Best way to live and die
(Yahya)
Donald W. Flood
The Qur'an: The Last Revelation
I comprehended that it was found imperative due to innovations attributed to
Divine revelation that the need arose for another Prophet after Eesa
(alaihissalam) with another revelation after the Gospel. This is why Allah
sent Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) with the last Message, (i.e., the
Qur'an), to bring all of mankind back to the belief in and worship of One
Allah, without partners or intermediaries. According to Muslims, the Holy
Qur'an, the permanent ultimate source of guidance for mankind, offers a
rational and historical elucidation of the magnificent role of Eesa
(alaihissalam). The name Eesa (alaihissalam) is cited twenty-five times in
the Qur'an, which contains a chapter called Maryam (Mary), named after the
mother of Eesa (alaihissalam).
Regarding the Divine authenticity of this revelation, I found the following
Qur'anic verses very compelling: "And it was not [possible] for this Qur'an
to be produced by other than Allah, but [it is] a confirmation of what was
before it and a detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which
there is no doubt, from the Lord of the Worlds." (10:37) And "And indeed, it
is the truth of certainty." (69:51) Similarly, I was concerned about the
adulteration of the Qur'an since this was a major problem with the previous
revelations. I read that the Qur'an will never change or be abrogated:
"Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur'an], and indeed,
We will be its guardian." (15:9)
I was also informed about some of the scientific phenomena mentioned in the
Qur'an, which give credence to the belief that the Qur'an is the literal word
of Allah. There are verses describing human embryonic development, mountains,
the origin of the universe, the cerebrum, seas, deep seas, and internal waves
and clouds. It is beyond explanation that anyone, more than fourteen hundred
years ago, could have known the facts, which were found or confirmed recently
by advanced mechanisms and sophisticated scientific procedures.
Islam: The Essence and Culmination of Revealed Religions
Muslims believe that the essential purpose for which mankind was created is
the worship of Allah. As He said in the Qur'an, "And I did not create the
jinn [i.e., a type of creation, created by Allah from fire] and mankind
except to worship Me" (51:56) Related to this, a well known Islamic scholar
from the West says, "The most complete system of worship available to humans
today is the system found in the religion of Islam, The very name 'Islam'
means 'submission to the Will of Allah'. Although it commonly referred to as
'the third of the three monotheistic faiths, it is not a new religion at all.
It is the religion brought by all the Prophets of Allah for humankind. Islam
was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.''
In addition he states, "Since there is only One Allah, and humankind is one
species, the religion that Allah has ordained for humans is [essentially]
one... Human spiritual and social needs are uniform and human nature has not
changed since the first man and woman were created .
Uncovering the fact that the message of Allah has always been the same, I
realised it is the duty of all human beings to seek the truth and not just
blindly accept the religion that their society or parents follow, According
to the Qur'an, "You worship besides Him not except [mere] names you have
named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority..."
(12:40) Regarding fitrah [i.e., the inherent nature of man to worship Allah
prior to the corruption of his nature by external influences], Prophet
Muhammad (sallallaho aliahi wasallam) said, "Every child is born on Al-Fitrah,
and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism. As an
animal delivers a perfect baby animal, do you find it mutilated?"
Furthermore, Allah says, 'So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the
religion, inclining toward truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which
He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of
Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. "
(30:30) Moreover, I learned there is no other religion acceptable to Allah
besides Islam, as He clearly states in the Qur'an: "And whoever desires other
than Islam as a religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the
Hereafter, will be among the losers. " (3:85). I deduced that man might
neglect the guidance of Allah and establish his own standards of living.
Ultimately, however, he will discover it is only a mirage that alluded him.
A Traveller
As I continued to read the Qur'an and learn about the sayings and doings of
Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho aliahi wasallam) [the Sunnah], I noticed Islam
views man as a traveller in this life and the 'Home' is in the next life for
eternity. We are here for a short period and we cannot take anything with us
from this life except our belief in Allah and our deeds. Thus, man should be
like a traveller who passes through the land and does not become attached to
it. As travellers on this journey, we must understand that the meaning of
being alive is to be tested. Hence, there is suffering, joy, pain and
elation. These tests of good and evil are intended to evoke our higher
spiritual qualities. Yet, we are incapable of benefiting from these tests
unless we do our best, have complete trust in Allah and patiently accept what
He has destined for us.
The Road to Paradise
It was very meaningful to learn about Paradise since this must certainly be
the ultimate goal of every individual. Regarding this eternal home, Allah
says, "And no soul knows what has been hidden for it of comfort for eyes
[i.e., satisfaction] as a reward for what it used to do. " (32:17) 1 also
became aware of a pleasure that is beyond all imagination, which is to be in
the Presence of the Creator Himself. I wondered who are the souls worthy of
such a reward? This reward of Paradise is too great to have a price. I was
told the price is true faith, which is proven by obedience to Allah and
following the Sunnah (way) of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho aliahi wasallam).
I grasped that mankind must worship Allah to attain righteousness and the
spiritual status necessary to enter Paradise. This means human beings have to
comprehend that worship is as indispensable as eating and breathing and not a
favour they are doing for Allah. Likewise, I found out that we need to read
the Qur an to find out what kind of people Allah wants us to be and then try
to become as such. This is the road to Paradise.
Overcoming an Obstacle
At this point, I felt about 80% sure I wanted to become a Muslim, but
something was holding me back. I was concerned about the reaction of my
family and friends if they knew that I had become a Muslim. Shortly
thereafter, I expressed this concern to a Muslim who told me that on
Judgement Day, no one will be able to help you, not your father, mother nor
any of your friends. Therefore, if you believe Islam is the true religion,
you should embrace it and live your life to please the One who created you.
Thus, it became very lucid to me that we are all in the same boat; every soul
shall taste death and then we'll be liable for our particular belief in Allah
and for our deeds.
A Meaningful Videotape
By this stage in my search for the truth, I was on the verge of embracing
Islam. I watched an Islamic lecture on videotape about the purpose of life.
The main theme of this lecture was that the purpose of life may be summed up
in one word, i.e., Islam (peaceful submission to the Will of Allah).
An additional point was that, unlike other religions or beliefs, the term
'Islam' is not associated with any particular person or place. Allah has
named the religion in the following Qur'anic verse: "Indeed, the Religion in
the sight of Allah is Islam..." (3:19) Anyone who embraces Islam is called a
Muslim regardless of that person's race, sex or nationality. This is one of
the reasons why Islam is a universal religion.
Prior to my search for the truth, I had never seriously considered Islam as
an option because of the constant negative portrayal of Muslims in the media.
Similarly, it was disclosed in this videotape that although Islam is
characterised by high moral standards, not all Muslims uphold these
standards. I learned the same can be said about adherents of other religions.
I finally understood that we cannot judge a religion by the actions of its
followers alone, as I had done, because all humans are fallible. On that
account, we should not judge Islam by the actions of its proponents, but by
its revelation (the Holy Qur'an) and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
(sallallaho aliahi wasallam).
The last point I picked up from this lecture concerned the importance of
gratitude. Allah mentions in the Qur'an that we should be grateful for the
fact that He created us: "And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your
mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and
hearts [i.e., intellect that perhaps you would be grateful. " (16:78) Allah
Almighty has also cited gratitude along with belief, and has made it clear
that He gains nothing from punishing His people when they give thanks to Him
and believe in Him. He says in the Qur'an, "What would Allah do with [i.e.,
gain from] your punishment if you are grateful and believe? ..." (4:147)
The Truth Unveils Itself
As soon as the videotape had finished, I experienced the truth being unveiled
to my spirit. I felt a huge burden of sins flying off my back. Moreover, it
felt like my soul was rising above the earth, refusing the makeshift delights
of this world in favour of the eternal joys of the Hereafter. This
experience, coupled with the long process of reasoning, solved the 'purpose
of life puzzle'. It revealed Islam as the truth, thereby replenishing my
'spiritual landscape' with belief, purpose, direction and action. I therefore
entered the gate of Islam by saying the declaration of faith required to
become a Muslim: Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan
Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
His Messenger). I was informed that this formal testimony confirms one's
belief in all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, along with all of His
Divine revelations in their original form, thereby updating and completing
one's religion to the last of the Prophets [Muhammad (sallallaho aliahi
wasallam)] and to the final revelation of Allah [the Qur'an]. The following
point became overwhelmingly clear to me: Had Eesa (alaihissalam) been the
last Prophet of Allah and had the Gospel been the final book of revelation, I
would have attested to that. As a result, I have naturally chosen to follow
the final revelation from the Creator as exemplified by the Seal of the
Prophets (sallallaho alaihi wasallam).
Impressions of a New Muslim
During my search to find the truth, the lesson, which, transcended all
lessons, was that all objects of worship other than Allah are mere delusions.
