29 March 2015: Prophet Suleiman and Hud hud bird; Being resurrected

29 March 2015: Prophet Suleiman and Hud hud bird; Being resurrected

Lives of the Prophets: Suleiman* continued

Lessons from the Story of Suleiman* with the Ants

“And there were gathered before Suleiman his hosts of jinn and men, and birds, and they all were set in battle order (marching forward). Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Suleiman and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not." So he smiled, amused at her speech and said: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves." [TMQ Al-Naml 27: 17-19] 
 
Allah tells the story of Suleiman* when he once rode out with his army of people and with Jinns escorting him, and the birds casting a shadow on him to shield him from the heat, " and they were all kept in order and ranks", which means the front lines were halted until the back lines would catch up with them so that no creature would overstep its limits. 

Suleiman* was able to understand the speech of the ant and smiled out of joy and happiness for being solely chosen by Allah to be let in on this. Hence, all the gifts and blessings we enjoy from Allah we should be thankful for. All the achievements we amass, and all the possessions we gather – we should be thankful to Allah.

Suleiman* invokes Allah to enable him to thank Him for the Grace Allah has bestowed on him and the privilege that only he was granted. He also supplicates Him to enable him to do good deeds, and, should he die, to be resurrected together with the pious and the righteous of the servants of Allah. Hence we should always thank Allah for all the gifts and blessings from Allah.
We also learn of the responsibility the ant had to the Ummah of the ants. It was easy for the ant to run away but he chose to stay and warn the other ants because he knew this was his responsibility and that he would not survive without his Ummah. Living in this society we need to be aware of what is happening around us, and what is happening to other Muslims around the world and we should have a bond and responsibility to each other. We should know that, no matter how strong we think we are, we can never protect ourselves and deen unless we stay with the Ummah / Jamaah. Furthermore, as we mentioned last week – we should look for excuses for our fellow Muslims rather than being the first to blame / accuse them!

Suleiman*'s Story with the Hoopoe (Hud Hud) bird:
 
“He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? "I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason." But the hoopoe stayed not long, he (came up and) said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba) with true news "I found a woman ruling over them", she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. "I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from (Allah's) Way, so they have no guidance," [As Shaitan has barred them from Allah's Way] so they do not worship (prostrate themselves before) Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! [Suleiman said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars "Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what (answer) they return." [TMQ Al-Naml 27: 20-28]

It is stated that the Hoopoe used to guide Suleiman* to places of water. Whenever he was in the desert, he would ask for him to be brought so as to locate water at great depths. The Hoopoe was able to see it just as a man is able to see the apparent objects above the surface of the earth, and it was capable of determining its depth, too. Once it specified the exact spot, Suleiman* would order the Jinns to dig up this place so that water would come gushing out.
Suleiman* was in the habit of inspecting the birds, and each day every species would delegate one of them to meet him. As a great leader he was aware of all his soldiers and subjects and cared after them. This is an important lesson for us that leaders to look after everybody.
The punishment for being absent was rather strict/severe but we should bear in mind that this is during a wartime operation as opposed to being during peacetime. Hence, the rules and regulations are often stricter because failure to obey commands in military matters can lead to severe consequences and death. This was highlighted when the archers failed to obey the command of the Prophet* during the Battle of Uhud to remain at their posts – and consequently they suffered a huge defeat.

We also mentioned the believer who was eager to accompany the Prophet* on the Battle of Tabuk but did not obey his command bring only a strong camel. When he died on the journey the Prophet* cautioned people from claiming he was a martyr. Hence the rules are quite strict. We compared this to when the Prophet* sent out one of his young servants (Anas bin Malik) to get something from the market but he got distracted and lost the money whilst playing with some other boys. When the Prophet* found him he excused his behaviour and told him to carry on playing.

The bird returned and mentioned that he had new and specific knowledge that would interest the king. He explained what he had found and that despite being a queen with an impressive kingdom she had a particularly impressive throne. The throne she used to sit on was grand, splendid and decorated with all types of gems, pearls and gold - which should not compare to the throne of Allah. Allah's magnificent Throne is the Greatest ever as it surpasses any other throne possessed by any creature.

The name of the Queen is Bilqees and she was the Queen of Saba or Sheba, a city in Yemen. The bird then made an excuse for the people and the fact that they have been misguided but remain open to proper guidance.

Controversially, we discussed the famous hadith of the Prophet where he mentioned that a nation will never succeed that appoints a woman as its leader. This is not a prediction but legal instruction that, according to Islam, it is not permitted to have a female as the ruling leader for all the Muslims (nor in a specified position of ruling within the government (outside the scope of this discussion). This should not be misinterpreted that they cannot take positions of leadership within society but that they are barred from certain positions of ruling. The justice of this legal rule can be addressed at another point in time!

 
The Main Topic: The Resurrection

The first grave to open

Prophet Muhammad*, whose grave is in Medina, will be the first one whose grave will open up. The Prophet* says, “I am the leader of mankind on the day of judgement and I am the first one whose grave will open on the day of judgement.” 

In another authentic hadith, a Muslim had a dispute with a Jew. The Jew said, “In the name of the One who revealed the Torah on Musa” so this Muslim hit him and started praising Muhammad*. So the Jew came and complained to The Prophet*. The Prophet* said, “Do not prefer me over Musa, because I will be the first one to come out of his grave, but I will find that Musa is already holding onto the throne of Allah. So I do not know whether he was included in the ones who were dead in the first blow or not.” 

The hadith asks us not to get into competitions with the non-Muslims about who has the better leader as that will only distance them from Islam and make us less inclined to the other Prophets, hence: ‘do not say that I am better than Musa’? Obviously, the Prophet* did say in many ahadith that he is the leader of mankind. We believe that The Prophet* is the greatest of all of the Prophets, but the Prophet* does not want us to say that when we are in a conversation with a non-believer because we are just putting down the ambiya just to make the non-believer upset. The Prophets (ambiya) of Allah belong to this Ummah, not to anybody else. Musa belongs to the Ummah of Islam. That’s why when The Prophet* went to Medina and saw the Jews fasting, he asked why they were fasting, and they said, “This is the day in which Allah has saved Musa from Pharaoh.” The Prophet* said, “Musa belongs to us more than he does to them, so we should fast this day.” 

We should not go to the Jew and say, “Muhammad is better than your Prophet!” We should not go the Christian and say, “Muhammad is better than your Prophet!” We are putting the Messengers of Allah down; we need to show the respect we have for all Messengers, even though we believe Muhammad* is the one Allah chose out of all of his creation.

In what condition will people will be resurrected? 

The Prophet* says, “You will be resurrected barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.” Then The Prophet* recited the ayah, where Allah says, “[...]as We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.” (21:104) When ‘Aa`isha heard this, she was concerned that men and women are going to be in the same place, naked. Allah’s Apostle said, “The people will be gathered barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.” I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Will the men and the women look at each other?” He said, “The situation will be too hard for them to pay attention to that.” [Bukhari]

So Allah is going to return you in the exact form when you were born – naked, barefoot and uncircumcised. Allah will bring you once again in your natural state. 

Allah will restore the souls of His slaves, but they will be created anew, different from the way they were in the life of this world. One feature of this new creation will be that they will not die, no matter what trials befall them. For example, people will be able to see things that they could not see before. They will see the angels and the jinn, and other things which only Allah knows. Similarly, the people of Paradise will not spit, defecate or urinate.

Allah says: “And death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die…” (TMQ 14: 1 7) The Prophet* said “You know that you will be resurrected to (meet) Allah, then (you will go) to Paradise or to Hell, where you will settle and never leave, you will abide forever and never die, in bodies that will never die."' 

This does not mean that those who are resurrected on the Day of Judgement will be an entirely different creation than they were in this world. Ibn Taymiyah said: "The two creations are two things of the same category, they are similar in one way and different in another."

Allah will assemble all creation

Allah will assemble everyone, whether this human was lost in the depths of the ocean or this human being was in the dungeons of the earth. Allah will bring them all together. Allah says: “[...] Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things.” (2:148) Allah says, “We bought them together, we did not leave any one of them.”

Wherever you may be – even in outer space – Allah will bring you together, because all of this universe belongs to Allah. Even the animals will be included. Allah says, “When the wild beasts are herded together.” (81:5) 

Abu Hurairah says, “On the Day of Judgment, Allah will assemble all of the creation: the beasts, the birds, even the insects - everything. And Allah will be Just on that day, because His Name is the Just (al ‘Adl). And of the justice of Allah, Allah will take revenge for the goat that did not have horns from the goat that did have horns.” 

In this world, it could’ve been that the goat with horns took advantage of the goat without horns and hurt it. Abu Hurairah said that Allah will take revenge for that goat without horns. After every dispute is settled, then Allah will tell the beasts and animals to be dirt (turaab) and they would turn into dirt.

Allah says in the Qur’an, “And the non-believer will say, ‘I wish that I am dirt.’” The non-believer will wish they never lived or existed. This non believer who was so careful to save money and live in this money and enjoy himself; he will wish he were dirt.

Divergent topic: Non-believers and their actions:

The actions of the non-believers (kuffaar) are of two types. The first type includes actions which are evil and sinful, spreading corruption on earth, etc. These are all false and evil actions from which people can never hope for anything good or to earn any reward. 

The second kind of actions are those which they think will earn them something from Allah, such as charity, freeing slaves, upholding ties of kinship, spending for good purposes. But Allah has coined likenesses of such actions in His Book.

“The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away [from the Right Path].” (TMQ 14: 18) 

Hence Allah will make their deeds like scattered floating grains of dust: “And We shall tum to whatever deeds they [disbelievers, polytheists, sinners] did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.” (TMQ 25: 23)

This group, who think that they are following something good, will have a shock on the Day of Resurrection when they discover that their deeds are worthless. This group includes the devoted worshippers among the Jews and Christians, after the time of the Prophet*.

After all, the ultimate evil (unforgivable sin) is not to even believe in Allah!