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The_Foundations_of_the_Islamic_Belief, page : 227
which was preordained and there may appear in
the
present a thing which will give the lie to the words, ("I am a believer"). And who can be sure that
he is
one of those for whom Allah has preordained good things.
It has been said that the Words of Allah: "And when the agony of death comes in truth," (Quran
50:19)
mean that the preordained thing (has been fulfilled) and made known.
One of the good, early generation said that deeds would be judged by their ends. Abu ad Darda' used
to
swear by Allah saying: "There is no one who feels safe in his belief who is not robbed of it." It
was also
said that some sinful deeds were not punished except by their sad ends. We seek refuge in Allah
against
such deeds and such punishments. It has also been said that such punishments await those who falsely
claim righteousness and the gift of miracles.
One of the gnostics once said, "If I were given the choice between martyrdom at the outer gate of
the
house and death as a true believer at the door of an inner room, I would choose the latter because
I do
not know what might occur to me and divert my heart from true belief on my way (from the inner room)
to the outer gate of the house." Another said, "If I had known a certain person to have been a true
believer for the last fifty years and then, even though so frail a thing a pole should hide him
from my
sight before his death, I could not be sure that he died a true believer." According to one
condition,
"Whoever says, `I am a believer', is an infidel; and whoever says, `I am learned', is ignorant." In
the
interpretation of the Words of the Allah, "And the Words of your Lord are completed in truth and in
justice." It has been said that truth relates to those who died a believer and justice
relates for he who
dies an unbeliever.
He - the High - said: "And all final matters belong to Allah." No matter how little doubt may be in
such
cases the resort to qualification is obligatory, because belief is a means of grace for the
Hereafter just as
fasting is a means of grace for absolving the heart from guilt in this life. Whatever fast is
rendered void
before sunset it is no longer a fast and will not absolve from guilt. The same thing is true of
belief. In
fact a person may be asked about a previous fast concerning which there is no doubt. He will
be asked,
"Have you fasted yesterday?" and he will reply. "Yes, Allah willing." For genuine fasting is the
only
acceptable fasting, and the acceptable fasting is unknown except to Allah.
For this reason it is desirable to use the qualification, "Allah willing" in all the deeds of
righteousness.
This
the
present a thing which will give the lie to the words, ("I am a believer"). And who can be sure that
he is
one of those for whom Allah has preordained good things.
It has been said that the Words of Allah: "And when the agony of death comes in truth," (Quran
50:19)
mean that the preordained thing (has been fulfilled) and made known.
One of the good, early generation said that deeds would be judged by their ends. Abu ad Darda' used
to
swear by Allah saying: "There is no one who feels safe in his belief who is not robbed of it." It
was also
said that some sinful deeds were not punished except by their sad ends. We seek refuge in Allah
against
such deeds and such punishments. It has also been said that such punishments await those who falsely
claim righteousness and the gift of miracles.
One of the gnostics once said, "If I were given the choice between martyrdom at the outer gate of
the
house and death as a true believer at the door of an inner room, I would choose the latter because
I do
not know what might occur to me and divert my heart from true belief on my way (from the inner room)
to the outer gate of the house." Another said, "If I had known a certain person to have been a true
believer for the last fifty years and then, even though so frail a thing a pole should hide him
from my
sight before his death, I could not be sure that he died a true believer." According to one
condition,
"Whoever says, `I am a believer', is an infidel; and whoever says, `I am learned', is ignorant." In
the
interpretation of the Words of the Allah, "And the Words of your Lord are completed in truth and in
justice." It has been said that truth relates to those who died a believer and justice
relates for he who
dies an unbeliever.
He - the High - said: "And all final matters belong to Allah." No matter how little doubt may be in
such
cases the resort to qualification is obligatory, because belief is a means of grace for the
Hereafter just as
fasting is a means of grace for absolving the heart from guilt in this life. Whatever fast is
rendered void
before sunset it is no longer a fast and will not absolve from guilt. The same thing is true of
belief. In
fact a person may be asked about a previous fast concerning which there is no doubt. He will
be asked,
"Have you fasted yesterday?" and he will reply. "Yes, Allah willing." For genuine fasting is the
only
acceptable fasting, and the acceptable fasting is unknown except to Allah.
For this reason it is desirable to use the qualification, "Allah willing" in all the deeds of
righteousness.
This