Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory [and one can get honour, power and glory only by obeying and worshipping Allah (Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (the goodly words i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allah unless and until they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs will be severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Indeed, remembrance of Allaah and drawing close to Him through righteous deeds and statements cannot be accepted by Allaah unless the worshipper fulfils them based on three Pillars, and they are: Love, fear and hope.These three pillars are the pillars of servitude of the heart and no act of worship is accepted except through them. Allaah [جلّ وعلا] is to be worshipped out of love of Him, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment. Allaah [The Blessed and Most High] mentioned these pillars of worship in Surah Al-Faatihah which is the best Surah of the Qur’aan.
Love as a pillar of worship is found in statement [الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ – All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)]. That is because Allaah is the Bestower of all favours (or blessings) and the Bestower of blessings (or favours) is loved in accordance with the favours (or blessings) He bestows, and [الْحَمْدُ] is to praise alongside having love for the one who is praised. Hope as a pillar of worship is found in the statement [الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ -The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful]. That is because the believer hopes for Allaah’s Mercy and desires its attainment. Fear as a pillar of worship is found in the statement [مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين -The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)]. [يَوْمِ الدِّين – The Day of Recompense] is the day of reckoning.
Then the statement [إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ – You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)] follows thereafter, which means: O our Lord! We worship You based on those aforementioned pillars- love, hope and fear. These are the three pillars upon which[إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ is established. They have also been mentioned in Surah Al-Israa Ayah 57:
[أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ -Those whom they call upon [like ‘Iesa (Jesus) – son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angel, etc.] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they [‘Iesa (Jesus), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angels, etc.] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment].
In the above Ayah, the statement ”desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah)” means seeking to get close to Allaah through love and doing what He loves. Then Allaah stated, ”(They) hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment”. Therefore in this Ayah, love, fear and hope are mentioned, and likewise stated in Surah Al-Anbiyaa:
إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.
Therefore, a slave (i.e. the one who worships Allaah alone) must combine these three pillars [love, fear and hope] in his (or her) acts of worship and remembrance of Allaah. It is not permissible to worship Allaah with only one of them without the others, such as worshipping Allaah with love alone without fear and hope, or worshipping Allaah with hope alone, or worshipping Allaah with fear alone. And due to this, some of the scholars said, ”Whoever worships Allaah with love alone is a Zindeeq (i.e. such as the extreme soofees etc); and whoever worships Allaah with fear alone is a Harooree (i.e. from the Khaarij), and whoever worships Allaah with hope alone is a Murji, and whoever worships Allaah with love, fear and hope is a believer and person of Tawheed. [End-Ref 1]
We should know that fear of Allah should be combined with love and hope, so that fear does not become a cause of giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy. A believer should have both fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah’s Mercy, so that fear alone does not lead him to give up hope in Allaah’s mercy, nor will hope alone make feel secure from Allaah’s plan. That is because giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy and feeling secure from Allaah’s plan are two affairs that negate perfect Tawheed. Allaah [The Most High] said:
فَلَا يَأۡمَنُ مَڪۡرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ
None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers. [7:99]
And Allaah [The Most High] said:
إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ
Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” [12:87]
And Allaah said:
وَمَن يَقۡنَطُ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ رَبِّهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ
“And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray. [15:56]
Ismaa’eel Ibn Raafi (rahimahullaah) said, ”Feeling secure from Allaah’s plan is when the slave is persistent in committing sin, whilst hoping for Allaah’s forgiveness’’.
The Scholars (rahimahumullaah) say, ”Despair is to distance oneself from having hope for relief and losing hope in that, and it is the opposite of feeling secure from Allaah’s plan. Both these two affairs are a great sin. It is neither permissible for a believer to adhere to fear alone, and thus despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, nor should he adhere to hope alone, and thus feels secure from Allaah’s punishment; rather he should have fear and hope – fearful due to his sins, performs acts of obedience to Allaah and hopes for Allaah’s Mercy, just as Allaah [The Most High] stated:
إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. [21:90]
And Allaah said:
أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورً۬ا
Those whom they call upon [like ‘Iesa (Jesus) – son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angel, etc.] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they [‘Iesa (Jesus), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angels, etc.] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is something to be afraid of! [17:57]
When fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah are combined, it urges a slave (i.e. a worshipper of Allaah) to perform deeds and utilise the beneficial means to that; for indeed alongside having hope in Allaah’s Mercy, he performs acts of obedience and hopes for reward; and by way of fear, he abandons disobedience due to being fearful of Allaah’s punishment. But if he despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, he may stop performing righteous deeds, and if he feels secure from Allaah’s punishment, he is pushed towards acts of disobedience. [Ref 2]
[Ref 1: Abridged & paraphrased. Source: Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal-Adkaar’ page 99-100′ parts 1&2′ by Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq al-Badr (may Allaah preserve him)
[Ref 2: Abridged & paraphrased. Source: ‘Al-Irshaad Ilaa Saheeh Al-I’tiqaad War-Raddu Alaa Ahlish-Shirki Wal-Ilhaad’ pages 85 onwards’ by Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him). Publisher: Daarul Aa’simah’ 1st ed (Year 1423AH- year 2002]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah (The Most High) said:
ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُواْ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
‘’Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned.’’ (Soorah Ruum; Ayah:41]
Imaam Ibnul Qayyim(rahimahullaah) said:
This ayah was revealed regarding the state of affairs of the world- the relationship between it and the events that occur. You see how the occurrence of those evil actions and defects (of the people) affects the harvest, vegetation and the animals in every era, and the manner in which those evil (affairs) necessitates other evils. And whenever the people initiate oppression and wickedness, their Lord (The Blessed and Most High) brings about- from those evils and defects (of theirs)- deficiencies and harm in their nourishments, fruits, atmospheres, bodies, physical natures, outward appearances and manners, as a justification for their deeds, acts of oppression and wickedness.
