mutual love for each other and based on this love, one's belief in Islam becomes more stronger, in other words peace, which will lead believers to Paradise, In Sha Allah, one day.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our exclusive page: Collection of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read posts written on general matters.

Please also refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah / Hadith of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Monday, 30 October 2023

Two main obligations of Muslim Community: Fulfilment of Trust – Maintenance of Justice

Nations rise and fall due to quality or otherwise of their leaders and the lead. A nation of stags lead by a lion can lead the stags to glory, while a monkey in chair can dismember the unity of the lions. We have seen nations rising when they were led by selfless, honest, bold and competent leaders. And we also saw the same nations falling apart when greedy, dishonest and selfish leaders were in chairs.

History is replete with such examples as mentioned and the vicious cycle continues till date. It is heart wrenching to note that there have been some Muslim rulers who have defied the public trust and the justice and dishonoured their own people by usurping their rights. Unless the people handover their trusts to the honest, they cannot be sure of development and protection of their rights. This is the very theme of the 58th verse of Surah 4. An Nisa (The Women) beings shared today:

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاۡمُرُكُمۡ اَنۡ تُؤَدُّوا الۡاَمٰنٰتِ اِلٰٓى اَهۡلِهَا ۙ وَاِذَا حَكَمۡتُمۡ بَيۡنَ النَّاسِ اَنۡ تَحۡكُمُوۡا بِالۡعَدۡلِ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُمۡ بِهٖ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ سَمِيۡعًۢا بَصِيۡرًا‏
(4:58) Allah commands you to deliver trusts to those worthy of them; and when you judge between people, to judge with justice. Excellent is the admonition Allah gives you. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
Here the Muslims have been fore-warned that they should avoid those evils in which the children of Israel were involved. Their basic error was that during their degeneration they entrusted the positions of trust to incompetent people. They began to entrust positions of responsibility and religious and political leadership to inefficient, narrow-minded, immoral, dishonest and wicked people. As a result, the whole community became corrupt. The Muslims are being cautioned against this evil and enjoined to entrust positions of responsibility to qualified and competent people of good moral character.

Another evil that was prevalent among the Jews was injustice. They had lost the very sense and spirit of justice and become utterly unjust, openly dishonest, and sinfully obdurate and would commit acts of gross injustice without any pangs of conscience. The Muslims were personally having a bitter experience of this. The Jews were siding with the idolatrous Quraish against the Believers in one God though the lives of the two clearly showed "who was more rightly guided."On the one side, they saw the pure lives of the Holy Prophet and his followers; on the other, they witnessed the immoral lives of their enemies, who buried their daughters alive, married their step mothers and went round the Ka`bah in naked state. Still these "people of the Book" preferred the idolatrous people to the Believers and brazen-facedly declared that the former were more rightly guided than the latter. Allah warns the Believers against this sort of injustice and enjoins them always to say what is just and right and judge between the people with justice whether they be friends or foes.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (The Command to Return the Trusts to Whomever They Are Due) Allah commands that the trusts be returned to their rightful owners. 

Al-Hasan narrated that Samurah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«أَدِّ الْأَمَانَةَ إِلى مَنِ ائْتَمَنَكَ، وَلَا تَخُنْ مَنْ خَانَك»
(Return the trust to those who entrusted you, and do not betray those who betrayed you.) Imam Ahmad and the collectors of Sunan recorded this Hadith. This command refers to all things that one is expected to look after, such as Allah's rights on His servants: praying, Zakah, fasting, penalties for sins, vows and so forth. The command also includes the rights of the servants on each other, such as what they entrust each other with, including the cases that are not recorded or documented. Allah commands that all types of trusts be fulfillled. Those who do not implement this command in this life, it will be extracted from them on the Day of Resurrection. 

It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,
«لَتُؤَدَّنَّ الْحُقُوقُ إِلى أَهْلِهَا حَتَّى يُقْتَصَّ لِلشَّاةِ الْجَمَّاءِ مِنَ الْقَرْنَاء»
(The rights will be rendered back to those to whom they are due, and even the sheep that does not have horns will take revenge from the horned sheep.) Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Jurayj said about this Ayah, "It was revealed concerning `Uthman bin Talhah from whom the Messenger of Allah took the key of the Ka`bah and entered it on the Day of the victory of Makkah. 