To anyone who sees this clearly, the only possible course is to bring one's
own will and actions into complete unison with that of Allah. Acquiescing to
the Will of Allah has enabled me to feel peace with the Creator, with others
and finally, with myself. Consequently, I feel very grateful, that by the
Mercy of Allah, I have been rescued from the depths of ignorance and have
stepped into the light of truth. Islam, the true religion of all times,
places and peoples, is a complete code of life which guides man to fulfil the
purpose of his existence on earth, and prepares him for the Day when he will
return to his Creator. Following this path in a devout manner enables one to
gain the pleasure of Allah and be closer to Him amid the endless delights of
Paradise while escaping from the punishment of Hellfire. Another bonus is
that our present life will be much happier when we make such a choice.
A Deceptive Enjoyment
Embracing Islam has given me more of an insight into the illusive nature of
this life. For instance, one basic object of Islam is the liberation of man.
This is why a Muslim calls himself 'Abdullah', the slave or servant of Allah
because enslavement to Allah signifies liberation from all other forms of
servitude, and although modern man may think that he is liberated, he is in
fact a slave to his desires. He is generally deceived by this worldly life.
He is 'addicted' to hoarding wealth, sex, violence, intoxicants, etc. But
above all, he is often seduced by the capitalist system that tends to work
through the invention of false needs, which he feels must be satisfied
instantly, As Allah says in the Qur'an, "Have you seen the one who takes as
his Allah his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him? Or do you
think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except as cattle.
Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way. ) (25: 43-44)
Correspondingly, we should not let our zeal to enjoy the pleasures of this
fleeting life and jeopardise our opportunity to enjoy the ecstasy of
Paradise. As Allah says in the Qur'an, "Beautified for people is the love of
that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and
silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the
enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return [i.e.
Paradise]. Say, "Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those
who fear Allah will be in gardens in the presence of their Lord beneath which
rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and approval
from Allah..." (3:14-15) Therefore, the real competition in this life is not
the accumulation of wealth or the desire for fame; it is facing with one
another to perform good deeds to please Allah, while having our lawful
portion of enjoyment in this life.
The Right Path to Allah
There are many religious alternatives available to man and it is up to him to
choose the one he wishes to follow. He is like a merchant with many goods in
front of him, and it is his choice which one to trade in. He will obviously
select the one he thinks will be the most lucrative. However, the merchant is
unsure and has no guarantee of prosperity; his product may have a market and
he may make handsome returns, but he could just as easily lose all of his
money. In contrast, the believer in the Oneness of Allah who submits to His
Will (a Muslim), is completely sure that if he follows the path of guidance
[the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wasallam)],
there will undoubtedly be success and reward waiting for him at the end of
this path. Fortunately, this success also starts at the beginning of the
path. Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (radhiallaho unho) - Allah's Messenger
(sallallaho aliahi wasallam) said, "If a person embraces Islam sincerely,
then Allah shall forgive all his past sins, and after that starts the
settlement of accounts: the reward of his good deeds will be ten times to
seven hundred times for each good deed, and an evil deed will be recorded as
it is unless Allah forgives it.
Epilogue
Based on my search for the truth, I concluded that the precise way we believe
in Allah and the deeds we perform determine our future condition for
eternity. Our Creator is giving us all an equal chance, regardless of our
circumstances, to earn His pleasure in preparation for Judgement Day, as in
the following Qur'anic verses: "And obey Allah and His Messenger that you may
obtain mercy. And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [i.e.,
Paradise] as wide as the Heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. "
(3:132-133)
If we sincerely seek the truth of this life, which is Islam (peaceful
submission to the Will of Allah), Allah will guide us there, Insha Allah. He
directs us to examine the life and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho
aliahi wasallam), as he represents the best role model for mankind to follow.
Furthermore, Allah directs us to investigate and ponder what He says in the
Qur'an. One will see that the Qur'an is indeed like a persistent and strong
knocking on a door, or loud shouts seeking to awaken those who are fast
asleep because they are just completely absorbed by this life on earth. The
knocks and shouts appear one after the other: Wake up! Look around you!
Think! Reflect! Allah is there! There is planning, trial, accountability,
reckoning, reward, severe punishment and lasting bliss!
Clearly and unequivocally, the best way to live and die in this world is as a
righteous Muslim! When one comes to the conclusion that Islam is the truth,
he should not delay in becoming a Muslim because he may die first, and then
it will be too late.
A few months after embracing Islam, I found two verses in the Qur'an that
mirror what the American Muslim told me regarding how we should live and die:
"And Ibrahim (alaihissalam) instructed his sons and [so did] Yaqoob
(alaihissalam), [saying], O my sons! Indeed Allah has chosen for you this
religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims." (2:132) And O you who
have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as
Muslims [in submission to Him]." (3:102)
