Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala is the Most Great and He has given us a religion that is most great and He has also chosen to make us the greatest of people and has given us the Greatest of books. And whoever dies in this state, Allah has promised the greatest of homes – Jannah. But greatness does not come free. It comes at an expense. Allah Almighty wants something back from us, one thing – submission. Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala wants us to be Muslims. Not merely in our limbs, or with our tongues but Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala wants us to submit our hearts, our minds and our souls to Him. This is the Islam that Allah wants from us.
Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala gives us a description of the Muslim when he is presented with a ruling in Islam. Allah says, “By your Lord, O Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), they have no faith until they make you O Messenger of Allah a judge between them in all of their disputes. Then they find in their hearts no discomfort about the ruling and they surrender with full submission.”
The slogan of a Muslim is to hear and obey. To be a slave of Allah who hears a commandment and obeys. Allah says, “It is the speech of the believers when they are invited by Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, they should say we hear and we obey and they are the successful ones.” This is the slogan of the believer, not the hypocrite, the argumentative and unsure. Allah says about them, when they are invited to have Allah judge between them, “When they are told to come to Allah and His Messenger, you see the hypocrites averting from you, a great aversion.”
Which of these two personalities do we exhibit when we are presented with something that is Halaal and something that is Haraam? Are we true Muslims?
The Companions of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are great luminaries and case studies for matters. The understood the term Islam and Istislam (submission) wholeheartedly. Alcohol was an addiction to the Arabs as much, if not more, as it is today. Yet when alcohol was prohibited in three stages the reaction of the Companions (radiallahu anhum) was unbelievable. One aayah was revealed, “O you who believe, indeed intoxicants, gambling, the divination of arrows, sacrificing on stone alters, these are things that are from the filth of shaytaan so stay away from it if you want to be successful.”
Just one verse of the Quraan was revealed and the companions ran out into the streets reciting the verse. Anas ibn Maalik (radiallahu anhu) says that when this verse was being read out in the streets he was pouring alcohol into the mouth of Abu Ubaidah. Abu Ubaidah, Abu Talhah and Ubayd ibn Ka’ab were drinking alcohol of dates and they heard that alcohol has been made haraam. Abu Talhah said to Anas, “Anas throw it out, spit it out into the streets.” Anas said he took a stone and went to all the barrels which had alcohol and he began smashing them from the bottom and alcohol began flowing out from the streets of Madinah. Some of the Sahabah had the cups in the hands and they threw it out while others had it in their mouth, they spat it out. They didn’t even swallow it thinking that Allah would forgive them. Others went to the point of inducing vomit to get it out of their systems.
When Umar (radiallahu anhu) heard the verse and they asked, “will you now leave alcohol” and he said, “Yes we have, we have O Allah.” There and then, there was immediate compliance, no argumentation and no procrastination. Because they were Muslims. They submitted their hearts and their minds and their souls to Allah.
The Sahabiyaat (radiallahu anhuma) were just as quick in submission. Imam Bukhari narrates in his Sahih that Aisha (radiallahu anha) said, “May Allah have mercy on the first women, the immigrant women of the muhajiraat. I remember a day when the verse was revealed about hijab, the women instantly began covering themselves.” Instantly. They covered their faces, there and then without any delay. Because they were Muslims.
A man was wearing a gold ring as Imam Muslim narrates on the authority of Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhu). Gold is haraam for men but halaal for women. The Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saw it and took it off and threw it away. And he said, “Why does one of you take a red hot coal from Jahannum and place it on his hand.” After it was thrown away a man said to its owner, “Go and fetch your ring again and at least sell it and make use of the gold.” The man said, “No, I will never pick it up after the Prophet had thrown it away.”
They understood Islam and Istislam. The heavens and the earth that are greater to us in creation have submitted to Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala willingly yet we are not? Allah says that that the creation of the heavens and the earth are greater than the creation of man and when Allah said to them to come to Him, they replied, “O Allah we come to you willingly.”
Ebrahim (alyhi salaam) was told to sacrifice his son. Allah Subhanahu wa ta ‘ala did not want the blood and flesh of his son but wanted Ebrahim (alayhi salaam) to submit. Ismaeel (alayhi salaam too also submitted to this command. He said, “O my father do as Allah has commanded you. You will find me amongst the patient.” Allah Subhanhu wa ta ‘ala says that when they both submitted to Him, and Ebrahim placed his son’s head to sacrifice Allah said stop and replaced it with a ram. They had submitted.
Let us train ourselves to submit. Let us learn not to have an allergic reaction when we are told something is Haraam or look for excuses not to submit to the physical and spiritual commandments of Allah. Objecting to the revelations has become the disease of this era.