When the Prophet went out, he was reciting this Ayah, (إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤدُّواْ الاحَمَـنَـتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا Verily, Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due). He then called `Uthman and gave the key back to him.' 

Ibn Jarir also narrated that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "When the Messenger of Allah went out of the Ka`bah, he was reciting this Ayah, (إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤدُّواْ الاحَمَـنَـتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا Verily, Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due). May I sacrifice my father and mother for him, I never heard him recite this Ayah before that.' It is popular that this is the reason behind revealing the Ayah (4:58). Yet, the application of the Ayah is general, and this is why Ibn `Abbas and Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah said, "This Ayah is for the righteous and wicked,'' meaning it is a command that encompasses everyone.

 The Order to Be Just: Allah said, (وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُواْ بِالْعَدْلِ and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice.) commanding justice when judging between people. Muhammad bin Ka`b, Zayd bin Aslam and Shahr bin Hawshab said; "This Ayah was revealed about those in authority'', meaning those who judge between people. 

A Hadith states, «إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَ الْحَاكِمِ مَا لَمْ يَجُرْ، فَإِذَا جَارَ وَكَلَهُ اللهُ إِلى نَفْسِه»
(Allah is with the judge as long as he does not commit injustice, for when he does, Allah will make him reliant on himself.) A statement goes, "One day of justice equals forty years of worship.' 

Allah said, (إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُمْ بِهِ Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (Allah) gives you!) meaning, His commands to return the trusts to their owners, to judge between people with justice, and all of His complete, perfect and great commandments and laws. 

Allah's statement, (إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.) means, He hears your statements and knows your actions.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
(BEHOLD, God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice.) I.e., in the judicial sense, as well as in the sense of judging other people's motives, attitudes and behaviour. - The term amanah denotes anything one has been entrusted with, be it in the physical or moral sense (Razi). If one reads this ordinance in the context of the verses that precede and follow it, it becomes obvious that it relates to the message or - in view of the plural form amanat - to the truths which have been conveyed to the believers by means of the divine writ, and which they must regard as a sacred trust, to be passed on to "those who are entitled thereto" - i.e., to all mankind, for whom the message of the Qur'an has been intended. This, of course, does not preclude the ordinance from having a wider scope as well - that is, from its being applied to any material object or moral responsibility which may have been entrusted to a believer - and, in particular, to the exercise of worldly power and political sovereignty by the Muslim community or a Muslim state, to which the next verse refers.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The word “trusts” is used for things which are entrusted to a person. Here they refer to the responsibilities and posts created in a collective system. The implication is that the people to whom this kingdom was granted before the Muslims had proved to be thieves; however, Muslims must not be like them. Their foremost responsibility is that after acquiring this great gift, they should hand over the trusts of the nation to people on the basis of merit and strive to establish justice in its ultimate form in every walk of life. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī comments on this verse in the following words:
… This is a delineation of the most important aspect of the trust referred to as well as an explanation of the responsibility attached to political authority. The foremost responsibility of those who are blessed with political authority by the Almighty is that they should decide all disputes that arise among their people with justice and fairness. Justice means that there should be no discrimination in the eyes of the law between the various classes of society like the rich and the poor or the upper and the lower class. Justice should not be a commodity that can be bought or sold. Partiality and bias should not creep into it nor should indifference and apathy arise in dispensing it. No power or influence, greed or fear of any kind should affect justice in any manner. Whoever is blessed with political authority by the Almighty in this world has been blessed so that he may discharge justice. Therefore, this is his primary responsibility. A just ruler will receive a great reward from the Almighty, and an unjust one will be punished grievously [on the Day of Judgement]. Consequently, the verse says that this is an excellent admonition from the Almighty to the believers, who, therefore, must not show slackness in following it. The attributes of the Almighty mentioned at the end of the verse (one who hears and sees all things) caution us that even the most concealed injustice is in His knowledge. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 2, 323)

