Benefits in This Life and Hereafter

25/10/2010| IslamWeb

This worldly life is the passageway through which the Muslim safely reaches the Hereafter, and he needs this life in order to achieve the objective of becoming amongst the winners in the Hereafter.

 

Therefore, a Muslim is not expected (nor instructed) to shun this worldly life completely and sit isolated in a corner. Rather, he is to live in it and utilize it and should not allow it to use and abuse him. He should subdue it to achieve the religious objectives and take from it only enough to achieve such objectives.

 

Hajj is one of the great acts of worship, and one of the pillars of Islam, and yet Islam does not prevent one from benefiting whilst performing such great rituals; Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {"That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor"} [Quran 22:28]

Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on this verse saying, "This refers to benefits in this worldly life and the Hereafter. The benefit in the Hereafter refers to the pleasure of Allah Almighty, and those of this worldly life refer to anything they may gain in trade or eat from the slaughtered sacrificial animals. This is the opinion of Mujaahid and others."

 

The one who isolates himself from people and claim to do so in order to worship Allah The Almighty and refrains from taking part with the Muslim nation and strive with them in defending the Nation, such a person would not achieve this by performing Hajj. On the other hand, the one whose main concern in this worldly life and he spends his days and nights collecting it will not fulfill the conditions mentioned in the abovementioned verse that connected worldly benefits with the mention of Allah The Almighty.

 

When the Prophet performed Hajj with his Nation, Allah The Almighty revealed the following verse (which means): {"This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion"}[Quran 5:3] It was on the Day of 'Arafah of the tenth year of the Prophet's migration that Allah The Almighty perfected the religion and completed His mercy upon the Muslim nation and accepted Islam as religion.

 

This is indeed a great favor from Allah The Almighty upon His slaves. Whenever a Muslim stands on Mount 'Arafah, he remembers this favor and thanks Allah The Almighty abundantly, and should pledge to Allah The Almighty to protect Islam. Allah The Almighty did not make us in need for anything else after perfecting the religion. Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on abovementioned verse saying,

This is the greatest favor bestowed from Allah upon the Muslim Nation, because He perfected religion for them and left them in need for nothing else other than it, and in need for no other prophet other than their prophet . This is why Allah made Muhammad the last prophet and sent him to mankind and Jinn alike. Nothing is lawful except what he ruled to be lawful, and nothing is unlawful except what he ruled to be unlawful, and nothing is considered as part of the religion except for what he has legislated (through revelations sent down upon him) and all that he uttered was true and did not include a single lie.

Was religion completed and perfected for those who yearn to imitate the west and the east; those who import new ideas, methodologies and beliefs? Do such people understand this lesson and benefit from it? Do those who innovate new things in religion benefit from this lesson? Do those who exaggerate in religion benefit from this lesson? Do those who rule according to other than the Law of Allah benefit from this lesson?