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160 Why should we be forgiven?

Dear Friends,
Assalamu Alaikum,
We are discussing the rather interesting topic Pleasing Madrasah Reforms
The objective is to create curiosity and to stimulate the urge to seek from the Quran.
In other words most of those who pass out of Madrasahs assume the role of preachers whilst the
desired outcome should be that they should pass out as lifelong learners and seekers.
Should we not try to bring in reforms to the curricular in Madrasahs so that students would
become lifelong learners or seekers?
In my talk last week I was able to raise the point that society expects those who pass out of
Madrasah to be preachers and society heaps this duty or burden on them.
There are many questions that Muslims would like answers to about many aspects of Quran, but
since these Moulavies and Alims do not possess this knowledge such questions are discouraged.
In fact it is most unfortunate that we are erroneously told that Islam discourages these questions.
Now last week I raised 5 questions which I am sure would be bothering every person who
believes in God. The questions are on God and His attribute of Justice.
We all know or we all deeply believe that God is Just.
God has to be Just.
But then I was able to raise questions that make us wonder as to whether God is really Just and
about the system of Justice that He requires or executes.
These are questions that I hope every Moulavi and every Alim or even every Muslim would ask
and then go in seek of the answers, being sure that there is a logical sensible and rational
explanation to all these perplexing questions.
Over the last few months or even years, these 5 questions have been very much in my mind whilst
I have been researching the Quran.
The answers or what I see as the explanation to these answers are well described in the Quran.
However it does take me by surprise as to why these answers or this thinking has not been a
cornerstone of modern day teachings of Islam.
I have selected literally 100s of Aayaths that together answer these questions as well as many
unasked questions, but when I read these Aayaths many or even all Muslims would be surprised at
what the Quran is instructing us or pointing out to us.
But then these Aayaths do make sense Alhamdulillah!
As I mentioned earlier there are literally 100s of Aayaths that gives meaning to these questions
and what I hope to do (Insha Allah) is to attempt to arrange these Aayaths in to a meaningful
sequence and then read them to you.
Of course the explanation does go through many stages, so I would have to read the sequences of
Aayaths according to the developing stages again Insha Allah!
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However, reading the many Aayaths can be a tedious exercise and listeners may find it difficult to
keep track of the developments that are being pointed out through these Aayaths.
So I thought it best to first describe, ever so briefly as to what has happened or what is happening,
so that we would begin to realize the basis on which God is explaining to us His Justice.
And remember His justice is very very fair and very very just.
This explanation is very important let me begin by asking at least one of those 5 questions.
We all know that the average life span of a human being is around 60 to 70 years.
All religions inform us that after death we have to face another life.
All monotheistic religions teach us that this life after death is never ending, that is it will last
forever and forever.
These religions also teach us that those who are good in this world or lead good lives will after
death be rewarded with Heaven whilst those who lived evil lives would be punished by being sent
to Hell.
Now remember this is forever and forever.
I have no objections to those being rewarded with Heaven, Maasha Allah Alhamdulillah!
However I have enormous fears about the plight of those who go to Hell.
What if I am one of those unfortunate ones?
How do I find out?
What should I do or what should I stop doing to ensure that I will not end up in Hell?
To me these are terrifying questions.
Now Hell is not some uncomfortable room.
It is a terrible place designed and crated to inflict terrible punishments on its inmates. The
scriptures of the monotheistic religions clearly inform us that the inmates of Hell would be in Fire
and the fire of Hell is hotter and more terrifying than the fire that we are familiar with on earth.
And this would be forever!!
So I ask the question What crimes are people doing that makes them deserve being condemned to
Hell and for forever?
I ask the question, I am going to live on this Earth for maybe 60 to 70 years, so what is that I
could be doing that makes me deserve being condemned to Hell?
It is a frightening thought isnt it?
On earth according to our sense of justice the worst possible crime a person could perform is
murder, and the sentence or the punishment for a murder would be a death sentence or a life
sentence. We do hear of people having to serve many life sentences concurrently, but that
judgment would be based on the acceptable principal of justice a life for a life
Now why should people who have not even committed a murder have to be condemned to Hell?
And we learn from the scriptures that our final destinies would be judged at an awesome Day of
Judgment, where we would be confronted with our deeds and then the verdict or the sentences
meted out to us would be justly delivered.
The emphasis the focus and all information we have off that day, the great Day of Judgment is
that that is the day of justice. The day real justice would be meted out.
It is a day of precise judging and just verdicts.
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So I ask, God is very very Just so how could it be Just to condemn anyone to Hell and
forever? I may be able to understand say a sentence in Hell of a few or even many years, of
course within limitations, but then this forever..???
I find that very difficult to understand or I can say I just cannot understand the justice in that.
But then God is very just!!
Now when we read the Quran there are many Aayaths that apparently do not make sense to us.
We just do not know what God is pointing out to us or what He is instructing.
There are other Aayaths where some meanings are vague and we just do not know how to put
these Aayaths together and seek out what Allah is pointing out to us or what Allah is instructing
us.
There are still other Aayaths where the message is apparently very clear but we also have this
thinking that there is depth and wisdom in these Aayaths and again we just do not know how to
seek out this depth and the wisdom from these Aayaths.
I would like to list out a few points that we have learnt from reading the Aayaths from the Quran.
As I have mentioned some of these lessons are very vague. There are so many gaps in these
lessons and we just do not know how to fill these gaps.
We are told that this life is a test, and those who pass this test would go to Heaven and those who
fail would be condemned to Hell.
(67:2) the One who created death and
life, so that He may test you as to which
of you is better in his deeds. And He is
the All-Mighty, the Most-Forgiving,