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
These are the main obligations placed on the Muslim community and these sum up its moral code: namely, fulfilment of trust and maintaining justice. The basic and most important trust is that which God has implanted in human nature. This is the one which the heavens, the earth and the mountains refused to accept, but which man undertook. It is that of willingly and deliberately recognising Divine guidance and believing in God. This is the trust that God has given to human beings alone in their very nature. Other creatures have been given faith without the need for any effort on their part. Thus, they recognise their Lord and worship Him without having to make any choice or exerting any special effort. It is man alone who has been given this task to fulfil on the basis of his guiding nature, knowledge, reasoning, will and effort. He will always receive God’s help in that: “As for those who strive hard in Our cause, We shall most certainly guide them to paths that lead to Us; for, indeed, God is with those who do good.” (29: 69)

This is, then, the first trust man has to fulfil. It is that which gives rise to all other trusts which God commands people to fulfil. An important one among these being to give testimony in favour of Islam. This takes the form firstly of striving hard within oneself so that one’s life, feelings, actions and behaviour become a practical translation of faith. Thus, when people praise a believer’s behaviour, values and manners and moral standards, they realise that it is only because he believes in Islam that he is able to attain such high standards.

Another way of giving testimony in favour of Islam is the realisation of just how much more profound and superior Islam is to other human beliefs. With this knowledge, a believer begins to call on people to believe in Islam, explaining its values and principles. It is not sufficient then for a believer to keep his faith to himself. He must fulfil his task of making it known, calling upon others to accept it. That is part of his trust and as such he should discharge it.

Testimony is further given by taking steps to help implement Islam as a code of living for the Muslim community, and in human life in general. To do this, believers should make use of every means available to them both as individuals and as members of that community. Such a practical implementation is the most important trust, second only to accepting the faith itself. No individual and no group are exempt from this trust. The Prophet says: “Jihād” continues until the Day of Resurrection.” Jihād in this sense is a fulfilment of a specific trust.

Another trust which is implied in the above is that of dealing with people and delivering to them whatever they have entrusted to us. That includes honesty in daily transactions, giving honest counsel to rulers and ruled, taking good care of young children, protecting the interests of the community and defending it against hostile forces and observing all duties and obligations outlined by the Divine code. All these are trusts that must be fulfilled.

The order to maintain justice is stated in the most general terms so as to make it obligatory between all people. It does not mean that justice should be confined to Muslims only, or to dealings between them and the followers of earlier Divine religions alone. Justice is due to every individual human being. The requirement to maintain justice only takes into account the fact that people are human beings, and that that alone qualifies them for just treatment. Hence, justice should be extended to all: believers and non-believers, friends and enemies, white and coloured, Arabs and non-Arabs, etc. The Muslim community, whenever it exercises power, is responsible for maintaining justice between them all. In fact, humanity has never experienced such justice except under Islamic rule, when Muslims were the leaders of mankind. Once Muslims lost that leadership, humanity has been unable to experience any similar justice that applies to all people, simply because they are human beings. Such administration of pure and complete justice is the cornerstone of Islamic government, and delivering trusts to their rightful owners is the basic characteristic of life under Islam.

The verse makes it clear that orders both to be true to one’s trust and to maintain justice between people are part of God’s admonition. Good and greatly beneficial indeed is whatever God directs and admonishes us to do. Besides, this is not a mere admonition; it is an order. God only describes it as admonition because that makes it easier to fulfil. Hearts and consciences accept admonition more readily, because its implementation appears to be more of a voluntary nature.

The final comment in the verse attaches the whole matter to fear of God and hope for His reward: “God hears all and sees all.” There is perfect harmony between the duties God imposes on Muslims and the requirements to fulfil trust and maintain justice on the one hand and God’s seeing and hearing everything on the other. God is certain to hear and see all matters related to the fulfilment of trust. Justice, on the other hand, requires good attention, sharp vision and proper evaluation and judgement, as well as taking into account all the relevant factors and circumstances so as to evaluate them properly. Moreover, the order to do both comes from the One who hears and sees all things.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Al Qur'an guides and helps those who sincerely seek Divine Guidance and Help.

