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Bursalı Mustafa Huldî٭
Allah’s Messenger’ mission was to teach people the Truth, give them the good news of Paradise, and protect them from Hellfire. He invited people to Islam by frightening those who did not submit themselves and obey the commands of Allah by the glad tidings of Paradise; because fear has a more powerful effect. This is why causing fear is the last resort to show the straight path to those who do not come to it and through good tidings. Since the aim is to save every single human being from receiving the Divine punishment.
Allah the Almighty has prepared a great torment in the Hereafter for those who fail their test in this world. Informing the entire humanity about this truth is the requirement of being this world as a testing place. Those who insist in making mistakes will have to face its consequences.
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) warned his followers about the Divine punishment by the order of Allah the Almighty. He began warning from his closest relatives. He addressed to Hashim clan saying:
“I will turn away from you if you come on the Judgment Day with the burden of this world instead of your good deeds. Then you will tell me “O Muhammad,” but I will do this.”
When he was saying “I will do this,” he turned his face from them to another direction and repeated this twice.” (Ibn Ishaq, III, 128; Yaqubi, II, 27)
Thus the Prophet (pbuh) told his relatives about the horror and the punishment they will face on the Judgment Day. And he warned them he would not be able to help them on that Day if they die as non-believers.
We see the same situation in Hamzah’s conversion. After Hamzah (r.a.) had spent a sleepless night filled with many doubts, he came to the Prophet (pbuh) early in the morning. And He talked about his doubts:
“O son of my brother! I am in such a conundrum that I cannot find a solution. Please tell me something and show me an exit-way. Upon this our Prophet (pbuh) gave him some advice and told him about both the blessings and the torments of the Hereafter. Thus he frightened his uncle with the punishment and heartened him with the Paradise. As a result of Prophet’s talk Hamzah (r.a.) converted to Islam and attained the certain knowledge. (Hakim, III, 213; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah, III, 84)
In the following lines how nicely Jalal al-Din Rumi (q.s.) depicts the efforts of the prophets to save humans from dangers:
“The prophets said, “The foul and evil presage has its support from within your souls. If you are asleep in a perilous place, and a dragon is approaching you from a spot close at hand. And a kindly person has made you aware of it by saying, ‘Jump up quickly, or else the dragon will devour you’ – If you say, ‘Why are you uttering an evil warning?’ He will reply, ‘What warning? Get up and see in the light of day. I myself will deliver you from the midst of the evil warning and will take you home.’
A prophet is such a person who acquaints you with hidden things , like the prophet who has seen what the people of this world have not seen. If a physician says to you, ‘Do not eat unripe grapes, for such an illness (as is caused by them) will produce grave trouble and mischief,’ would you blame the one who advices you saying “why should it cause trouble?” (Mathnawi, III, verses: 2955-2962)
Believers should pay attention to such warning by the prophets and they should be very careful not to forget the Hereafter by indulging in this world. Throughout his twenty-three year long prophetic life Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) gave the glad tidings of Paradise and Divine Mercy to everyone who met and warned them about Hell and its torments. Even though some people resisted and threw themselves into the fire, he strived to save them from falling into the pits of Hell. One day he warned his Companions and emphasized the seriousness of this matter:
“When Allah created Paradise, He said to Gabriel:
“Go and look at it.” He went to look at it, then came back and said:
“O my Lord! By Your might, no one who hears of it will fail to enter it.
He then surrounded it with disagreeable things, and said:
“Go and look at it, Gabriel. He went and looked at it, then came and said:
“O my Lord! By Your might, I am afraid that no one will enter it.”
When Allah created Hell, He said:
“Go and look at it, Gabriel.” He went and looked at it, then came and said:
“O my Lord! By Your might, no one who hears of it will enter it.”
He then surrounded it with desirable things and said:
“Go and look at it, Gabriel.” He went, looked at it, then came and said:
“O my Lord! By Your might and power, I am afraid that no one will remain who does not enter it.” (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 21-22; Tirmidhi, Jannah, 21)
Here the Prophet’s aim is not to cause hopelessness amongst people but to attract the believer’s attention to the seriousness of the issue of reward and punishment.
Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) frightened those who commit the deeds prohibited by Allah the Almighty with the torment of Hellfire. One of them is as follows:
“The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“When I was taken up to Heaven on the night of ascension I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I asked Gabriel:
“Who are these people, Gabriel?” He replied:
“They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people’s honor.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 35)
Regarding those who unjustly want to take people’s property, the Prophet (pbuh) said that:
“Whoever usurps somebody’s land unjustly, he will be punished in such a way that his neck will be encircled with it down in the seven earths (on the Day of Resurrection).” (Bukahri, Mazalim, 13)
When our beloved Prophet (pbuh), the announcer of the good news and the warner, was giving his farewell speech soon before his death and announcing to his followers his last warnings, he stated the significance of people’s rights:
“O People! Whoever had usurped unjustly another’s rights should return it now. He should not think that he will be disgraced. Know well that being disgraced in this world is much lighter that being disgraced in the Hereafter.” (Ibn Athir, al-Kamil, 319)
Upon these warnings some people admitted their previous injustices and mistakes and asked that the Prophet (pbuh) pray for them to be forgiven. Then someone stood up and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I am a liar and a hypocrite. There is no sin left that I did not commit.” Umar (r.a.) told him:
“O man! You have disgraced yourself.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:
“O Ibn Khattab! Being disgraced in this world is much lighter than being disgraced in the Hereafter.” Thus, he warned the believers about the horror of the Hereafter and told them to be careful not to be disgraced there. The he prayed for the man:
“O Allah! Bless him with righteousness and the maturity of faith. Turn his mistakes into goodness.” (Tabari, Tarikh, III, 190)
Our beloved Prophet also warned those who are not meticulous in their acts of worship. According to the narration of Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.):
“The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) said:
“If anyone who is sexually defiled leaves a spot to the extent of the root of a hair without washing, such and such an amount of Hell-fire will be suffered due to it.” Then Ali (r.a.) repeated this warning thrice and said:
“Because of this tradition I treated my head (hair) like an enemy.” From that time on, he cut his hair for the fear of leaving roots of hair dry. (Abu Dawud, Taharah, 97)
To acheive the straight path depends on the strength of the faith in the Hereafter. It is unthinkable that those who have certain faith in the Hereafter can commit evil deeds. Since people usually live their lives by taking into account that which they most fear, it is only natural that the fear of being questioned in the Hereafter and fear from the Divine punishment superceeds other fears. This is why Allah the Almighty mentioned belief in the Hereafter and described Judgment Day in many places in the Holy Qur’an.
We have so far examined the manners and methods that need to be followed by the preachers of Islam. When one follows the proper methods in any given task, it would be possible to obtain result more easily, and doing things without following the proper methods makes it difficult to reach one’s objective. One of the most important goals of believers in this world is to place faith and love for Allah the Almighty into the hearts. Even the simplest jobs like planting a flower or placing a brick into a wall demands the application of the right methods, it is obvious that a sensitive task like addressing people’s souls requires certain manners and methods. A preacher of Islam should apply the above mentioned methods and then expect guidance from Allah the Almighty.
It is said that:
اِذَا تَقَرَّرَ الْوُصُولُ بِاْلاُصُولِ نَطَقَ اللِّسَانُ بِالْفُضُولِ
“When someone reaches his goal by applying the proper methods, his tongue begins to utter virtuous and wise words.”
٭ “Repent for your sins before your eyes are closed, settle your accounts before your book is closed”