Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind; and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. John Donne
Madrasah Al-Aaizah’s whole team of teachers and students is deeply saddened by the Peshawar school incident on 12/16/14, and strongly condemns the killing of innocent students and teachers, as well as all acts of terrorism.
The Glorious Quran:
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ جَاء تْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ
On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person- unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land- it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Al-Ma’idah, 5:32)
The times of our lives…
A family of six goes out to dinner and spends amount X in one night within a few hours which, paradoxically, is the monthly income of each of countless families of twelve or more members. For each child who goes to school in the highest luxury there are countless such who have no access to schooling or even basic living necessities of a sheltered home, clean drinking water, etc. Such are the times of our lives. The community is desensitized.
Last week, 12/16/14, was the ultimate impact of this paradoxical and self-centered society. Army Public School, Peshawar, was attacked by terrorists and more than 135 students and teachers were ruthlessly killed in one deadly blow. The nation was shocked, stunned and deeply grieved. Television, newspapers, all media and every individual had nothing to speak about but this tragedy.
However, while emotional and strategic actions are taking place, simultaneously life is going on as usual.
“I haven’t slept all night thinking about this.” This was heard at a wedding party only a day after the 12/16/14 tragedy, expressed by a gentleman while helping himself to a ten course dinner. If the tragedy shook him up so much, why didn’t he lose his appetite too, along with his sleep?
“I have been crying all day thinking about the children and their parents,” says a lady while shopping busily for branded stuff at a mall. Did the horrific incident distract her and distress her enough only to shed tears, while shopping went on with full passion?
“We, the members of ……. condemn this barbaric act. A committee has been formulated to recommend actions that can be taken to counter terrorism,” was announced by official sources at a press conference after which all the policy members went back to their lavish lifestyles, full armed protection, a motorcade of innumerable cars and homes surrounded on all sides by containers, barbed wire fencing and a large number of police patrol. The recommendations will probably be put in a file never to be opened again. Did they think for a second that the cost of this high profile lifestyle is maintained through those taxpayers’ money whose children were brutally murdered few days back due to lack of a proper security policy and its effective implementation?
سنا ھے جنگلوں کا بھی کوئ قانون ہوتا ہے۔۔۔۔ اے خالق حقیقی اے مالک کائنات ۔۔۔۔ میرے اس شہر میں جنگل کا قانون نافذ کر
The teachings of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) our guide and mentor, show us the way in these times of tribulations. May Allah سبحانه و تعالى grant us the insight and the ability to ponder on these honourable sayings and apply them to our lives in this turbulent age. آمين
بَاب لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَمُرَّ الرَّجُلُ بِقَبْرِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَتَمَنَّى أَنْ يَكُونَ مَكَانَ الْمَيِّتِ مِنْ الْبَلَاءِ
Chapter: The Hour Will Not Begin Until A Man Passes By Another Man’s Grave And Wishes That He Was In The Place Of The Deceased, Because Of Calamity.
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانَ، وَوَاصِلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَذْهَبُ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ عَلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمٌ لاَ يَدْرِي الْقَاتِلُ فِيمَ قَتَلَ وَلاَ الْمَقْتُولُ فِيمَ قُتِلَ ” . فَقِيلَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ” الْهَرْجُ . الْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ ”
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The world would not come to an end until a day would come to the people on which the murderer would not know as to why he has killed and the slain would not know as to why he has been murdered. It would be said: Why would It happen? To which he replied: It would be because of general massacre and bloodshed. And the slaughterers and the slain would be in Fire. (Sahih Muslim)
- عَنْ أَبِي كَبْشَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُوسَى، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِنَّ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ فِتَنًا كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا مُؤْمِنًا وَيُمْسِي كَافِرًا وَيُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ كَافِرًا الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ وَالْقَائِمُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي وَالْمَاشِي فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي ” . قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ ” كُونُوا أَحْلاَسَ بُيُوتِكُمْ ”
Narrated AbuMusa al-Ash’ari:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Before you there will be commotions like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening. He who sits during them will be better than he who gets up, and he who gets up during them is better than he who walks, and he who walks during them is better than he who runs. They (the people) said: What do you order us to do? He replied: Keep to your houses. (Sunan Abi Dawud)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا كَانَ أُمَرَاؤُكُمْ خِيَارَكُمْ وَأَغْنِيَاؤُكُمْ سُمَحَاءَكُمْ وَأُمُورُكُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَكُمْ فَظَهْرُ الأَرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ بَطْنِهَا وَإِذَا كَانَ أُمَرَاؤُكُمْ شِرَارَكُمْ وَأَغْنِيَاؤُكُمْ بُخَلاَءَكُمْ وَأُمُورُكُمْ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ فَبَطْنُ الأَرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ ظَهْرِهَا ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ صَالِحٍ الْمُرِّيِّ . وَصَالِحٌ الْمُرِّيُّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ غَرَائِبُ يَنْفَرِدُ بِهَا لاَ يُتَابَعُ عَلَيْهَا وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ .
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When your leaders are the best of you, the richest are the most generous among you, and your affairs are consulted among you, then the surface of the earth is better for you than its belly. And when your leaders are the worst of you, the richest are the stingiest among you, and your affairs are referred to your women, then the belly of the earth is better for you than its surface.” (Jamia At-Tirmidhi)
عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ، يَذْكُرُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ” . فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَذَكَرَ مَرَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَهُ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ قَوْمًا يَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيُنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ أَبُو جَمْرَةَ .
Imran bin Husain said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘The best of you are my generation, then those who come after them, then those whom after them, then those who come after them.’ -I do not know if he said two times after him or three. Then he mentioned some people who betray and cannot be trusted, who bear witness without being asked to do so, who make vows and do not fulfill them, and fatness will prevail among them.”
باب مَا يُحْذَرُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَالتَّنَافُسِ فِيهَا
Chapter: The warning regarding worldly pleasures, amusements and competing against each other.
زهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ”. قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَمَا أَدْرِي قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا ” ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ، وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ ”.
Narrated Zahdam bin Mudarrib: `Imran bin Husain said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best people are my contemporaries (i.e., the present (my) generation) and then those who come after them (i.e., the next generation).” `Imran added: I am not sure whether the Prophet (ﷺ) repeated the statement twice after his first saying. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “And after them there will come people who will bear witness, though they will not be asked to give their witness; and they will be treacherous and nobody will trust them, and they will make vows, but will not fulfill them, and fatness will appear among them.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The messages in these sayings are clear as the light of day, may the blessings and mercy of Allah سبحانه و تعالى be showered upon His beloved and most honoured of all creation, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (ﷺ). It is only us who lack insight in spite of being endowed with eyesight, and are floundering in darkness in spite of having the brilliant, glittering light of shariyat to guide us.
Even as I am writing this blog, and at this moment all the political leadership has their heads together to resolve this perilous and threatening menace of terrorism, there is yet another bomb blast in the crowded market of Quetta, killing and injuring a large number of people.
Yes, these are the times of our lives that were already defined more than fourteen hundred years ago but we were not left to falter and grope in the dark. In fact, we were provided the shining beacon of direction in the form of the Glorious Quran and the enlightened Sunnah. O that we were the followers that were meant to be!
ہم تو مائل بہ کرم ہیں کوئ سائل ہی نہیں —- راہ دکھلائیں کسے راہ روے منزل ہی نہیں
ہاتھ بے زور ہیں الحاد سے دل خوگر ہیں ___ امتی باعث رسوائی پیغمبر ہیں
جس کو آتا نہیں دنیا میں کوئ فن تم ہو ——- نہیں جس قوم کو پرواۓ نشیمن تم ہو
کی محمد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تیرے ہیں —– یہ جہاں چیز ہے کیا لوح و قلم تیرے ہیں
علامہ اقبال رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
By Ustadha Almas Taufiq