You may refer to our reference page: Important DOs and Don'ts from Qur'an to read more directives on the subject.

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Importance of charity in Islam

You may refer to our reference page: Faith in Allah to read more directives on the subject.

You may refer to our reference page: Believers!! Beware of the Rules of the Divine Court on the Day of Judgement to read more directives on the subject. 

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Sunday, 29 October 2023

Who shall be brought low (on Day of Judgement)

Man is born to be obedient. Right from the day he opens his eyes, he is taught to be obedient and respectful to his parents and elders, and the chain continues as he grows. He is to be obedient and respectful to his teachers in the school and honour the school discipline. When he gets employed, he is to be loyal and obedient to his employer, and honour the rules of the company he is serving in. At no stage of one's life, one is to deviate from the rules of obedience, honour and commitment.

Now raising the pedestal level and see a man's obligation to his Creator, the Sole Lord of the entire universe. Man has not been born in vain. Like being obedient and respectful to one's elders and place of work, he too has to exhibit obedience and loyalty to his Creator. Rather the level of loyalty, obedience and honour has to be of a level incompatible with any worldly relation.

That is, one has to bow to the WILL of his Creator without even raising a eyebrow. The restrictions imposed by One and the Only God are to be accepted and adhered to without a question. These Divine Rules have been sent to man through messengers of Allah since the Prophet Adam (may peace be upon him). Initially these Divine Laws were restricted to smaller communities and then the area of influence kept expanding so that no one is left out to know and respect these Divine Laws and Commandments. The Divine Books contained these laws, four in number, sent to man through Prophets Dawud (David), Musa (Moses), Eesa (Jesus) and Muhammad (may peace be upon all). 

All along the history, we have seen communities and people have vanished from the earth when they were punished for not obeying the One True God. Today only their remains remain as a reminder to those who do not accept the Divine Commandments and dishonour His messengers and prophets. And the bounds set by God have to be respected at all costs, otherwise grievous suffering [in the life to come] awaits all who deny the truth.

With this premise in view, we share today the fifth verse of Surah 58. Al-Mujadila (The Pleading woman) to caution those who oppose Allah and His final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and if they do not do so, they will be meted out to a treatment unimaginable on the Day of the Judgement:

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يُحَآدُّوۡنَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوۡلَهٗ كُبِتُوۡا كَمَا كُبِتَ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِمۡ​ وَقَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اٰيٰتٍۢ بَيِّنٰتٍ​ ؕ وَ لِلۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِيۡنٌ​ ۚ‏ 
(58:5) Verily those who oppose Allah and His Messenger shall be brought low even as those before them were brought low. Surely, We have sent down Clear Signs; and a humiliating chastisement awaits the unbelievers;
"Those who oppose. . . ": Those who do not recognize the bounds set by Allah and instead set some other bounds for themselves. Ibn Jarir Tabari has given this commentary of this verse: "That is, the people who resist Allah with regard to the bounds and duties enjoined by Him, and set for themselves some other bounds instead of the bounds set by Him." Baidawi; has given this commentary of it: "That is, they show hostility towards and dispute with Allah and His Messenger, or set other bounds for themselves than the bounds set by them, or adopt the bounds set by others. " Alusi in his Ruh Al-Ma `ani has concurred with Baidawi in this commentary and cited the statement of Shaikh-ul-Islam Sa`dullah Chalpi to the effect: "In this verse a threat has been held out to those kings and evil rulers who have framed many such rules as are opposed to the bounds set by the Shari ah, and called tjem law." Here, `Allama Alusi has dwelt upon the constitutional status (i.e, constitutional from the Islamic viewpoint) of the manmade laws as against the Shari ah laws and concluded thus:

"There can be no doubt in the disbelief of the person who regards this law as commendable and superior to the Shari ah and says that it is wiser and better suited to the genius of the people. And when the Shari ah injunction in a particular matter is pointed out to him, he is angry, as we have seen some of those who are under the curse of Allah. "  

(shall be brought low even as those before them were brought low) The word used in the original is kabt كُبِتَ, which means to disgrace, to destroy, to curse, to drive off, to push out, to debase. What is meant to be said is that the communities of the former Prophets who resisted Allah and His Messenger and rebelled against His Commandments have already gone to their doom. Now those from among the Muslims who adopt the same attitude in life will also meet with the same evil end. Whenever the people made their own laws contradictory to Divine Law, or adopted laws made by others, they were deprived of Allah's bounty and grace, with the result that their lives were filled with deviations, immoralities and moral and social evils, which caused them to be ultimately degraded and humiliated oven in this world. If the same error now is committed by the community of the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), there is no reason why it should continue to be regarded with favor by Allah and He may go on protecting it from a disgraceful destruction for ever and ever. Allah had neither any ill will against the communities of His former Messengers nor has He any special connection with the community of this Messenger. 

(Surely, We have sent down Clear Signs; and a humiliating chastisement awaits the unbelievers) A little consideration of the context shows that here two punishments of this attitude have been mentioned:
(1) Kabt, i.e. debasement and humiliation of this world; and
(2) adhab muhin, i.e. a disgraceful torment that they will suffer in the Hereafter.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: (Explaining the Punishment of the Enemies of the Religion)
Allah states that those who defy Him and His Messenger and contradict His commandments, (كُبِتُواْ كَمَا كُبِتَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ will be disgraced as those before them were disgraced) meaning, they will be humiliated, cursed and disgraced, just as what happened to their like were before them,

(وَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ ءَايَـتٍ بَيِّنَـتٍ And We have sent down clear Ayat.) meaning, none contradicts or opposes them, except a disbeliever, rebellious, sinner,

(وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ And for the disbelievers is a disgraceful torment) meaning, as just recompense for their arrogant refusal to follow, obey and submit to the religion of Allah.
 
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
This is a reference to the Hypocrites all of whose sympathies were with the enemies of Islam, in particular the Jews. They would launch a whispering campaign and a secret propaganda against any teaching of Islam they would regard as being against their desires. The purpose would be to create doubts in the minds of weak Muslims and strip them of their conviction in Islam.

Thus, their fate will be the same as the one met by the rejecters of the messengers of God after these messengers have conclusively communicated the truth to them. This is an established practice of God and He never changes this established practice. His law is the same for everyone.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
The opening passage of the surah provided an aspect of the care shown to the Muslim community, while this second passage provides an aspect of antagonism to the opposite group who contend against God and His Messenger. The Arabic term, translated here as 'contend' is derived from the same root as the word used earlier, which means 'boundaries'. Thus, this group are defined as taking a stand at the other boundary, confronting God and His Messenger. This gives an image of two parties in contention and confrontation. As such, it serves to show their action in a very bad light. How miserable for a creature to be in open hostility to his Creator when it is He who provides him with sustenance.

These people who are in contention "shall be brought low as those who lived before them were brought low." The way this sentence is phrased in Arabic may be understood as a prayer against them. A prayer by God is a sentence of judgement that makes it inevitable since it is He who pronounces this sentence, and His will is always done. The phrase, those who lived before them,' refers either to earlier communities who were punished by God, or to the then unbelievers who suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of the Muslims prior to the revelation of this surah, as happened, for example, at the Battle of Badr.

"We have bestowed from on high clear revelations." This sentence separates the two fates suffered by the unbelievers in this life and in the life to come, in order to point out that both fates are clearly stated in these verses. It also tells us that these unbelievers do not face these fates as a result of ignorance or any ambiguity in the truth. Indeed, the truth has been put to them clearly and lucidly in these revelations, which they too have been given.

