We feel the pain. We are hurting. We are crying. Reality has kicked in. Up until a month ago, everything was just a blur, didn’t know the effect and seriousness of the situations around the world. Up until a month ago, don’t even know if I felt for those around the world. However, when it creeps up into your own country, your own city, your own community, your own _family_–you feel everything. You feel the cries of the orphans, you feel the pain of the oppressed, you feel the anguish of the mothers, you feel the sorrow of the ummah.You start to think, why? Why has Allah put us in these conditions?
Hold up. Is it really Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) who put us in this condition? Or is it us due our neglect and, at times, denial of the commands of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)?
It was narrated that in the days that Musa (عليه سلام) wandered with Banu Israeel in the desert, an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (عليه سلام) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.
Allah revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Banu Israeel whom disobeyed Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) for more than 40 years of his life. ‘Let him separate himself from the congregation,’ Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) told Musa (عليه سلام). ‘Only then shall I shower you all with rain.’
Musa (عليه سلام) then called out to the throngs of humanity, ‘there is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for 40 years. Let him separate himself from the congregation, and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.’ That man waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one.
The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation, all would die of thirst, and that if he stepped forward, he would be humiliated for all eternity.
He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with a humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said: ‘O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!’
As Musa (عليه سلام) and the people of Bani Israeel awaited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Musa (عليه سلام) asked Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), ‘O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward.’ And Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) replied, ‘O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israeel with water.’
Musa (عليه سلام), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, ‘Show him to me O Allah!’ Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) replied, ‘O Musa, I hid his sins for 40 years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?’
Due to one person–ONE person–Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) didn’t grant them rain. Now, do you think we deserve victory? Forget about one person, more like thousands upon thousands upons thousands, maybe even millions in our day and age. We sin on a daily basis, without any regard, without any fear, without any remorse. Isn’t it about time we give victory to ourselves? Isn’t it about time we stop this?
Well … you can.
Let’s make it a point to ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) for forgiveness of our past sins and inshallah return to Him. We’ve tried everything else–drugs, cigerettes, girls, clubs, music, the list could go on and on–why not try the sure path, The Straigh Path given to us by Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)? I make du’a to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) that inshallah He, through His Mercy and His Grace, guides all of mankind to The Straigh Path and inshallah reunites us all in Jannah. Ameen!
The Paradise of the believer is surely in the Hereafter, so he will easily sacrifice this world and everything in it for what is to come, as it is everlasting. However, the paradise of the one who neglects the commands of Allah is limted to this world, this life, and surely it will come to an end.