By A Kasim

Many Muslims play the lottery hoping to win the jackpot, in spite of the clear prohibition against gambling in the Qur’an. For many, it would be a dream come true. A life of luxury in which one does not have to get up early to go to work or plan ahead for rainy days, as everything is taken care of.  With a massive amount of wealth, one could pay mortgages, purchase the latest luxury automobiles, take a tour around the world and help the poor and the needy.

This is how it appears from the outside. Winning the lottery is all about happiness, joy and a blissful life – but is it a real happiness, or only a mirage from a distance?

One might ask: why does Islam deny its followers what appears to be a life of joy that never ends, and wealth which can be used for good causes? I struggled with this issue for some time. Then a thought came to my mind, a form of inspiration which gave me clarity and peace of mind about why gambling is not good for me: Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) knows what is best for me. He (swt) does not forbid me from something just to punish me. It is all in my best interests, even though I might not see the benefits.

A believer puts his or her trust in Allah (swt). They know that whatever the Creator forbids them from doing is harmful to them, even if it appears otherwise. Which one would you choose: $100,000,000 that comes with nothing but miseries, or a reasonable amount of money accompanied by happiness and peace of mind? What good would $100M do if it also came with liver cancer? Would you not rather have a small amount of money and be at peace – peace with your Lord, with yourself, with your family, and with everyone around you?

While winning the jackpot appears to bring a life of joy and happiness, the reality is otherwise. People who have won the jackpot have gone on to live a life of hell. Business Insider, an online magazine, carried stories of jackpot winners who lost everything, some of them even facing death threats from their own family members.

Michael Carroll was at his peak when he won Britain’s £9.7 million ($15 million) jackpot in 2002, but a penchant for life in the fast lane — cocaine, parties, prostitutes and cars — put him back at square one in five years. The ex-garbage man ended up hoping to get his old job back.

In 2002, West Virginia building contractor Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. walked away with $114 million from a multi-state Powerball draw – that was just about his last stroke of good fortune. In two separate instances, thieves ran off with $745,000 Whittaker had stashed in his car. Later on, he was sued by Caesar’s Atlantic City for allegedly bouncing $1.5 million in checks. Within four years, his fortune was gone.

Further, the chances of winning the jackpot are almost nil. As indicated by the CBC, the chances of winning are the same as being killed in a terrorist attack while travelling, dying of a flesh-eating disease, or being killed by lightning. Playing the lottery is therefore a waste of money, and that money is a trust for which you will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment.

Know that Allah (swt), the Almighty and the All-knowing, would never order His slave to do something unless the action has benefits for him or her. He, the Most Merciful, also does not forbid His slaves from something unless there is harm in it, even though it might appear otherwise to them.

Instead of pouring your money down the drain by playing the lottery, it is better to invest it in charity, where it will benefit you on the Day of Reckoning. Lottery money has no baraka (blessing) in it. To have little with baraka is better than to have the entire world without baraka.

There are four main states that we may find ourselves in:

1. The State of Blessing.
2. The State of Hardship.
3. The State of Sin.
4. The State of Obedience.

These four states are not completely separate from one another; a person may be going through more than one at the same time. For each one of these states, there is a specific form of worship mandated.

The State of Blessing

In the state of ni`am, or blessing, the believers should respond with shukr. Shukr is often times translated as “gratitude,” however it encompasses more than just that. There are three parts to shukr and if one of these parts is not present, the shukr is not complete. The blessing must be reflected in:

1. Your heart

Strive to be pleased internally with what Allah has bestowed upon you. Never think, “I deserve this,” or, “I earned this myself.

2. Your limbs

Be sure not to commit any haraam (unlawful act) with the blessing that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon you. This is the epitome of ungratefulness.

3. Your tongue

Thank Allah (swt) verbally and be sure to not boast about what has been bestowed upon you.

We must also remember that if you are thankful during times of ease and blessings, Allah (swt) will increase those blessings. On the other hand, if you are ungrateful, the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you will decrease and eventually disappear.

The State of Hardship

In the state of Al-Balaa’, or hardship, the believer should respond with sabr. Sabr is to have patience and ridda (acceptance) of the state in which you have been placed. You do not have to be pleased with your current situation, but you should acknowledge that the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, has allowed you to be in this state so it must be for the best. During this time you should also increase acts of worship and obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala.