As the surah refers to their fate in the hereafter, it adds an inspiring comment that serves an educational purpose: "Shameful suffering awaits the unbelievers on the day when God will raise them all from the dead and tell them exactly all that they did in lift. God will have taken it all into account, even though they may have forgotten it. God is witness to all things. (Verses 5-6) They are made to suffer shame in punishment for their arrogance. This shameful suffering will take place on the day when all will be resurrected. Thus, it will be seen by all. Besides, the suffering is determined on the basis of a true account of their deeds. If they have forgotten these, God has recorded them all, as nothing escapes His knowledge: "God is witness to all things."

To sum the discussion on the aforesaid verse, let us say that God (with no assistance and associates) sent down His divine Wisdom in the shape of Commandments gradually, so that man could start to absorb them gradually. When communities enlarged, the requirements of imposition of Divine Law increased and Divine Books were revealed, each adding more to the previous. This finally culminated in the revelation of Qur'an, the last and the final Godly scripture for the guidance of mankind till the end of the earthly life. Hence, not accepting Qur'an but accepting the previous scriptures is sheer display of animosity to One True God and His final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ. 

Although, many a non-Muslims, especially adherents of the earlier Divine religions, have started to accept the Divine Wisdom contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and entering the fold of Islam in large number, yet a majority is till hesitant to accept the truth, and show extreme hatred toward Islam and have unleashed campaign of Islamophobia to belittle Islam. They even taunt God of Muslims as something different from their God, in one case Gods, just to close their eyes from seeing and reading the truth contained in Qur'an.

But the world is getting wiser day by day as it is heartening to see more and more non-Muslims entering the fold of Islam through extensive reading of Qur'an, Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and realizing that the hatred spread against Islam is only to escape from reality.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our reference page: Believers!! Beware of the Rules of the Divine Court on the Day of Judgement to read more directives on the subject. 

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Saturday, 28 October 2023

The virtue of spreading knowledge (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Knowledge is a form of awareness or familiarity. It embodies facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. Once one obtains knowledge, it becomes incumbent upon him to share the same with others so that the chain of sharing continues and benefits many others who have been gifted to receive knowledge, understand it and then share with others.

And when it comes to Qur'an and Sunnah, how blessed are those who can read and understand Qur'an, especially in Arabic, and then teach others who cannot read. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has on many a occasion emphasized the need to seek knowledge and spread it.

Of the many a Hadith on seeking and spreading knowledge, we share the following hadith as mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book # 26 Knowledge (Kitab Al-Ilm)/ كتاب العلم / Chapter # 10 The virtue of spreading knowledge / باب فَضْلِ نَشْرِ الْعِلْمِ ) as Hadith number # 3660:

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thabit:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: May Allah brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is; and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it.

Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، - مِنْ وَلَدِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ - عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مِنَّا حَدِيثًا فَحَفِظَهُ حَتَّى يُبَلِّغَهُ فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ وَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ لَيْسَ بِفَقِيهٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

The sole purpose of our sharing Hadiths and verses from Qur'an daily is that our readers would retain at least 10% of what has been shared, retain it in their memory, and then also share the acquired knowledge with others. However, care must be taken to acquire knowledge from authentic sources and while sharing the same, it is better to share knowledge by giving an authentic reference to the source and should not share knowledge based on mere heresy or based on sources that are not authentic.

While sharing Hadiths, care be taken to only share the Sahi / Authentic Hadiths. Hadiths that are Hassan / Fair or Daif /weak should not be shared, for as per scholars there exists a doubt to their authenticity or correctness. 
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our exclusive page: Collection of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read posts written on general matters.

Please also refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah / Hadith of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

The Day when nothing will avail: Neither wealth nor offspring (Divine Court Rules)

This world is being ruled by the powerful and wealthy. If we look around, from every street to the world as a whole, justice is imprisoned by the rich and affluent and is used for their personal benefit. While common man is made to bear the brunt of justice even for a petty matter, those power wielding tyrants and holding positions of authority based on their family linkages and wealth get escort free from their heinous crimes and misdoing. 

