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Parables of the Qur’an II
Episode 17
In the name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful. All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet (SAWS). First I wish to remind you by our Ramadan campaign "We Will Live by Qur'an". As we agreed, we want 10,000,000 Muslim complete reciting Qur'an by the end of Ramadan this year.
Now, let us go back to Musa (AS)(Moses). Musa (AS) now became sure that Israelites regret following As-Samiriyy (The Samaritan) and taking the calf as their god, however he (AS) decided to give them a good lesson for this deed. This time he (AS) decided to be strict with them, but first he talked to them gently saying what can be translated as," Surely your God is only Allah; there is no god except He (alone); He has embraced everything (in) His Knowledge." (TMQ, 20:98). Then he (AS) talked to them rigorously saying what can be translated as," “…O my people, surely you have done injustice to yourselves by taking the Calf to yourselves. So repent to your Initiator (and) so kill yourselves. (i.e., the unburdening of their sins; forgiveness) That (Literally: these “killings”) is most charitable for you in the Providence of your Initiator; so He relented towards you. Surely He, Ever He, is The Superbly Relenting, The Ever-Merciful" (TMQ, 2:54).
We can notice from the latest ayah that Israelites are different from Muslims. If a Muslim wants to repent to Allah (God), all he has to do is to ask Allah for His forgiveness, resolve not to be back to the same sin again and then be sure that Allah will forgive him. However, Israelites are materialistic people, they don't believe in any unseen thing. That is why Musa (AS) wanted that their lesson be perceived by their senses. He (AS) asked them to kill themselves. Unexpectedly, each of them held a knife in his hand and was ready to kill himself. It was only then, that Musa (AS) told them that Allah (SWT) forgave them.
Musa (AS) will then take his people to the Aqsa mosque at al-Quds. But first let me tell you a story. In one of the Muslims' battles with the Prophet (SAWS) against the disbelievers, one of the Muslims soldiers was killed. Muslims then thought he should be in jannah (paradise) as he was martyred, but the Prophet (SAWS) told them that this person is in hellfire as when he was badly wounded, he used his sward to kill himself. Our prophet (SAWS) wanted to teach us that we have to maintain our good deeds to our last breath.
Another one of the Prophet's companions called Alqama was dying; yet, he could not pronounce shahadah . As a result the Prophet (SAWS) went to Alqama's mother to ask her if there was any thing that made her upset with Alqama. She told him that Alqama used to bring his wife and kids the good fruits and give her the bad ones. The Prophet (SAWS) told her that Alqama would enter hellfire for that deed. Thus, she forgave him at once so as not to let her son be in hell.
That is why the Prophet(SAWS) orderd us to ask Allah for a good end and to end our life with a good deed. The good end has to do with today’s episode. If one’s heart is full of hatred, envy, arrogance, selfishness, vanity or any similar illnesses, he should then fear bad ending, If not, he can repent to Allah (SWT) and his repentence will surely be accepted.
The Prophet (SAWS) teaches us whenever we look at the mirror, to ask Allah to beautify our morals as He (SWT) beautified our appearences.
Let us continue with Musa (AS). In his way to the holy land, he met a man who looked very pious while his heart was full of sickness. When you listen to this story, you should be examining your heart to know if you have sickness in it or you will have a good ending.
When Musa (AS) was rescued from Pharaoh, he went to Sinai where he met As- Samiriyy and then headed to al-Quds, but first he passed by Jordan where he stayed for a while in the valley beside Nibo mountain. This mountain is where Musa (AS) was buried and from where we can see the Aqsa mosque. The people who lived in the valley beside Nibo Mountain were known as Bani Kan’an. Bel’an Ibn Baoura’ was a man of Bani Kan’an who was known for his religiousness. His story was mentioned in only two ayahs in Qur'an to give a lesson in good and bad endings. He was not an Israelite. However, he was a scholar who new that Musa (AS) was a prophet. This man had an illness in his heart. Though he looked like a pious scholar, he was an egoistic person, full of arrogance and looking for fame. Nevertheless, his people, Bani Kan'an, did not pay him any attention.
