4.              THE TEST

Remember God is All-Knowing and All-Wisest hence it is unthinkable that whatsoever He had provided for us in our Predestination is second best. We must trust that whatsoever He provided for us in our Predestination is the best for us in all circumstances. However being just mere human being we are unable to fathom His Greatness as such we ended up doubting Him and our Predestination. On the other hand, He is All-Benevolence and is never cruel to us in any way.

And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve. And woe unto those who disbelieve, from the Fire! [1]

 

We created not the heavens and the earth and all between them but for just ends, and for a term appointed: but those who reject Faith turn away from that whereof they are warned.[2]

 

Allah is never unjust in the least degree. [3]

 

For Allah is never unjust to His servants[4]

 

There is no god but He: It is He Who gives life and gives death, The Lord and Cherisher to you and your earliest ancestors. Yet they play about in doubt. [5]

 

You may not want something but it is in fact good for you and God knows best what is good for you.

 

If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. [6]

 

There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach you not to grieve for that had escaped you and for  that had befallen you. For Allah is well aware of all that ye do. [7]

So when you are faced with an eventful episode in your life, be steadfast in your submission to His Will. Remember what come next is always the best for you.

 

Follow thou the inspiration sent unto thee, and be patient and constant, till Allah do decide: for He is the best to decide. [8]

 

Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom. [9]

 

Only those are Believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted. [10]

 

The truth is from thy Lord so be not at all in doubt. [11]

Never be then of those who doubt. [12]

 

Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some have died, and some wait: but they have never changed  in the least. [13]

 

Once you have accepted the perfection of His Divine Plan as well as your Predestination then your faith is comparatively higher than before.

 

So if they believe as ye believe, they are indeed on the right path. [14]

 

They said: “For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best Guardian.” [15]

 

Their Lord will guide them because of their faith. [16]

 

Whoever submits his whole self to Allah, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the firmest hand-hold: and with Allah shall all things return. [17]

 

Then will you be able to perceive that all that God had provided in His Divine Plan are nothing less than the best and His Blessings for you.

Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? [18]

 

Then which of the gifts of thy Lord, (O man), wilt thou dispute about? [19]

 

And Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things. [20]

 

Tears will drop from your eyes acknowledging God’s Virtues, Kindness and His Great loves for His al His creations.

 

And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: “Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses. [21]

 

And in between tears we shall affirm that God will never made anything in vain. To this end, God had commanded to the effect:

Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee. [22]

 

God will then make you a privy to His secret by increasing your Knowledge and your Faith.

 

Allah will rise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted Knowledge. [23]

Allah created not (all) that save in truth. He detaileth the revelations for people who have knowledge. [24]

 

Remember He tested every one of us to separate those whose lineage will produce the Vicegerents He needed in the future and those whose lineage will not. The “seedlings” of the former are now planted all over the world. The Muslim population in Europe, Great Britain, Canada, America, Asia, South East Asia, Oceania and others is increasing in manifold and that in no time much of their population will be Muslims.

If it were Allah’s Will, He could gather them together unto true guidance. [25]

 

In Allah’s sight are (all) His servants.[26]

 

In due time these places shall yield the Vicegerents as needed by God to fulfill His plan as mentioned earlier. To this end, even “Mahdi” the most promising of all Vicegerent who will be from the lineage of our Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] may come from any of these places. He will be well versed with all the sciences and knowledge of his time.

Mahdi is from my lineage. He has a wide forehead and pointed nose. He will administer the World with justice and equality when the World before this was administered by Iron-fist. He will rule the World for seven years. [27]

Additional intriguing factor in connection to this phenomenon is, the increase of the Muslims population in Europe, Great Britain, Canada, America and Oceania is without any or even apparent Office of the Mufti or Islamic Religious Council. It seems that the “seedlings” of the Vicegerents being distributed throughout the aforesaid countries by God without giving them the pampering of the Office of the Mufti or Islamic Religious Council. In this way, they are tested on an even playing field.

We made thee not one to watch over their doings, nor art thou set over them to dispose of their affairs.[28]

 

In other words, they are to survive as a good practicing Muslim despite living in a non-Muslim state and without the assistance of the Office of the Mufti or Islamic Religious Council. If they do survive as a good practicing Muslim then the chances of their descendants being the Vicegerents of God in the distant future are good. In this way, Islam is a religion of personal conviction. Whether you are a good or a wayward Muslim is between you and God and should not be dictated by any one not even the Office of Mufti or the Islamic religious Council.

 

As for those who fear their Lord unseen for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward. [29]

 

As for those living in States where they receive assistance and guidance from the Office of the Mufti or Islamic Religious Council, they will be tested through the “Door of Globalisation”. Through the Door of Globalisation, the “Hands of Modernisation” are reaching out to them. At times, the Hands of Modernisation will introduce teachings, cultures, arts values and other evolutions which many are threatening and unpalatable to Islam. With the constant and regular onslaught by the Hands of Modernisation, will the Muslims in these States survived as a good practicing Muslim? Survival dictates being able to live with the changes and yet still be a good practicing Muslim without resorting to violence at all. To this end, the Office of Mufti and Islamic Religious Council play a vital role to ensure or assist in their survival as a good practicing Muslim without dictating violence. To do otherwise, then their chances of having their descendants as the Vicegerents of God are obliterated. To achieve this, the Office of Mufti and Islamic Religious Council must be ever ready to change as and when necessary to adapt to the ever changing environment. It should be remembered, changes depict the Greatness of God and none can stop it. Every rising of the Sun brings a new day. By being adaptable, though not necessarily compromising the teaching of Islam, the Office of Mufti and Islamic Religious Council not only help the survival of their fellow Muslims but also theirs too. If they refused to change or to adapt to changing environment, then there is a danger of them being archaic and rusty and so too will be those who they are in-charge. This will inevitably lead to the clash of two civilizations, the old and the new.

Through the changes and innovation day to day, Allah shows His Greatness. [30]

 

And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other). But people have cut off their affair (of unity), between them, into sects. [31]

Bibliography

[1] Shad (38):27

[2] Al Ahqaf(46):3

[3] An Nisa (4):40.

[4] Al Anfaal (8):51; Fushshilat (41):46; Al Hajj (22):10.

[5] Ad Dhukaan (44):8-9.

[6] An Nisa (4):19.

[7] Al Imran (3):153.

[8] Yunos (10):109.

[9] Al Fath (48):4.

[10] Al Hujurat(49):15.

[11] Al Baqarah (2):147; Yunos (10):.

[12] Al An’aam  (6):114.

[13] Al Ahzab(33):23.

[14] Al Baqarah (2):137.

[15] Al Imran (3):173.

[16] Yunus (10):9.

[17] Luqman (31):22.

[18] Ar-Rahman(55):13;16;18;21;23;25;28;30;32;34;36;38;40;42;45;47;49;51;53;55;57;59;61;63; 65;67; 69;71;73;75;77

[19] An Najm (53):55.

[20] Al Imran(3):73.

[21] Al Maidah (5):83.

[22] Al Imran (3):191

[23] Al Mujadilah (58):11.

[24] Yunos (10):5

[25] An An’aam (6):35

[26] Ali Imran (3):20

[27] Sunan Abu Dawud Bk 3, 1191 (1990)

[28] An An’aam (6):107

[29] Al  Mulk (67):12.

[30] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, op cit, 27.

[31] Al Mukminun (23):53