The State of Sin

Being human, we will all be in states of sin at one point or another. Our beloved Messenger ﷺ said, “Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners is the one who seeks forgiveness.” From the words of Rasulullah ﷺ we see that when we are in the state of sin, we should react to this by doing istighfaar, or seeking forgiveness. It is not enough to simply mutter an “I’m sorry, God” and return to our daily routine, rather there are parts to istighfaar and if one of them is not there, the istighfaar is not complete. The istighfaar must encompass:

1. Renouncing the sin.
2. Firm intention to never return to the sin.
3. Regret for having committed the sin.
4. If the sin was against the rights of another human being: compensation for that wrong doing.

The State of Obedience

In the state of obedience (I pray that this is our most frequent state) the believer should respond by striving to maintain ikhlaas (sincerity) while acting, as well as responding with shukr.  Any action, if done for the wrong intention, will not be accepted. We learn this from the first hadeeth (report of the words or actions of the Prophet ﷺ) in Imam An-Nawawi’s collection of forty hadeeth:

“Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.”

Shaytaan (the devil) often times, finding us in an obedient state, will use his whispers to cause us to be arrogant. Arrogance is one of the most tempting, yet destructive sins that one can fall into. Remember that the sin that shaytaan committed was a sin of arrogance and he is now destined to eternal destruction. A way to combat these whispers is to display shukr. Remember that Allah (swt) is the one who allowed you to be obedient. Any good that you do should be attributed to the blessing of Allah (swt) upon you, not the righteousness of your own soul. And the more you thank Him for allowing you to be obedient, the more He will bestow upon you the means to be obedient.

I ask Allah to cause us to be of those who respond in the appropriate manner no matter what state we are in.

Many years ago, there were a people who thought just the same way. Qarun was a very wealthy man who lived at the time of Musa (peace be upon him). Qarun was given so many treasures that the very keys to those treasures “would have been a burden to a body of strong men.” (Qur’an, 28:76) The Qur’an tells us his story, and the story of those around him:

“So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, ‘Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune.’ But those who had been given knowledge said, ‘Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient.’” (28:79-80)

But soon the reality of Qarun’s situation became clear, and those people who had once envied his position came to realize who the lucky ones really were:

“And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves. And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, “Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allah had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!”” (28:81-82)

As it was for the people of Qarun, the common criterion of good and bad is simple enough. But it is also completely wrong. According to this criterion, prosperity is defined largely by how much we own, while poverty is defined as the loss or lack of that which can be owned. And yet the true definition of prosperity – given to us by our Creator – is quite different:

“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.” (3:185)

So we may live in this world, and have all the goods and possessions of deception that anyone could dream of, but have completely failed at the object of our existence. And if the object of our existence is, as Allah tells us, only to serve Him (51:56), then it would follow that only that which brought us closer to that end, would be a blessing, while that which took us away from that end would be the greatest calamity – no matter what those things were. And so it may be that the loss of everything dear to us is in fact the greatest blessing from Allah. If that loss brings us closer to the very purpose of our creation, what greater blessing could there be?

It is for this reason that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “If Allah wants to do good to someone, He afflicts him with trials.” (Sahih Bukhari)

And Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And We sent to no city a prophet [who was denied] except that We seized its people with poverty and hardship that they might humble themselves [to Allah].” (7:94)

It is, in fact, out of Allah’s mercy for those people that he does so. Because, what would be the greater tragedy? Afflicting a people with adversity and trials, until they became humble, or providing them with all the wealth and ease, until they became arrogant?

Correcting our criterion is a challenge, but is absolutely necessary. Only when we can break through the deceptive definitions that surround us, can we correctly orient ourselves, prepare for the real test, and ever hope to reach true prosperity in this life and the next.

Originally published by InFocusNews

by Kanika Aggarwal

“Knowledge is power.”

How many times in our lives have we heard this phrase? How many times have our parents, teachers, elders stated this same thing over and over again? This quote by Sir Francis Bacon emphasizes that when you have knowledge, you have authority. It alludes to the fact that there is something about acquiring knowledge that gives you a controlling influence. But more importantly, this is a non-Muslim phrase which has only been around since 1597.

