Third Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.
Taqwa and its fruits in the Hereafter (2)
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
We continue to speak about the importance of Taqwa and what it means for us. In the previous lecture, we discussed the immediate fruits and outcomes of Taqwa in this worldly life. Now, we shed light on its significance for our eternal future in the Hereafter, which is a crucial, significant, and immense future. We mentioned that death is what separates between this life and the Hereafter, but it is a moment that a person will perceive, upon resurrection, as very short. One will realize how close that future, which seemed distant in this life, actually is, and he will comprehend the profound impact of his actions, behaviours, and positions in this life on determining his destiny in the Hereafter.
Allah (Glory be to Him) states in the Holy Quran, {'Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind. Everything is listed by Us in a perfect Record'}. Even the effects of a person's actions are taken into account along with the actions themselves, whether they are good or evil. Every action, even the weight of an atom, is meticulously recorded: {'So, whoever does a particle's weight of good will see it. And whoever does a particle's weight of evil will see it'}. Thus, Allah (Glory be to Him) speaks frequently in the Holy Quran about the Last Day, which received a great deal of attention in the Quran, to warn, caution, and alert us so that we do not fall into a state of negligence or forgetfulness towards that important and significant day—the Day of Reckoning, the Day of Reward, the Day of Judgment.
When a person realizes that he will be resurrected and that resurrection is a near event, which will be as if a person woke up from sleep in the morning and found himself in that world, in that reckoning, questioning, and reward—when a person is aware of his future in the Hereafter, remembers the Hereafter, remembers the Day of Judgment, and considers his own accountability in that future, then he will be attentive and mindful of his actions, positions, words, and behaviours. He will take into account his deeds, knowing that he will be held accountable and rewarded accordingly. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {'Guard yourselves against the Day when you will be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged'}. So let us take account of that day, protect ourselves from its awe, safeguard ourselves from humiliation on that day, and protect ourselves from loss, for it is a tremendous day, a day in which a person cannot change the realities that have unfolded based on his actions and conduct in this life.
The state of forgetfulness, heedlessness, and delusion is a dangerous state. Forgetting the Day of Resurrection, forgetting the Day of Reckoning, being heedless of it, being deluded by this worldly life, and being completely unaware of that future—all of these are dangerous states. They lead a person to be careless about his actions, deeds, positions, and words, so he fails to pay attention to what he does and says and does not take into account that he will be held accountable. Consequently, he becomes bold in committing sins, violating the guidance of Allah, and acting according to his desires and inclinations, without a sense of responsibility, attentiveness, and concern.
In the Holy Quran, when it presents the conditions of people on the Day of Resurrection, when it speaks of the horrors of the Day of Resurrection, the accountability and reward, Jannah and the Fire, and that important future that we will inevitably face—a person cannot abstain from attending the Day of Resurrection: {'Yet they will all be brought before Us'}. You cannot refrain from attending, disappear on that day, or try to absent yourself from that scene—there is no escape. The Holy Quran extensively discusses that day, naming entire surahs after different names of the Day of Resurrection and containing numerous verses throughout various surahs.
Together with Surah Al-Waqi'ah and its comprehensive illustration of the scenes on the Day of Resurrection
One of the surahs in the Holy Quran that spoke about the scenes of the Day of Resurrection—presenting an important and detailed account of the conditions of people on that day, its awe, the accountability, the reward, and the transition of people from the ground of resurrection to their inevitable destiny based on the rewards of their deeds, either in Jannah or in the Fire—is Surah Al-Waqi'ah. Surah Al-Waqi'ah is one of the significant and beneficial surahs in the Holy Quran, which provided a detailed, impactful, important, and warning presentation for all of us. Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. When the Inevitable Event takes place, then no one can deny it has come. It will debase and elevate '}.
The Day of Resurrection is the Inevitable Event that will definitely occur, and its occurrence is a tremendous event, a great happening, and a terrifying issue that completely changes the reality of humanity. With it, the features of the earth as a whole change, accompanied with extremely terrifying events. The reality of the universe, the heavens, and the earth also undergo a transformation. This is an inevitable matter that no one can intervene to prevent the occurrence of the Day of Resurrection or alter this reality in any way. With the changes that happen to life as a whole—the features of the earth are completely destroyed, as well as the features of the heavens and the major transformations—the reality of human beings themselves changes, and all these changes serve as an introduction to that day. They indicate the nature of that day, its important events, and the major transformations that occur within it: It is a great day, a day of judgment, a significant day where there is no room for bribery, deception, or attempts to change the truth and deny the facts. All human endeavours in that regard are in vain and of no use. There is no use of regret, remorse, weeping, or supplication. All of that is futile for human beings. Matters will be settled, and the fate of a person remains contingent upon the nature of his deeds and their consequences.
One of the significant changes on that day in the reality of human beings, their conditions, destinies, and circumstances is described in the blessed verse as {'It will debase and elevate .'} One of the most important aspects of the Day of Resurrection is the complete transformation of people's states.
Some people will be lowered on the Day of Resurrection. That day will lower those who were disobedient to Allah, arrogant, and tyrannical in this worldly life. The state of these people in this life—due to their power, status, social standing, influence, and authority—was a state of might, stubbornness, arrogance, and tyranny. However, on the Day of Resurrection, they will be gathered and brought low by the Inevitable Event, by those horrors. Allah will lower their status in that great gathering, in the scene of the Day of Resurrection. They will be gathered and stand before Him (Glory be to Him), humbled, submissive, in awe, and obedient. They will be in a state of regret, weeping, and humiliation. All their conditions will be in a state of complete humiliation: They will lower their heads, lower their voices, lower their gazes, and fall into a state of utter humiliation, brokenness, weakness, abasement, weeping, and regret. They will blame themselves, lamenting the consequences they brought upon themselves. Their morale will be at rock bottom, and their souls shattered—it is a truly terrible state.
Among them were those who held authorities and positions (such as princes, kings, leaders, etc.) or had social status, influence, and power. This led them to become arrogant, stubborn, and careless and emboldened them to disobey Allah (Glory be to Him), to hinder others from His path, to oppress His servants, to show arrogance towards people, to refuse to accept the truth, and to violate His instructions. Their conditions will undergo a complete transformation. In the worldly life, they enjoyed prestige, influence, impact, and might. But there, they will be in a state of humiliation, brokenness, weakness, helplessness, abasement, humility, and regret. They will have no value, no importance, no dignity, no influence. They will have no weight, no significance, no might, no honour. They will be in a state of brokenness and complete abasement, far removed from the conditions they had in the worldly life. When they recall what they were like in the worldly life, they will blame themselves and chastise their own souls.
will elevate the believers. Some of the believers, in this life, might have lived as weak, oppressed, and despised by many of those who have materialistic criteria for assessing others. In their eyes, a person's importance is based on his social status, power, influence, wealth, or social status. So they look at the believer with disdain and a sense of contempt. The believer who was fought, weak, and looked at with disdain in this worldly life will be in a different state on the Day of Resurrection, elevated, honoured, content with himself, receiving honour, experiencing tranquility, raising his head, feeling dignity, and enjoying a great status in the sight of Allah (Glory be to Him). He will be honoured from one position to another, and from one stage to another stage of the stages of the resurrection, ultimately reaching the tremendous honour in Jannah, elevated in rank and great in status in Jannah. Receiving honour is of the most important types of reward for the believers in the Hereafter. Allah honours them: {'It was said, "Enter Jannah." He said, "If only my people knew of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honourable"'}. The status of the ordinary believer on the Day of Resurrection is greater than that of anyone who enjoyed the loftiest status in this life due to his authority, power, or influence. The states of the Hereafter differ from the worldly life states in that they are tremendous, the status there is important and great, and they are constant.
In this world, people's states change. Some may be in positions of power, status, and authority, and then their state changes. However, the states on the Day of Resurrection do not change thereafter. Rather, as we mentioned before, they transition to a greater honour and a higher status.
On the Day of Resurrection, conditions will be according to one's deeds.
On the Day of Resurrection, people's states are tied to their deeds, behaviorus, positions, and words in this life. Some individuals seek elevation at any cost in this world and perceive it in positions associated with power, authority, wealth, or similar things. They may associate themselves with those whom they consider to be people of status, even if it means standing with falsehood, engaging in evil deeds, and resorting to illegitimate means. They hinder others from the path of Allah, align themselves with falsehood, oppose the truth, and support the enemies of Allah, among other things. Similarly, some individuals, even if they do not possess power, status, wealth, social standing, or influence, may have a sense of arrogance and defiance within themselves. They view themselves as superior and engage in fighting the truth, defying it, rejecting it, and refusing to accept it. They are too arrogant to accept the truth or walk in its path, and they even find comfort in their stubbornness, in their fight against the truth, and in their resistance to obeying Allah (Glory be to Him). They feel proud about that! However, on the Day of Resurrection, they will find themselves humiliated, submissive, obedient, and humble, having no worth. They will be in a state of humiliation and disgrace, filled with regret and tears, feeling weak, helpless, and completely shattered. But all of this will be of no benefit to them.
In the Holy Quran, regarding their state experienced in the various stages of the Day of Resurrection, Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'With their eyes downcast, they will be enveloped by ignominy'}. Perhaps in this world, they were in states where they felt elevated, influential, occupying high positions, and having a significant status. In their audacity to oppose the truth and deviate from the religion of Allah and His teachings, they would look with open red eyes, raise their voices loudly, speak harshly, engage in wrongdoing, and exhibit arrogance. Their state of arrogance was evident in their actions, behaviours, and positions. However, at that time, they will be in a state of complete humiliation to such an extent that {'With their eyes downcast, they will be enveloped by ignominy.'} They will be completely engulfed in humiliation, and their entire state and appearance will reflect the state of utter humiliation they are in.
{'Hanging their heads'}—they will no longer be in a state of arrogance, raising their heads high. Instead, they will be in a state of tremendous humiliation. In another verse, it is mentioned, {'They will rush forward with their necks outstretched'}. Their necks will be outstretched, reflecting their state of submission and subjugation—a truly horrifying state they will be in. Their conditions will completely change, and this is accompanied with the other things that await them: the severe punishment, retribution in Jahannam, and that utter disgrace and great humiliation they will face (May Allah be our refuge).
As for the believers, this will be followed and accompanied by bliss and honour, and they will enjoy material bliss and eternal happiness, in addition to moral honour
The awe-inspiring event and the major changes in the reality of humans!
{'When the earth will be violently shaken, and the mountains will be crushed to pieces, becoming scattered dust'}. The Inevitable Event of Resurrection, which must occur, will inescapably come with such really tremendous events, the first of which is the total destruction of the earth—a great earthquake will totally destroy it. We witness scenes of massive destruction by earthquakes that hit certain parts in the world, just as the one that has recently happened in Turkey and parts of Syria. How horrible and destructive it was! What a tremendous effect it has caused! It is one of Allah's signs that remind us of the Great Earthquake that will destroy the entire earth and change its features due to its intensity. It will not only obliterate every single aspect of construction on the earth (like cities, villages, houses, buildings, etc.), but it will also destroy all the mountains; that is, all the mountains of the earth will be totally destroyed to a miraculous extent.
{'And the mountains will be crushed to pieces'}: They will be completely crumbled with no a single rock remaining. They will totally lose their hardness to the point that He (the Almighty) says about that, {'becoming scattered dust'}. The mountains will be changed to particles of dust like those particles of dust that are so little, tiny, and small that we can only see them when illuminated by focused light coming through a window, as it is a focused light. This is how the mountains will end up—the mighty mountains that stood firmly on the earth and which were heavy and huge to the point that they had an essential role in maintaining the earth stable for human's life and preventing it from being unsettled or in a state of turmoil. Those firm, lofty, immensely huge mountains spread all over the earth will be entirely crushed over—due to the magnitude and intensity of that horrible and tremendous earthquake—until they crumble and change into dust, then to tiny dust particles.
This tremendous horror comes with significant changes in the reality of human beings when Allah resurrects them and gathers them all in the ground of resurrection. After they find themselves in the gathering ground of the Day of Resurrection and the process of accountability and reward begins as detailed in numerous verses and multiple surahs, the reality of human beings, in terms of their categorization, transforms into what is mentioned in this blessed verse that says, {'And you all will be in three groups'}. You, human society, people, will be classified into three groups, a sorting that determines their fate, the fate they will transition to from the ground of reckoning. {'And you all will be in three groups.'} There will be three groups, and everyone is moving in this direction. Your actions in this life, your stances, words, and deeds are what determines which group you will belong to. So be alert while you are still here: {'And you all will be in three groups. those on the right—what people they are! And the people of the ill-omened—what of the people of the ill-omened! And the pioneers, the pioneers: Those are the ones brought near '}.
The first category in this division is {'those on the right'}. They are the companions of favour, goodness, blessings, and happiness, who were responsive to Allah in this life, obedient to Him, adhering to His guidance, and following His teachings. They prioritized the guidance of Allah and His instructions over their own desires and responded to Him (the Almighty), and as a result, their destiny in the Hereafter is this great destiny: to be among those who receive their records in their right hands on the Day of Resurrection. They will be among the companions of favour, goodness, prosperity, and happiness, and they will be in a state of joy and bliss.
{'Those on the right—what people they are!'} This is an exaltation of their status and the honour they receive, as well as the bliss and the immense happiness they experience. How can a person not be happy when he realizes that he has succeeded and secured his eternal and everlasting future, one with no end, and that he will enter Jannah and has attained the pleasure of Allah that allows him to obtain that great happiness and live a good life in the abundance of bliss in Jannah?
{'And the people of the ill-omened'}—they are the companions of misfortune and wretchedness who denied the guidance of Allah in this worldly life. They were defiant in disobeying Allah, exceeding His limits, and deviating from His guidance. On the Day of Resurrection, they will be the companions of misery, wretchedness, torment, and regret. {'What of the people of the ill-omened!'} This is a terrifying depiction of their state, which is an extremely terrible state. It is not an ordinary state! On the Day of Resurrection, there are no ordinary conditions like those in this life. A person may experience ordinary conditions at certain stages of his life, but on that day, there will be either immense misery, misfortune, and punishment, or great happiness, favour, and tremendous success. There are no ordinary conditions—they are all significant and important states.
The virtue of taking the lead and the elevated status of the pioneers in the sight of Allah.
{'And the pioneers, the pioneers'}—they are greater in status and higher in rank than those on the right. They have a higher status than them. The virtue of taking the lead is an extremely great virtue. It is to take the lead in obeying Allah, to take the lead in responding to Him (the Almighty), and to take the lead in important and significant deeds that He directs, guides, urges, and commands us to do. Taking the lead means taking the initiative in righteous deeds, taking the initiative in important deeds that please Allah—these important and significant deeds.
And the virtue of taking the lead that is mentioned here and what is associated with it of blessings—all of this is to urge and encourage us towards this virtue, for this constitutes a guarantee for the salvation and success of humans, and the honour and merit in it are great and significant. It indicates having a high spirit of faith that a believer carries. There is a great encouragement in the Holy Quran for taking the lead and carrying such a spirit and for a person to be proactive, not sluggish or tardy, as is the case with some people when it comes to any great and important good deeds that lead to salvation, success, and gaining Allah's pleasure. They try to be the last, try to be sluggish, try to slow down, and for some, it becomes a habit, a way of dealing with great deeds like spending in the way of Allah. They say, 'Leave me to be the last, start with others.' When it comes to moving in the cause of Allah, they wait to ensure that they are not among the first to move and take the initiative, either waiting to see how things will turn out or for other reasons.
The sign of sluggishness and procrastination is an indication of a lack of awareness and faith, as well as a weakened spiritual drive. This state can be dangerous for individuals as it may grow and have an impact on them. It may cause them to miss out on important and significant deeds, even if it is just missing out on the virtue of taking the lead in good deeds. It could also lead to a regression in many matters, to the point of neglecting and falling short in essential acts of worship that are prescribed by Allah and lead to success, salvation, and prosperity.
Therefore, taking the lead is a great virtue, and that is why Allah says, {'And the pioneers, the pioneers: Those are the ones brought near in the Gardens of Bliss'}. The pioneers have a great status with Allah, and their position is elevated in His sight. They enjoy closeness to Allah, which signifies their elevated status and the great honour they receive on the Day of Resurrection and in Jannah. It is a lofty position that believers aspire to attain because being honoured comes top on the list of the desired bliss: Even if a person has worldly possessions, he still aspires for honour and a high status.
In fact, some traders in this world may attempt to offer vast amounts of money in order to attain a high position with a specific official, prince, leader, king, or influential figure here or there. They desire to have a respected status and be recognized as having a significant place in their eyes. They take pride in that and feel a sense of dignity as a result. So how about if the position that a proactive and believing individual attains is a position with Allah and a lofty status with Him? It is a tremendous status, a great honour, a high-ranking position that the believing individual aspires to achieve so that he could enjoy immense honour alongside material bliss.
{'In the Gardens of Bliss'}—the gardens in the realm of Jannah are astonishing orchards and farms in the vast, expansive, and immensely grand world of Jannah, in that world! And they are at the highest level: There are all kinds of blessings that humans enjoy. So, alongside the tremendous spiritual honour, there are abundant material blessings available in that world. The Prophet (PBUH&F) described Jannah by saying, 'In it, there is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever perceived.' The Quran provides many details about the blessings that humans enjoy in that expansive bliss, free from any shortcomings. There are numerous elaborate descriptions, and some of them will be mentioned.
{'A throng of the ancients'}—this refers to a significant group of people who excelled and attained the virtue of taking the lead from the earlier generations. {'And a small band from the latecomers'}—this indicates that only a few individuals from later times achieve this. That is because many people tend to shy away from taking the lead due to various influences and factors in their lives. They wait, calculate their options, consider their circumstances, and wait to see the condition and status of others. As a result, they miss out on this great virtue.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds.
O Allah, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.