Indeed, the grains of wheat and other than them used to be bigger than what they are today, just as the blessing in them was greater. Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) narrated with his chain of transmission that a packet was found in one of the treasury departments of Bani Umayyah in which there was a grain nearly the size of a date. This grain was grown and harvested during an era of justice.
The majority of the illnesses and the general evil affairs are remnants of the punishment afflicted upon the people of the previous nations; then there remained from that what remains, as a surprise punishment against those who remain upon the (evil) deeds of those previous nations. This is a just judgement and just decree. And indeed the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) has indicated to this in his statement concerning plagues, that ”it is a remnant of an affliction or punishment that was sent by Allaah to the Children of Israa’eel.’’
[Source:Badaa’i-ul At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah: page: 313: Vol:2..abridged and slightly paraphrased]
And keep yourself (O Muhammad) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge.
And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord, but turns away from them forgetting what (deeds) his hands have sent forth. Truly, We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this (the Qur’an), and in their ears, deafness. And if you (O Muhammad) call them to guidance, even then they will never be guided.
And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them to account for what they have earned, then surely, He would have hastened their punishment. But they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape.
And these towns (population, ‘Ad, Thamud, etc.) We destroyed when they did wrong. And We appointed a fixed time for their destruction.
One of The Means of Bringing Tranquillity To The Heart
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah (The Most High) said:
لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ
وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ
In order that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the Favour of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: ”Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!” (43:13-14)
Mentioned (in the above ayah) are the three pillars of gratitude, and they are:
That is because the intent behind the statement of Allah: [وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ – And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return] is an acknowledgement of recompense and to prepared for it. The objective behind these favours is that they are an aid by way of which the slave (seeks) to fulfil that which Allah has commanded him (i.e. acts of worship and obedience etc)
And regarding Allaah’s saying: [ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ – And then may remember the favour of your Lord when you mount thereon]; this is a specific mention of the (favour) in that instance (i.e. at the time in which the person enjoys those favours) because blessings intoxicates many amongst the creation, makes them heedless, evil and ungrateful. Therefore, this state in which Allah commanded (a person to remember Allah for His Favours) is a medication for this destructive ailment.
When the slave recalls that he is completely surrounded by the blessings of Allah and that nothing is from him (or herself), but rather blessings are (from Allah) -its means are facilitated and its obtainment made easy (by Allaah)- he (she) submits to Allah, humbles him (or herself), thanks and Praises Allaah. And by way of this he (or she) is given continuous blessings.
[Source: Fataawa Sadiyyah page: 61.. abridged and slightly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah [The Most High] says in Surah Ash-Shu’araa Aayaat 23-29:
[قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَمَا رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ- Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “And what is the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)?]; [ قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ – Musa (Moses) said: “Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty];
[قَالَ لِمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥۤ أَلَا تَسۡتَمِعُونَ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said to those around: “Do you not hear (what he (Moosaa) says)?];
[قَالَ رَبُّكُمۡ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآٮِٕكُمُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ – Musa (Moses) said: “Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!];
[قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُرۡسِلَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ لَمَجۡنُونٌ۬ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!]; [قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَمَا بَيۡنَہُمَآۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ – Musa (Moses) said: “Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!];
[قَالَ لَٮِٕنِ ٱتَّخَذۡتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيۡرِى لَأَجۡعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجُونِينَ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “If you choose an ilah (god) other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners].”
So after Fir’awn had no proofs to offer and was completely unable to offer anything that would nullify the proofs of his opponent, he utilised his authority in the land to threaten Moosaa [alayhis- salaam]. He -May Allaah disfigure him- thought that he could misguide Moosaa [alayhis-salaam] by threatening him- that Moosaa cannot worship a god besides him, for if Moosaa [alayhis-salaam] does not choose him as his god, then indeed Moosaa has affirmed that he and his followers are upon clear-sightedness in the affairs of their religion.
Abridged & Paraphrased from Tayseer Al-kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan’ by Imaam As-Sadi (rahimahullaah)
Verily, you (O Muhammad ) will die and verily, they (too) will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord.