786/92
Faith, believing in Allah SWT (imaan), which is the first pillar of Islam, is the most important thing to achieve in life. Always be mindful of this. Attaining faith (belief in Allah SWT) results in enlightenment and the development of the spiritual aspect of our beings to become a very powerful person that will be successful in both worlds. All the other four pillars are there to develop this one main pillar, faith.
Surah Al Baqara, which according to some scholars, is the first chapter of our Holy Quraan, starts off describing three types of people or three ways in which we could react to faith. Firstly, a believer is described in five verses. Then the disbeliever is described in just two verses and lastly, the discussion of the hypocrite carries through for much of this long chapter by way of the narratives of Hazrath Moosa AS and Samual AS. From this distribution of verses, we note that the stress is on teaching humanity and Muslims especially about hypocrisy.
You see, belief and disbelief is easy. Its black and white, you are either in or you’re out but hypocrisy is difficult to understand, realise and see because it’s based on deception.
It’s so deceptive that we ourselves will not be able to pick it up or realise that we, ourselves, are behaving in a hypocritical way. This is serious! So this is the thing we, Muslims, should worry about the most because this is a malady that we will all face at some point or the other.
“In as much as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other (outer) idol was born.
The idol of your self is the idol (mother) of (all) idols, because that (outer) idol is (only) a snake, while this (self) idol is a dragon.
It’s easy to break an (outer) idol, very easy; but to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.”
Matnawi
This hypocrisy that we are capable of is the thing we should pay particular attention to because everyone can so easily fall prey to it. It is very difficult for a Muslim to choose disbelief but he will face hypocrisy and one has to first realise and see the wrong within ourselves and then overcome this to become a true believer.
Saying we believe is not good enough. Life is such that our belief is going to be tested and how we react in these trials either makes us true believers or hypocrites. Note, what comes through from these verses is that hypocrisy is far worse than disbelief because a hypocrite fools himself into thinking that he is good. He sees the faults in others but he cannot see the faults in himself.
“Oh, many an inequity you see in others is your own nature (reflected) in them,O reader!
In them shone forth all that you are in your hypocrisy and iniquity and insolence.
You are that (evil-doer), and you are striking those blows at yourself: ‘it’s yourself you are cursing at that moment.
You do not see clearly the evil in yourself, else you would hate yourself with (all) your soul.
“The Faithful are mirrors to one another: this saying is related from the Prophet. Matnawi 1319…1329
Ah! ….. Finding that mirror! It’s so sad. No one wants to sincerely correct others today and sometimes, even we, as parents do not correct and advise our very own children when it comes to religion. If we cannot correct and accept being corrected then we have no faith. We have to learn to accept criticism and know that those that criticise us, so as to help us to better ourselves, are our best friends.
When Dawood AS passed a judgement on a case, his son, Sulaimaan AS proposed a better judgement or corrected him and Dawood AS accepted this. This is the type of culture that we need to create in our families and society so that we could improve on our characters, personalities and faith.
No one needs a mirror to look at their feet or their hands. These are parts of our body that we can easily see. We need a mirror to see those parts of our body that we cannot see.
So the perfect mirror are the Friends of Allah (Aulia Allah) that will show us our faults that we cannot see. We must find these special people. They know the thoughts behind our actions and by just a glance they can correct those that are seeking the path to faith and are willing to change. Much of this surah Al Baqara is about this interaction between people and Allah’s chosen ones.
So the next time you are reading through Surah Al Baqara, remember, Insha Allah, to think about all the different ways our faith is going to be tested.
Peace and blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was foundered by Dr Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA)
Author: Mahomed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp +27849101486