Paradise in Our Homes
Episode 27
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. All praises be to Allah and peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (SAWS).
Welcome to a new episode of our program. We are approaching the end of Ramadan and the end of the program. Thus, we keep wondering whether our good deeds in Ramadan have been accepted by Allah or not; whether we have benefited from the blessings of the Night of Determination or not; whether we have been from those who are saved from Hellfire or not.
Ali Ibn Abi Taleb used to exert great effort in worshipping Allah in Ramadan. When the month ends, he would become anxious wondering if his good deeds were accepted by Allah or not. The episode will try to address these meanings and answer these questions.
Any company or institution that requests its employees to perform an important task informs the employees of the overall objective. Once the objective is achieved, the company can reward its employees for their success. We are wondering why Allah has ordered us to fast Ramadan every year. What is the aim behind that divine order? And what are the signs that show us Allah's acceptance of our good deeds in Ramadan? The answer to all these questions is in the very same Ayah that carries Allah's order of fasting. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as:" O you who have believed, prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for (the ones) who were before you, that possibly you would be pious." (TMQ, 2:183). There we see that the aim of fasting is to be pious to Allah. If, after Ramadan, your manners change to the better, then you have achieved the aim of fasting. The Prophet says that there are some people who fail to achieve the aim of fasting, and they suffer from hunger and thirst for nothing.
The prophet (SAWS) also says that those who do not abandon committing sins, Allah does not accept their fasting, in order to know whether you have been accepted in Ramadan or not, notice your behavior during the feast and during the first two weeks in Shawwal. Those who have stopped hurting their wives; those who have decided to be dutiful to their parents; those who have made their minds to lead a new life after Ramadan without sins, have been accepted by Allah and have been saved from Hellfire. Allah is so generous that is why those who are saved from Hellfire in Ramadan would never come near it. Even though they will make mistakes, as everyone does, their good deeds will exceed their bad ones.
Being pious is something very precious to Allah. Many people could deceive others by their religious appearance, while the source of pious is from inside the heart. That is why being pious is rewarded by being saved from Hellfire. Allah does not look at our appearance but at our hearts and deeds. Pious individuals are rewarded by special gifts, for example:
-Allah teaches them. Allah says what can be translated as: "….. And be pious to Allah, and Allah teaches you" (TMQ, 2:282).
- Allah is always with them. Allah says what can be translated as: …. and be pious to Allah, and know that Allah is with the pious." (TMQ, 2:194).
- They will never worry about anything. Allah says what can be translated as:" ……, whoever is pious and acts righteously, then no fear will be on them, nor will they grieve." (TMQ, 7:35).
- Jannah (paradise) will be their reward. Allah says what can be translated as: "That is the Garden which We cause the ones of Our bondmen who were pious, to inherit." (TMQ, 19:63). "On the Day We will muster the pious to The All-Merciful as a (welcome) deputation" (TMQ, 19,85).
- Allah grants them many blessings. Allah says what can be translated as: " We indeed would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth"(TMQ, 7:96).
The best way to know, whether you are pious or not, is to notice how you will behave with your family. It is the only place where no one can watch you; and between you and yourself you will know whether Allah has accepted your fasting or not. If you are pious, then you will stop hurting your wife. You will become an ideal father, and make sure not to hurt your parents’ feelings because you will fear Allah. This could be a sign that Allah has accepted you in Ramadan; it is your scale. Unfortunately, some Muslims nowadays have misunderstood the concept of being pious; they care only for the outside appearance while inside their homes they do not care for their families, as they should. For example, a man could spend his lifetime praying in the mosque but be unjust to his daughter by depriving her from her share in the inheritance.
How could some one who remains unfaithful to his wife after Ramadan thinks that Allah has accepted him? How could a girl have a boyfriend, or lie to her parents, and think that she has been accepted in Ramadan? If your way of life has changed to the better after Ramadan, then Allah has accepted you.
There is a juzu' (part of the Qur’an) in the Qur'an that begins with "Allah has already heard" number 28. Allah has started the first surah in this juzu' by these words to show that everything said inside any house is heard by Allah. Allah says what can be translated as:" Allah has already heard the saying of her that disputes with you concerning her spouse and complains to Allah; and Allah hears the two of you conversing together; surely Allah is Ever-Hearing, Ever-Beholding.(TMQ, 58:1).
If you beat your wife, "Allah has already heard". If you are unfaithful to her, "Allah has already heard". If you make fun of your father, "Allah has already heard". If you ignore your mother's calls and laugh about it with your friends, "Allah has already heard".
In most cases, you will find that Allah has related piousness with family relationships since it the best place to test your piousness where no one is watching. That is why an American sociologist embraced Islam. First he heard about the hadeeth that if anyone would say anything unjust about the prophet or his action would go to hellfire, then he read what the Prophet's wives' said about the Prophet. Each one of his nine wives had praised the Prophet for his manners, manhood and his respect for women. He learnt about Lady Khadija's words to the Prophet when she told him that Allah would never let him down as he is a great person. She told of how the Prophet cared about the kinship ties, how he was generous to his guests and how he was faithful and trustful.
The American sociologist believed that anyone could be known well by his relationship with his family, as he would be exposed to them. That is why he knew that Muhammad is truly a great person and the Prophet.
There is a small surah in the Qur'an called at-Talaaq (divorce). Although it only consisted of twelve ayahs, Allah mentions the word "pious" four times. As if the point is that if there is piousness then the rate of divorce will decrease. In this surah, one Ayah is about family relationships and the other is about piousness and its reward. In this surah, Allah promises those who are pious three things: Allah says what can be translated as:
- " …. And whoever is pious to Allah, He will make for him (a way) of going out." (TMQ, 65:2).
- "…..and whoever is pious to Allah, He will make for him, of His Command, easiness." (TMQ, 65:4).
- "…….. And whoever is pious to Allah, He will expiate for him odious deeds and will magnify the reward for him."(TMQ, 65:5).
I will give you examples of piousness, as it might encourage you to imitate them.
One of the stories that really touched me is about a woman who knew that her husband had married another woman. She did not show her anger and preferred not to confront her husband. When her husband died, she put aside the second wife’s share in the inheritance and gave it to her. This is how true Muslims should be. What is more beautiful is the second wife’s reaction, as she returned her share and informed the first wife that the man had divorced her a week before his death.
The second example is of a young man whose rich sister insisted on taking her share in the house that he is living in with his mother after the father’s death. The sister was religious, but she was not pious. The young man refused to break his mother's heart by making her leave the house. Thus, he did not sell the house; he borrowed the money and gave his sister her share. Being a pious person, he chose to be in debt for six years but keep the home of the family as it is, and keep his mother content.
The third example is of a young pious man who, after his father's death, kept sending money to his stepmother for twelve years. This is out of his piousness, and his respect for his father and stepmother.
Another example is of a girl who had a boyfriend behind her father's back. She broke up with him when she heard the Prophet's words about the deceivers who will carry a flag on the Day of Judgment announcing their betrayal to the whole world. After hearing this, she could not bear to deceive her parents any more.
Another example is of a doctor called Ashraf Sa'd. He lived with his stepmother and her four daughters for years before his father death. Now years after this, he is still the one who holds family gatherings for all of them.
The Prophet kept loyal to Fatima Bint Assad, who brought him up during his childhood, until the day of her death. Before her burial, he went down to her grave, prayed for her, and shrouded her with his gown.
This episode is for all of us to question whether we will improve after Ramadan or not, whether we will understand the true meaning of Islam and follow the examples of pious people or not.
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