Now one question I ask is Why does Allah mention death before life (
)

Surely death comes after life so should this Aayath not read that He has created Life and Death so
that He may test us?
So is this not a good point to ponder and learn.
Why does Allah say (
?)

The next point is that the Quran instructs us of our existence even before we arrive on earth or
before we are even born on earth. The Quran even points out a conversation or an interaction God
had with us.
We all have heard that phrase (
) meaning Am I not your Rabb?

We have heard it in a few bayans.

We are aware that this is a question that Allah has asked all of us before we were born on this
Earth.
Do we not have many questions regarding this conversation, but we do not know how to ask those
questions and we also do not know where to seek the answers.
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Does this Aayath not clearly indicate that we were in existence before we came to Earth or was
born in to this earth?
Could it mean that we were in existence even before we were born in to earth so we had to be
given a state of death before we were delivered to live on this earth?
Interesting isnt it?
Could it be that death is the sort of state of anesthesia that we go through so that the operation of
being transferred to earth can be effected?
Let me read the Aayath that describes this conversation that we had with Allah.
(7:172) when your Rabb brought forth their
progeny from the loins of the children of
dam,
and made them testify about themselves (by
asking them,) Am I not your Rabb?

They said, Of course, You are. We testify.

(We did so) lest you should say on the Day of
Judgment, We were unaware of this,

So this Aayath and many other Aayaths of the Quran do point out to us our earlier existence.
Now what happened in that earlier existence?
What happened that necessitated that we should be sent to earth for a limited time and that too to
be tested.
Tested for what and why?
Very important questions arent they?
And then that worrying line;
(We did so) lest you should say on the Day of
Judgment, We were unaware of this,

Unaware of what?
I am just not aware or I just cannot recall having had a conversation with Allah or have having
made that statement.
So what is Allah pointing out to us?
How do we seek the answers?
Do we not realize that this statement does indicate that there has been some sequence of events
before this statement was made and does it not indicate that we have been aware that we are
embarking on a very important journey?
How important?
Very important because this journey is going to define the condition of our hereafter!
So what is happening?
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Then we do recall having read so many Aayaths about our ancestors Aadham (AS) and Hawwa
(AS) commonly referred to as Adam and Eve.
We also recall having read so many Aayaths about Iblis and how he was cursed and demoted to
becoming Shaithaan.
Now many of these Aayaths refer to the stages before we were placed or born on Earth.
Were we also present?
It appears we did have an existence before we were born or placed on this Earth, but at what
stages of the story of Aadham (AS) and Iblees were we personally present or in existence?
Did we also participate at those great landmark events as described in the Quran?
Or were we mere spectators?
What happened?
How do we find out?
We are discussing the justice of Allah and the Day of Judgment.
Did you know that in the Quran, probably the earliest mention of this Day of Judgment appears in
the Aayaths that describe a conversation between Allah and Iblis?
Let me read these few Aayaths (Nos 32 to 38) from Surah Hijr
(15:32) He (Allah) said, O Ibls, what is the
matter with you that you did not join those
who prostrated?

(15:33) He said, I am not such that I should

prostrate myself before a mortal whom You
have created from a ringing clay made of
decayed mud.

(15:34) He said, Then, get out of here, for

you are an outcast,

(15:35) and upon you is the curse up to the

Yauwmidh dheen

(15:36) He said, My Rabb, then give me

respite up to the day they (the dead) shall be
raised. (Yauwmil YubghaSsoon)

(15:37) He (Allah) said, Well, respite is given

to you

(15:38) till the day of the Appointed Time.

(Yauwmil Waqthil Maghloom)

So in these rather very informative but short Aayaths we find mention of a certain day, but it is
referred to in 3 different ways.
Allah refers to it as the Yauwmidh dheen or the Day of dheen and the Yauwmil Waqthil Maghloom or
the day of the Appointed Time.
Iblees refers to it as the Yauwmil YubghaSsoon [the Day the (dead) are raised].

