Practicing Islam, no compromise
Posted by Nur Ahmad Furlong on 07 Ramadhan 1430 / 8/28/09 • Categorized as Spritual Thoughts
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Alhamdulilaah we are truely blessed to be part of the Deen of Islam, and to experience the benefit of one of it’ pillars, fasting in the month of Ramadan. We should be so grateful that Allah has honoured us and not made of those who are lost or astray with no certainty of what life is about or where we are headed in the next life. We ask Allah to make us of the Shaakireen (the thankful).
I was having a discussion with someone earlier today about attending gatherings where alcohol is served, and it brought to mind a specific verse of the Quran. I was advising someone not to attend a specific function, even though there seemed to be some worldly benefit in that function, due to the lack of Islamic benefit or more appropriately the bringing upon oneself the displeasure of Allah. The person agreed but emphasized having the right intention and would not be drinking. So we discussed the matter a little and I shared a few points from Quran and Hadith on the subject.
“ O you who believe! Truly, intoxicants and gambling and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan’s doing: avoid it in order that you may be successful. Assuredly Satan desires to sow enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then desist?” (5:90-91)
‘Umar narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must not sit at table at which khamr is consumed.”
It is reported that the rightly-guided Caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul’Aziz used to flog not only those who drank but those who sat with them as well, even if they were not themselves drinking. When once he was told of a group of people who were at a drinking party, he ordered that all of them be flogged. He was told that a person who was fasting was among them. “Begin with him,” he said. “Have you not heard Allah’s saying, “And He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the revelation of Allah rejected and mocked, you are not to sit with them until they turn to some other theme; for if you do so, you will be like them…. “(4:140)
While we agreed that what these people at the function were going to be engaging in was wrong, the focus on the worldly benefit from a business perspective by networking with those who do not believe in Allah was such, that the person was prepared to ignore or explain away the Ayaat and Ahadeeth presented.
Which brings me to the verse which came to mind:
“Enter into the fold of Islam completely, and follow not the footsteps of the Shaytan.” [Qur'an Al-Baqarah:208]
“Do you believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except humiliation in this life, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be consigned to the most grievous torment !” [Qur'an Al-Baqarah:85]
We have become like the one visiting the grocery stores, and I include myself in this description, picking and choosing the parts of the deen which suite us, and explaining away the rest which do not suite us.
Allah has given us a blessing we can never calculate in the month of Ramadan. We should be striving to be pleasing to Allah in all aspects of our lives, even if this means making a sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Truely Allah is the one who gives us success in both Deen and in our business lives, so there really is not point in doing things which would cause Allah to be displeased with us just or the sake of worldly benefit.
Is it time we all started to realise that true success in this world and the next can only be achieved through the one in who’s hands all success lies, Allahu sub’haanahu wata’aala. Taking a quick shortcut here and there which may lead to causing Allah to become angry with us is sacrificing temporary gain for longer term pain, whereas we could make a small sacrifice now and we may find that even greater success lies waiting just around the corner, if only we trusted in Allah just a little bit more.
Narrated Umar ibn Al-Khattab from the Prophet (PBUH) who said:
“If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs.”
(Ahmad, An-Nasaa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi who said: “Hassan sahih”)
Lastly Allah says:
“O you who believe. Obey Allah, and obey His Messenger, and those in command among you. If you dispute any matter, then bring it back to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement.” [Qur'an Al-Nisa:59]
“No, by your Lord, they will not become believers until they place you as a judge among themselves, and they find no hardship in their hearts from that which you judged by and submit completely.” [Qur'an Al-Nisa:65]
Nur Ahmad Furlong is a Communications Consultant, Graphic/Web Designer, blogger, Partner in StrictlyHalaal.com and lover of all things truly Islamic.
Nur Ahmad Furlong's Site | All posts by Nur Ahmad Furlong
I don’t know if it’s just me but it seems strange that people were being beaten for drinking alcohol and sitting with people drinking alcohol. Were these people Muslim? The ones that were drinking I mean. Even if they were why were they flogged? I didn’t realise Islam was enforced in such ways back then.
I guess context is always important when discussing these things because everybody compromises and I think one of the key points of Islam is actually that it is not supposed to be a burden upon you so I don’t think compromise is necessarily a bad thing. I always consider the greater good.
Personally I keep away from places that serve alcohol these days but every once in a while you will end up in a place that is not entirely Islamic (is there any place that is competely Islamic?) and I’m cool with that as I know I won’t be partaking in those activities.
It might seem strange to someone living in a society which has accepted alcohol as a normal part of life, but of course you may not have investigated the extreme effects Alcohol has had on modern society since it has become so “legal”.
Look into statistics on murder, rape, child abuse, violence, split families, adultery etc etc etc and you will inevitably find alcohol being one of the main causes. Not to mention the number of people which are killed on the roads around the world by semi-inebriated drivers.