The teachings of religion of Islam came to us well over 1400 years ago. From the beginning of revelation, there was an emphasis on seeking and acquiring knowledge. I remind you that the first words of revelation were “Read!”

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” [Qur’an, 96:1]

The intention of this article is not so much to remind you the importance of seeking knowledge. It is assumed that we know as Muslims that we have been commanded to seek knowledge.

The quest for knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim. [Hadith Hassan]

Note: The knowledge referred to above is knowledge in deen because that is the only knowledge that is wajib (compulsory).

The main goal of this article is to motivate you to continue to seek Islamic knowledge, and to encourage you to take joy and pride in doing this act of worship, because we can understand from various Qur’anic statements and ahadith (statements of the Prophet ﷺ) that there are definite returns for these efforts in the form of rewards and blessings from Allah.

Raised Status and Rank

“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.” [Qur’an, 58:11]

Let us take a hypothetical scenario where you work for a reputable company. One day your boss entices you with a promotion upon completion of a certain project under your lead. I guarantee you would put your heart and soul into getting that promotion. Well, Allah wants to give you a promotion, not just in this dunya but in Jannah (Paradise)! Scholars agree that the term “high ranks” in this statement refers to bounties in this world and the Hereafter. Just because the promises of Jannah are intangible at the moment should not allow us to ignore such a huge blessing of seeking knowledge. We have to believe in the ayat (verses, signs) of our Lord.

Superiority over all beings

“And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.’ They said, ‘Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.’ He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names.’ And when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.’ And [mention] when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam’; so they prostrated…” [Qur’an, 2:31-34].

When Allah taught Adam (`alayhi assalam – peace be upon him) the names of all things, He asked the angels and Iblis (who had reached the level of angels) to prostrate to Adam (as). I remind you that angels are pure creations of Allah. They are made of light, are in complete obedience to Him and are doing tasbih (glorifying Allah) at all times. Such a pure creation of Allah was commanded to show respect to our ancestor Adam (as), who was made of clay and was prone to sinning. This prostration was performed as a form of respect and took place based on one and only one factor: knowledge.

In one of Michelle Obama’s speeches at an all-girls’ high school, she told the students that she was where she was only because of education. Even in this dunya, the way to gain superiority over other human beings is through knowledge – you get a better income, you enjoy a more luxurious lifestyle, you have a higher reputation in the society. But to be higher in front of Allah you have to be knowledgeable in your deen, and this is how you will truly become superior to all other creations of Allah.

Scholars truly understand the Qur’an

“And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.” [Qur’an, 29:43]

Scholars agree that this ayah is actually referring to all people of knowledge (and not just the scholars). People of knowledge who read, learn, andunderstand the Qur’an are the ones who truly comprehend the parables it contains. The parables mentioned in the Qur’an are important in telling us which actions are harmful to our akhira (Hereafter) and hence should be avoided. They also guide us in which actions are more rewarding than others, so that we can strive to do them.

Sign of Allah’s love for a person

“Whosoever Allah wishes good for, He gives him understanding (fiqh) of the Religion.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

As children we are always looking for signs of love from our parents. If a parent buys gifts for their child, the child is assured that their parents love them. Love and compassion from parents makes a child feel happy and special. Allah tells us through the Prophet ﷺ that if He loves us, He gives us understanding of the religion of Islam. The difference is that the love of Allah is far greater than anybody else’s love. Acquiring the love of Allah is the ultimate goal of this life.

However, this love does not come without striving, trying hard and putting in a lot of effort. You have to earn the love of Allah by striving to gain Islamic knowledge – even if there are not many resources around you, even if the knowledge seems hard to retain, even if there are many distractions around you.

Statement of Imam Shafi’i

“After the obligatory deeds, nothing is more beloved to Allah than studying knowledge.”

While this statement holds the obvious meaning of how much Allah loves for a person to seek Islamic knowledge, it also a much deeper implication. The process starts off by gaining knowledge that is absolutely essential for a Muslim to perform their obligatory deeds. Once a person gets accustomed to performing obligatory deeds and does not find them burdensome, then because of the impact of knowledge, they will automatically do acts that are more than obligatory.

Let us take an example of a sister who finds is hard to pray two sunnah rakat (units of prayer) at the time of fajr. She skips the sunnah rakat, prays the obligatory units quickly, and jumps back into bed. She takes a class where she learns of the great blessings of praying the sunnah units of fajr prayer. After gaining knowledge, she makes it a point not to miss her sunnah units of prayer.

Hadith of Abu Darda

“If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man.

The superiority of the learned man over the worshipper is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes a big fortune.” [Abu Dawud]

This hadith outlines multiple blessings of seeking knowledge, but we will concentrate on two main benefits. The two main benefits of treading on the path of knowledge are the protection of angels and the du’a of Allah’s creatures. Angels provide protection in two ways: they lower their wings for a student of knowledge (i.e. they allow the student of knowledge to walk over their wings, much like a red carpet), and out of respect for the student of knowledge, they stop flying until the student has passed them. Allahu Akbar! Despite the purity of the angels, knowledge allows us to gain a higher rank than them in the eyes of Allah!

The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth make du’a for the student of knowledge. This includes the du’a of the angels and all other creatures on this earth, such as ants and all the fish in the sea. This is a great honor for children of Adam (as)! Striving for knowledge is one of the best deeds we can do to attain mercy of Allah.

Statement of Ibn Hazm (may Allah be pleased with him)

“If the learned ponders how the hours he spent learning saved him from the humiliation of being dominated by the ignorant and from the distress of having no access to the facts, and how those hours provided him with the joy of discovering that which is hidden from others, he would excel in praising Allah, the exalted, full of majesty, and would be more pleased with the knowledge he has and would deepen his desire to increase his knowledge.”

This is a beautiful statement by Ibn Hazm (ra). The direct implications of his statement are obvious. Possession of knowledge will save us from the humiliation of being dominated by the commands of ignorant people. Moreover, possession of knowledge will save us from the distress of having no access to reliable and authentic information. Furthermore, possession of knowledge will give us the joy of knowing that which others do not know. Correct knowledge allows us to worship our Lord in a better manner, a manner which pleases Him. Once we have the knowledge, we will become even more pleased with its advantages and benefits in our lives. This would deepen our desire to gain more knowledge. It is a sweet yet vicious cycle, which takes initial effort and indulgence, but once we taste the sweetness of knowledge, we become addicted!

Are you satisfied?

“Two persons are never satisfied, one who is seeking knowledge, and the other who is seeking the world.”

(Note: there is a disagreement about the above statement. Some say this is a hadith, and some say it is a statement of Ali (ra). Either way, we concern ourselves with the beneficial message of this statement.)

We have a choice in this world. We can either get addicted to this dunya, which we will leave after 60-80 years of life along with everything in it, or we can get addicted to seeking knowledge, which will reap heavy rewards on the Day of Judgement. The path of this dunya leads us away from Allah, and the path of knowledge leads us towards Allah. Likewise, the path of this dunya destroys our Hereafter, and the path of knowledge secures our Hereafter. The choice is entirely ours.

When should you be jealous of others ?

“No one should be jealous of anything except two people – a man whom Allah has blessed with knowledge and he teaches it; and a man who has money and he spends it in the sake of Allah.” (Bukhari)

This hadith alludes to the etiquettes of seeking knowledge. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is saying we should not get envious of others for anything other than two things, one of them being knowledge. Observing other people who have knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah should make us feel envious; the idea is to use this feeling as a motivation to gain knowledge. This hadith does not imply that we question Allah’s decree as to why He made the other person knowledgeable and why we were not given similar knowledge. Instead, we should ask Allah to make us learned in our deen.

“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” [Qur’an, 20:114]

Conclusion

I hope this article has served as a motivation to continue seeking knowledge because of the numerous benefits and blessings associated with it. Seeking knowledge will help us appreciate our deen, better our connection with Allah, and allow us to find solutions to our problems from the Quran and sunnah to simplify our lives.

The next article will address the role of women in seeking knowledge and some practical ways by which we can seek knowledge in North America bi’ithnillah (by the permission of Allah).