Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
سلسلة علّمني ديني
By: Shaykh Muhammad bin Umar BÄzmÅ«l –hafidhahullah
Translations and Annotations by Misbaah Olagunju (Abu Aamaal)
[3] My Religion Taught Me:
That the building of the nation is achieved through the building of individuals, therefore the person should start with himself then the person next to him (after rectifying himself first), then the next person after in succession, and that when the individual is good, the household will be good, and when the household is good the community will also be good, and when the community is good then the town will also be good, and when the town is good then the nation will also be good, and when the nation is upright then the whole world will be upright, and Allah never changes the good of a people until they change themselves.
Translator's notes:
Here the Shaykh has brought a very lucid principle in solving not just the family problems but that of the community and the entirety of the world at large. In it is an emphasis on individuals conditions being the foundational determinant of the situation of the families in the community, the communities in the town, the towns in the nation, and then the entirety of the world.
The Muslim should understand that his first responsibility is the rectification of his own self; in perfecting his relationship with his creator, through the betterment of his deen: his eemaan (belief) and his ibaadah (worship). Then perfecting his relationship with other people by fulfilling the rights to those who they are due to, and by beautifying his khuluq (character).
Allah –the exalted– obligated putting self first, he said the mighty and sublime:
یَـٰۤأَیّÙهَا ٱلَّذÙینَ ءَامَنÙوا۟ عَلَیۡكÙÙ…Û¡ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسَكÙÙ…Û¡Û–
"O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves, [do righteous deeds, fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]". – [Surah Al-Ma'idah 105]
Also the individual comes first because non will be able to avail another on the day it matters most. Allah –the exalted– said:
وَٱتَّقÙوا۟ یَوۡمࣰا لَّا تَجۡزÙÛŒ Ù†ÙŽÙۡسٌ عَن نَّÙۡسࣲ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَلَا ÛŒÙقۡبَل٠مÙنۡهَا Ø´ÙŽÙَـٰعَةࣱ وَلَا ÛŒÙؤۡخَذ٠مÙنۡهَا عَدۡلࣱ وَلَا Ù‡ÙÙ…Û¡ ÛŒÙنصَرÙونَ
"And fear a Day (of Judgement) when a person shall not avail another, nor will intercession be accepted from him nor will compensation be taken from him nor will they be helped." - [Surah Al-Baqarah 48]
Afterwards the individual strives in the rectification of those closest to him; his immediate family in line with the statement of Allah –the exalted–:
یَـٰۤأَیّÙهَا ٱلَّذÙینَ ءَامَنÙوا۟ Ù‚Ùوۤا۟ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسَكÙÙ…Û¡ ÙˆÙŽØ£ÙŽÙ‡Û¡Ù„ÙیكÙÙ…Û¡ نَارࣰا ÙˆÙŽÙ‚ÙودÙهَا ٱلنَّاس٠وَٱلۡØÙجَارَةÙ
"O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones," - [Surah At-Tahrim: 6]
And the Hadith of the prophet –Allah raise his rank and grant him peace–:
وَالرَّجÙل٠رَاع٠عَلَى أَهْل٠بَيْتÙÙ‡Ù ÙˆÙŽÙ‡ÙÙˆÙŽ مَسْئÙولٌ عَنْهÙÙ…
"And the man is responsible over the inhabitants of his house and he is answerable regarding them" – [Jaami At-Tirmidhi: 1705]
And when the household is good, they extend the goodness outside their home loving for others what they loved for themselves, starting with their closest neighbours due to the enormity of their rights over other than them.
Then the rectification of the community will eventually be achieved through this progression and then that of the nation, because it's people are from those who enjoin with goodness and proscribe from evil, and this is the distinctive attribute of the best of nations, the nation of Islam; commanding with goodness and warding people off transgressions. Allah the exalted declared this in his book:
ÙƒÙنتÙÙ…Û¡ خَیۡرَ Ø£Ùمَّة٠أÙخۡرÙجَتۡ Ù„Ùلنَّاس٠تَأۡمÙرÙونَ بÙٱلۡمَعۡرÙÙˆÙ٠وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَن٠ٱلۡمÙنكَر٠وَتÙؤۡمÙÙ†Ùونَ بÙٱللَّهÙÛ—
"You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah." – [Surah Aal-E-Imran 110]
And from that which brings about the destruction of a people is their leaving off this lofty duty, when the righteous of them abandons the obligation of warning the wretched amongst them from their evil ways, disbelief, immorality, injustice and all forms of transgressions will become widespread in their land and the piety of the pious of them will not save them from Allah's wrath when it eventually descends upon them.
The messenger –Allah raise his rank and grant him peace– say of people with the above description:
عن ØذيÙØ© رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قالâ€:†â€
â€ÙˆØ§Ù„ذي Ù†Ùسي بيده لتأمرن بالمعروÙØŒ ولتنهون عن المنكر، أو ليوشكن الله أن يبعث عليكم عقابًا منه، ثم تدعونه Ùلا يستجاب لكمâ€
Hudhaifah –hafidhahullah– reported:
The Prophet –Allah raise his rank and grant him peace– said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted". –
[Sunan At-Tirmidhi: 2169].
Then the Shaykh ended with this statement extracted from the book of Allah: "Allah never changes the condition of a people until they change themselves", to allude to the justice of Allah and negate for Him oppression, in that whatever state a people find themselves whether hardship or ease, is from the consequences of their actions.
Allah –the Exalted– said:
Ø¥Ùنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا ÛŒÙغَیّÙر٠مَا بÙÙ‚ÙŽÙˆÛ¡Ù…Ù Øَتَّىٰ ÛŒÙغَیّÙرÙوا۟ مَا بÙØ£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسÙÙ‡ÙÙ…Û¡Û— ÙˆÙŽØ¥Ùذَاۤ أَرَادَ ٱللَّه٠بÙقَوۡمࣲ سÙوۤءࣰا Ùَلَا مَرَدَّ Ù„ÙŽÙ‡ÙÛ¥Ûš وَمَا Ù„ÙŽÙ‡ÙÙ… مّÙÙ† دÙونÙÙ‡ÙÛ¦ Ù…ÙÙ† وَالÙ
"Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector. - [Surah Ar-Ra'd 11]
Al-Baghawy - rahimahullahu - said this means that Allah won't change their condition from wellness and comfort until they themselves changes from their pleasant ways and start defying their Lord.
Once again my religion taught me that the betterment of every community is factored on the willingness of the individuals which constitutes it to rectify themselves.
And that ends the third lesson.
Watch out for more lessons from what my religion taught me...