Bani Kan'an were known for their good relationship with pharaoh. That was why they feared Musa (AS) and his people as they saw them coming to their valley. Finally, they decided to ask Bel'an for help. They tried to convince him to make a dua’a (supplication) against Musa (AS) and his people. Bel'an was sure that Musa (AS) was a messenger of Allah, consequently he refused. As they new he was looking for fame, they told him that they would raise his rank and give him the fame and the religious authority he was looking for if he consented to do what they want. At this moment he agreed at once. He started to make dua’a against Musa (AS) and Israelites but of course Allah (SWT) did not respond to him. Allah (TWT) says about Bel'an what can be translated as," And recite to them the tiding of him to whom We brought Our signs, yet he stripped himself out of them; (i.e., he abaudoned them) then Ash-Shytan (The all-vicious one, i.e., the Devil) followed up after him, (and) so he became of the misguided... "(TMQ, 7:175).
Bani Kan'an did not give him the rank they promised as his dua’a was not met. As a result, Bel'an became angry, but he was still looking for fame. He said," now that I lost my hereafter, I will not lose my life". He told his people that if dua’a did not work, scheme would certainly work. Consequently, he asked them to adorn their women, let them go down the valley to sell Israelites their goods and whenever any Israelite want to comit adultry with them, they should obey.
Bani Kan'an followed Bel'an's advice and some of the Israelites were seduced by their women. That is why the Prophet (SAWS) said that Israelites were first tempted by women. Musa (AS) knew what happened; he (AS) made dua’a against Ben'an who stripped himself out of Allah's sins. As a result, Allah (SWT) responded to Musa (AS) because Musa (AS) was pious and his heart was clear of illness. Allah (SWT) said what can be translated as, " And recite to them the tiding of him to whom We brought Our signs, yet he stripped himself out of them; (i.e., he abaudoned them) then Ash-Shytan (The all-vicious one, i.e., the Devil) followed up after him, (and) so he became of the misguided.. And if We had decided, We would indeed have raised him thereby, but he clung to the earth and closely followed his prejudice. So the likeness of him is like the likeness of a dog: in case you burden it, it lolls (its tongue out), or (in case) you leave it, it lolls (its tongue out). That is the likeness of the people who have cried lies to Our signs. So narrate (these) narratives that possibly they would meditate.." "(TMQ, 7:175-176).
Bel'an did not get what he wanted. Though Allah (TWT) could have made him die, however, He (SWT) let him live to grow old without getting what he wanted exactly like a dog that pants for life. Note how this great story was summarized in only two ayahs to show how great Qur'an is.
Our hearts are what lead us to good or bad endings. Ask Allah (SWT) to grant you the good ending like the Prophet (SAWS) used to do.
I want to wind up today's episode with some stories. The first is when Belal (RA) was dying his wife was yelling, "O what a catastrophe". Belal asked her not to say so, because he was going to meet his beloved ones, Muhammad (SAWS) and his companions. See how great this end was!
The other story is for Mu'az Ibn Jabal. When he was dying he asked about the time then, when he knew it was the time before dawn, he asked Allah (SWT) to be in jannah in the morning. Then he cried, when he was asked why he was crying he said that he was not crying for losing his life, he rather cried for missing qiyam (voluntary night prayer) and reciting qur'an for that night.
Sheikh Keshk, (May Allah mercy him), died while he was prostrating in a prayer. Sheikh Ghazali (May Allah mercy him), died when he was defending Islam and he was buried in Madinah between Imam Malek's and the Prophet's son's, Ibrahim, graves.
But let me tell you a different story. My friend was travelling be airplane, a smart man was sitting next to him. Suddenly, my friend noticed this man was dying. My friend tried to help this man pronounce shahadah but he was clinging to his bag full of money and contracts and he died without pronouncing shahadah.
If we want to have a good ending, we all have to discover and cure the illness of our hearts, if they have any and remember that Allah (TWT) says what can be translated as, "O you have believed, be pious to Allah with His true piety, and definitely do not die except as Muslims." "(TMQ, 3:102).
Translated by: The English Convoy – Dar al-Tarjama
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