| Introductory Materials |
The Creation is in Need of Allaah |
| Author: Dr. Saleh as-Saleh |
| Article ID : TAW010010 [68284] |
Man always looks for what benefits him and what
protects him from harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to realize
what is harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love so that
he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good about his choice. He
also must know the proper and good approach that would make him achieve this
goal. This latter condition requires that man:
1.Know about harm
2.What ways
can be used to drive harm away
Certainly, man can have no better guidance than that
which comes from the One Who had perfected everything, and the One who Has no
deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who is Ever-Living and Who
does not die. There can be no One better than the One Who Has no need for
anything; the One Who is rich; the Giver; the One who, after all, controls man's
soul. Man is so poor to Him. He is Allaah, the True and only God. Man can bring
harm to himself if he seeks other than Allaah for help. Allaah is the One Who
can help man drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His
Power.
Allaah (SW) sent down His Books and chose His Messengers
to guide man to:
1.Know His Lord as He (SW) had explained about Himself,
and
2.Seek Him Alone while living in accordance with
His plan
Knowing Allaah's Names and Attributes liberates man from
worshiping any form of creation because creation is weak and is in need of The
Creator, Allaah. The knowledge about Allaah leads man to know that he is created
to live according to Allaah's way as revealed to the last Messenger Muhammad .
This Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is beneficial
or harmful is established so that man can center his life around this
Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving he would
turn to Him and to Him alone seeking His forgiveness:
"Know,
therefore, that there is no God Who deserves to be worshiped except
Allaah; and ask forgiveness for your
sins." (Qur'an,
47:19)
It is wrong to think or believe that Allaah created other
'gods' besides Him so that man turns to them for help; loves them or fear them,
etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not order that people should
make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc. gods besides Him. He (Most Exalted)
cannot be 'contradictory'. He has one way (religion) that calls man to surrender
his will only to Him. He warned that if man (even Muhammad would take
partners with Him, then his work will fail and will be among losers:
"And
verily, it had been revealed to you (O Muhammad ) as has been revealed
to those before you. If you join others in worship with Allaah (then) surely
(all) your deeds will be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers.
Nay! But worship Allaah and be among grateful." (Qur'an,
39:65-66)
Let us know what Muhammad , the man-Prophet, who knew
Allaah best, used to say:
"O Allaah, I
seek refuge in You for Your Pleasure and against Your Wrath,and in Your
Forgiveness and against Your Punishment and in You from You, I cannot Praise
You as You can Praise Yourself." (Muslim, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi,
ibn Majah)
"I have surrendered
myself to You, I have directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs
to You, I have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of
You, there is no resort nor survival from You except (in turning) to You. I
have faith in Your book (i.e. the Qur'an) which You brought down and in the
Prophet (Muhammad ) you have sent." (Al-Bukhari,
Muslim)
When we read in the Qur'an that:
"Whatever of Mercy (i.e. of good), Allaah may grant to
mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none
can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the
All-Wise." (Qur'an, 35:2)
And when we read
that:
"If
Allaah touches you with hurt, there is none can remove it but He; and if He
intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His favor which He
causes it to reach homsoever of His slaves He will, and He is the
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 10:117)
We
should be motivated to return to Him Alone at times of ease and at times of
hardship.
And when we read that:
"If
Allaah helps you none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is
there, after Him, that can help you. And in Allaah (alone) let believers put
their trust." (Qur'an, 3:160)
The Qur'an, therefore,
leads man to a true liberation from any false attachment. It brings peace to the
heart. It helps the believer against hypocrisy and all forms of dishonesty.
Imagine, for example, a believer facing a problem at work. He sees wrong and
faces unlawful practices. He does not fear rejecting what is wrong. He knows
that the job is only a means to gain his sustenance. While he may be unable to
correct what is wrong, he knows well that Allaah is the One Who provides. If he
leaves his job for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will give him a better one. Allaah
(SW) said:
"And
whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him. He will make a way for him
to get out (from) every (difficulty), and He will provide him from (sources)
he could never imagine." (Qur'an, 65:2-3)
The above
texts, necessitates that man must depend upon Allaah (SW) asking Him Alone for
assistance. It also requires that man must love Allaah and worship Him Alone to
gain His pleasure and His help. Is it not true that the people who consider this
life as the "Final Goal" end up worshiping many things in it? You see
them so careful about "having it all". They torture themselves: pain,
difficulty, constant worry, keeping their hands in the banks for loan after loan
to keep up with the "demands of development". They are under the
constant threat of fore-closure. They constantly see poverty in front of their
eyes. The Prophet said:
"Allaah says:
'Son of Adam: Fill your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with
richness, and end off your poverty. But if you donot, I would make your
hands fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your
poverty.'" (At-Tirmidhi said that it is a good
hadeeth)
Our purpose of existence on earth is more meaningful than
being slaves to worldly gains. There can be no meaningful life better than that
prescribed by our Creator Allaah. Every act done according to Allaah's way is an
act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and Allaah is in no need:
"O
mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allaah, but Allaah is Rich (Free of
all wants and needs), Worthy of All Praise." (Qur'an, 35:15)