At the height of their positional authority, arrogance creeps into their souls which keeps them blind of the Divine promises made in all divine Books. Herein under we share the 88th verse of Surah 26. Ash-Shu'araa which cautions such demagogues and tyrants to repent and seek forgiveness of their misdeeds for when the clock stops clicking, then there would be no going back to make amends or seek Divine forgiveness.

It may be added here that this is the Divine reply to the request of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, may peace be upon him) to forgive his father who despite his son's earnest desire to leave idolism and proclaim Oneness of Allah. See in how stern words, Allah rubbishes the prayer of a prophet whom Allah has called him as His friend. Here in very subtle words God has told him that even a son like him will not be of any benefit there to his father:

يَوۡمَ لَا يَنۡفَعُ مَالٌ وَّلَا بَنُوۡنَۙ‏ 
(26:88) the Day when nothing will avail, neither wealth nor offspring,
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir
(يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلاَ بَنُونَ  The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,) means, a man's wealth will not protect him from the punishment of Allah, even if he were to pay a ransom equivalent to an earthfull of gold.

(وَلاَ بَنُونَ nor sons) means, `or if you were to pay a ransom of all the people on earth.' On that Day nothing will be of any avail except faith in Allah and sincere devotion to Him, and renunciation of Shirk and its people.

Yusuf Ali Explanation
Now we have a vision of the Day of Judgment. Nothing will then avail except a pure heart; all sorts of the so-called "good deeds" of this world, without the motive of purity, will be useless. The contrast of the Garden of Bliss with the Fire of Misery will be plainly visible. Evil will be shown in its true colours,-isolated, helpless, cursing and despairing; and all chances will then have been lost.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
We also feel his humility before his Lord and his fear that he might have fallen short of what was expected of him. We also realize how profoundly he felt the nature of that great Day from his description of it. He also realizes that the only value recognized on that Day is a sincerity which makes one’s heart purely devoted to God, allowing no consideration or personal desire to detract from such devotion. This is the type of sound heart that is worthy of proper value. “The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit.” Indeed, no other quality, property or consideration is of any benefit, because all are of a temporary nature and will inevitably come to an end. They may be coveted by people who try hard to possess such things in this life, but they are of no value in the ultimate reckoning.

This verse is but an eye opener for all of us. If Allah could turn down the request of one of His most favoured prophets, how could the ordinaries escape Divine justice? The affluent and the wealthy, though boast of their wealth and family in this world, how helpless and ashamed they would feel when none of their worldly positions would be of any avail to them. Let not time slip by and let us not be blinded by our arrogance and position take us blindfolded to our bitter end.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our reference page: Believers!! Beware of the Rules of the Divine Court on the Day of Judgement to read more directives on the subject. 

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

None should wish for death because of a befalling calamity or hardship (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Life is never too easy for most of the people around the world. Many people keep suffering from calamities, natural hazards, lack of means of sustenance or even incurable diseases. Some under such trying conditions become so desperate that they long to be dead rather than living. 

Although the pain of sufferings cannot be felt by other than those undergoing the hardships of life, yet it is least expected of them to long for death rather than having faith in Allah and the promised better days ahead. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has advised believers to stay away from such desires and has suggested a better invocation to be made in testing times.

This Hadith is mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī  (Book 75 - Patients /  كتاب المرضى / Chapter 19: The patient's wish for death / باب تَمَنِّي الْمَرِيضِ الْمَوْتَ) as Hadith 5671, given herein under:

Narrated by Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: "O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.' "

Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ ضُرٍّ أَصَابَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً فَلْيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي، وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي ‏"‏‏.‏

This invocation speaks of the wisdom behind it. Instead of plain wish for death, one should ask for a better life as long as one lives. But if death is better for one, then one should pray that it comes to relieve one's sufferings.

Even otherwise, one should long for a living, especially if one has wronged others or committed sins, so that he has time to repent one's misdeeds and sins and seek Divine forgiveness. And if one has never hurt anyone or committed a sin, he should still seek longevity to do better, for one never knows he may have hurt someone unknowingly and for that better is needed for a pardon.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our exclusive page: Collection of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read posts written on general matters.

Please also refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah / Hadith of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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