Before criticizing, do your investigation properly and you will find alcohol to be way more evil that a random whipping. I fully support removing alcohol from society completely. There is no benefit it in whatsoever except that it reinforces man’s desire to just do whatever he wants without consequences.
It’s a filth which has infected humanity, and evil poison destroying lives on a second to second basis.
I actually agree with you, I just don’t think beating ’sense’ into people works.
“It is not befitting for a believing man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allaah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision.” [al-Ahzaab 33:36]
Put aside the I just don’t think this and that and start looking at what Allah and his Messenger have said on the subject.
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansaab, and Al-Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful” [al-Maa’idah 5:90]
In Sunan Abi Dawood (3189) it is narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed alcohol, the one who drinks it, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who squeezes it (squeezes the grapes, etc), the one for whom it is squeezed, the one who carries it and the one to whom it is carried.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2/700)
With regard to the punishment of the drinker in this world, the punishment is flogging, according to the consensus of the fuqaha’, because of the report narrated by Muslim (3281) from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) flogged the one who had drunk wine with palm branches stripped of their leaves and with shoes.
Source – http://islamqa.com/en/ref/20037/alcohol prayer
May Allah be our guide.
Nur – I don’t think you answered Mash’s question in your fataawa that followed. If the people that Umar had flogged where Muslim, then it makes sense that even those that were not drinking were flogged. And that is hardly the same thing as us, as Muslims, being with non-Muslims who drink, if we think the reason is justified.
There is no doubt in my mind either (as Mash also confirmed) about the dangers of alcohol, but the point that he raised that I will reiterate is, beating is not the way to spread the beautiful message of Islam. There are times when beating is necessary, but its not the only action that Muslims should have in their arsenal…
@Bilal & @Mash, thanks for your advice and your thoughts.
Let me firstly say though that I wasn’t using the references to give a fatwa on the issue of lashes or punishment. I was drawing the reader’s attention to the fact that the issue of consumption of Alcohol, and mixing with those who are consuming it are serious issue which we take way too lightly.
I was using the example to show how seriously this issue was taken by the previous generations who were known to be much more upright and practicing on all the principles of Islam than we are.
Mash latched onto the lashing part of the one example and went in a different direction with it, and my intention was not to make a call to start lashing, but to make a point about the seriousness of mixing with those who are consuming Alcohol. I hope this is clear.
Please re-read the post, you’ll see my post had nothing to do with the punishment aspect, but was more of a reminder to avoid mixing with those who are engaged in activities which we have been commanded to avoid. I am in total agreement that there are many ways to advise, which is why I wrote the post in the first place.
And the best advice is that which has been given to us from Allah and His Messenger.
May Allah forgive me for any mistakes in what I might have written, and if anyone benefits from the advice then Allah is the one who gives guidance.
JazakAllah for the great post. I think you’re totally right in saying that we need to be firm about this – to the point in refusing to go to a place/gathering where intoxicants are being consumed.
But for many of us, we just don’t have the inner strength to accept that ruling – and, like you say, we pick and choose what parts of Islam we want; which is very, very erroneous.
I think for a lot of people, the solution to this problem in particular (and other problems, of course), is a step by step approach.
We need to work on the heart first, then translate that into actions. Just like the Quran’s revelation: it started with matters of belief, and the fiqh and rules and regulations came after that. Because the soil needed to be right first: the people’s hearts needed to become attached to Allah first; and after that, it was easier for them to accept the rules and regulations.
Like you say – this is a society which has accepted alcohol as normal; but just because a lot of people do it – it doesn’t make it acceptable by Allah.
Some muslims have also ‘accepted’ alcohol as being normal. not in the sense that they’d consume it – but in the sense of: “We’re in a non-muslim country; and it’s so widespread here – what can you do?” So they don’t mind sitting in company that is consuming it.
But if they accept what you’ve said – the verses from the Quran and the hadith – as being correct; but they know that it’s just their own weakness holding them back – then the next step is to do something about it. And i think the best way is the step by step approach.
Anwar Al-Awlaki – in one of his talks – makes the comparison about the prohibition of alcohol:
1. When it was banned in the U.S. in the 1920s (the period of Prohibition).
2. When the verses of the Quran came down banning it.
The man-made attempt to stop this evil (in the US’s prohibition period) failed miserably. The Islamic history of this prohibition was a success – to the point that, if i remember correctly, as soon as they heard the news of the prohibition, some people even made themselves vomit what they had just drunk – to rid themselves of it.
The reason for such success was that in terms of revelation, the banning of alcohol came in stages: it wasn’t banned outright from the beginning. And with the people’s hearts attached to Allah, as soon as they heard that Allah so severely disliked the practice of consuming intoxicants – it was like an instant reaction to submit to His command.
And that illustrates the point of how important gradual change is.
So, in our society – to combat our weakness on points like this, I think we need to take lessons from that, and approach our lives and issues holistically: making consistent, step by step efforts to reform the things we need to change in our own selves, and in the society at large.
May Allah help us to be true submitters to Him; and help us to progress to the ultimate state of submission to His will.