Now is this referring to the day that Iblees is going to be judged or is it the day that mankind is
going to be judged?
From the Aayaths that describe the later developments of this conversation it appears that Iblis
knows that Mankind is going to be judged or else he is planning for a situation where Mankind
too would have to be judged.
This is very interesting.
Judged for what?
What Iblis has done has been described.
Now what has man or what have you and I been up to with Iblis?
Is it that Iblees is the first accused and that we are the other accused and that Iblis is asking for a
reprieve, a sort of a suspended sentence till we are tried and justice is meted out to us too?
So then when pondering as to what is actually being described, we have this fantastic thought.
Iblis is requesting a reprieve or a sort of a suspended sentence till we are tried and then on the
Day of Judgment the outcome of the trial or the verdict would be read out. The Day of Judgment
would be the day on which all the evidence would be presented, the witnesses would give
testimony and the verdict would be read out
Then is it possible or does this mean that the trial has begun?
Is it possible that we are now being tried or in our words are we being tested?
Is this stay on earth the place where the evidence and the testimony of the witnesses would be
recorded for playing out on the Day of Judgment?
Fantastic thought no?
But then these thoughts appear to fit the explanations as given in the Aayaths of the Quran.
So then we begin to realize that the crimes for which we are going to be punished in Hell are
crimes we have already committed. These are crimes we have committed before we even came to
Earth.
It appears that all of us or most of us are destined to Hell or deserving of Hell.
It also appears that Allah out of His graciousness and Mercy has granted us this great opportunity,
to redeem our sins and seek His forgiveness whilst this trial period is in force.
WOW!!!
Think about it
Ponder about these Aayaths and what is being pointed out to us.
Read these Aayaths in the Quran.
Think think and re-think.
Wondrous isnt it?
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Many of us think that we are destined to Heaven and that we will go to Hell only if we are evil.
But then the Aayaths of the Quran point differently.
It appears that all of us are on the way to Hell, deserving of Hell.
But then, if we are good then Allah will forgive us those wins that we have committed before we
came to Earth and grant us Heaven.
It does take a little time and pondering to wrap our minds around this new thinking.
Think about it!
And then we read this dhua or prayer of Aadham (AS) and Hawwa (AS)
(7:23) They said, Our Rabb, we have
wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive
us and do not bless us with mercy, we shall,
indeed, be among the losers.

The following Aayath instructs us that Allah sent us down to Earth;

(7:24) He said, Go down, some of you
enemies of some; and for you on the earth
there will be a dwelling place and enjoyment
for a time.

(7:25) (Further) He said, There you shall live

and there you shall die, and from there you
shall be raised again.

Here too when we read these Aayaths, so many questions arise in our minds.
How or from whom do we ask these questions?
How do we seek the answers?
We read that Aadham (AS) and his wife Hawwa (AS) pray for forgiveness and read the response
given by Allah but then what is the connection between seeking forgiveness and the response of
Allah.
Surely there has to be a very strong connection?
The prayer and the response to the prayer must match.
These are the Aayaths Allah is pointing out to us!
Here are some of the questions;
Who is going down to earth?
Is it only Aadham (AS) and Hawwa (AS) or is Shaithaan also included?
Does this also not mean that all humanity is also going down to Earth?
Then, between whom is this enmity?
Is it between Aadham (AS) and Hawwa (AS) and therefore between all husbands and wives or is
it between Shaithaan and all mankind?
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If it is between Shaithaan and all mankind then the all of you who are being sent down to earth
has to include Shaithaan.
So now more questions.

Why does Allah say it is a place of enjoyment? (

)

In Surah Hadheedh Aayath No 20 we are also instructed

(
)

And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.

So what is Allah pointing out to us?
Then when we take the Aayaths indicating that life on Earth is a test then we ask the question, Is
life on Earth for enjoyment or for testing?
Could it be that it is an enjoyable test?
Or could it even mean an enjoyment for some and a test for the others?
Then the question that follows would be If that is so, the enjoyment for whom? Test for whom?
How do we find out?
Isnt there so much material in the Aayaths of the Quran that would grip any curious mind?
Should not every Muslim read and recite the Quran with this eagerness to learn and with the
excitement that he is learning the objectives of life. With the excitement that he is learning the
story of life, the real story, the true story and who is teaching us?
It is Allah Taaalah
Insha Allah over the next few weeks I hope to continue this subject trying to work out through the
Aayaths of the Quran the many lessons in the Quran.
I wish Madrasahs would design their curricular and syllabuses so that the students themselves
would become seekers of this wonder knowledge and wisdom that is available to all of us from
this wonderful Quran.
I sincerely pray and hope that all of you benefit from these talks as much as I benefit from
preparing and then presenting these talks to you.
May Allah Taaalah guide us all and accept us all.
Jazza Kalla Khairan.
Assalamu Alaikum

Imtiaz Muhsin
Colombo Sri Lanka
crescent786@hotmail.com
You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman