Righteousness in Islam - Part 5

Transcript of the Khatira delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on March 7, 2020

Brothers and sisters! InshaAllah, today’s khatira is a continuation (Part-5) of my previous four khatiras on the concept of righteousness in Islam. The main topic of discussion is the tafsir of ayah 177 of Surat al-Baqarah, which says:

“Righteousness does not consist in whether you face towards the East or the West; righteousness means believing in Allah, the last day, the angels, the book and the prophets; the righteous are those who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to relatives,  orphans, the poor, stranded travelers, beggars,  and to free slaves, and who establish salah and pay the zakah, and who keep their pledges when they make them, and show patience in hardship and adversity, and in times of distress. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have taqwa.” (al-Baqarah, 2:177)

One of the distinctive qualities of righteous believers is that they exercise patience (sabr) in times of calamities, hardships, and adversities. Sabr means to restrain oneself. In the spiritual sense, it means to stop oneself from losing hope and panicking, and to stop one’s tongue from complaining. It means that we act wisely and restrain ourselves from doing things that will cause more harm. Islam emphasizes patience and perseverance in adversities or calamities.

Throughout history, all believers have been put to tests and tribulations whether they were prophets and messengers of Allah (SWT) or ordinary believers like us, living as individuals, as families, as communities, and as an ummah. Allah says:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ

“Do people think that once they say, we believe, they will be left alone and will not be tested? (Al-‘Ankabut, 29:2).

Patience is required to face the possible hardships of performing the various modes of worship like praying and fasting. All obligatory rituals of worship have to be carried out patiently and persistently, no matter how difficult they may apparently appear to be. Patience is required in controlling oneself by refraining from anything that is unlawful (haram), despite the craving one may have for it. A constant inward struggle is required to keep oneself away from committing a sin. Patience, therefore, has to be adopted by the believers as a way of life. We are all subjected to various tests in this life. Believers are asked to seek Allah’s help through patience and prayers.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

“O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer, for Allah is with the patient” (al-Baqarah, 2:153).

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ () أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

“The ones who when afflicted with adversity say, To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return. Those are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord; they are the ones who are guided” (al-Baqarah, 2:156-157).

   The righteous believers when faced with adversities exercise patience and say that they belong to Allah and to Him they will return. They are the ones who are blessed, who qualify for Allah’s mercy, and who are guided. They also believe, understand, and rely on the divine comforting words,

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا () إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا 

“So truly where there is hardship there is also ease; truly where there is hardship there is also ease” (al-Inshirah, 94:5-6).

Patience and restraint are especially required while facing oppression and injustices that may even culminate in extreme forms of physical and mental torture. Our beloved Prophet (SAW) himself is a shining example of patience. He displayed utmost patience and perseverance in the face of countless adversities that he encountered during his prophetic mission.

Allah (SWT) gives striking examples of patience in the lives of the prophets, because they showed patience in situations that we cannot even imagine. Yusuf (AS) was thrown in a well by his own brothers. Yunus (AS) had to remain in the belly of a whale for three days. Ayub (AS) was tested with loss of health, wealth and family. There were numerous tests endured by the “Ulul ‘Azm”, the five Messengers of Allah who were most strong-willed and persevering: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, ‘Isa (‘Alaihim ussalam) and Muhammad (SAW). They never deviated from their devotion to Allah, and remained resolute in face of adversities. In fact, Allah tests those most whom He loves most. Thus, the prophets whom He loved the most were tested the most.

The Prophet (SAW) himself was subjected to verbal abuse and constant harassment and many intrigues and murderous plots were hatched against him. While being a model of patience, he  also inculcated this noble quality in his companions. They were persecuted, both verbally and physically, for declaring and conveying the truth of tawhid. Their intense and deep rooted faith (iman) made them withstand all forms of persecution, hardship and torture meted out to them by the arch enemies of Islam. While in Mecca, they did not retaliate or raise arms to defend themselves as the divine command for active resistance in self-defense had not been revealed during the Meccan period.

Patience leads to intelligence in thought and action. One of the major factors preventing people from acting intelligently is their impulsive thinking and behavior brought about by impatience. Sudden anger or desire shuts down the mind and pushes people to act without thinking. It is perhaps for this reason, that when the Prophet (SAW) was asked for advice by one of his companions, he replied, “Don’t get angry.” The companion kept on asking for more advice and each time the messenger of Allah (SAW) responded, “Don’t get angry.” Every single time we practice patience Allah (SWT) removes our sins from us. A hadith tells us, “No fatigue, disease, sorrow, sadness, hurt, or distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick of a thorn, except that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.”

After elaborating what real righteousness is, the ayah 177 of Surat al-Baqarah concludes by highlighting the principal quality of the people possessing real righteousness and piety. 

أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

“Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have taqwa” (al-Baqarah, 2:177)

Such people are sincere in their faith and their commitment to Allah (SWT). They prove themselves capable of translating that faith into a practical way of life. They are conscious of Allah and of their bond with His power and grace. They are careful in fulfilling their obligations towards Him. 

For the Muslim community to fulfill its great role of universal leadership of mankind and its task of instituting justice and equality in the world, it is necessary to collectively acquire these qualities.

In reflecting on the contents of this blessed ayah, one can clearly visualize the great heights to which Allah (SWT) is aiming to raise human beings through Islam. Our faith and trust in Allah fills our hearts with hope and confidence that the day is coming when humanity will come around to seeing the profound value, universal beauty, and eternal qualities of Islam. 

May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to understand situations in their proper perspectives.

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