Fourth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.
Taqwa and its fruits in the Hereafter (3)
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.
In the context of our discussion about the significance of Taqwa in our eternal future, in the Hereafter (after our transition from this temporary life), we spoke in light of the blessed verses from Surah Al-Waqi'ah. Those verses revealed to us the terrifying horrors of the Day of Judgment in its first stage, which includes the destruction of this world, the end of the heavens and the earth: {' the Day the earth will be changed into a different earth and the heavens as well'}.
The earth will witness complete destruction, a tremendous and severe earthquake that hits it entirely, as Allah (the Almighty) says, {'When the earth will be violently shaken'}. The entire earth will be violently shaken and will experience a great earthquake that destroys all its features and demolishes its mountains, as stated in the blessed verse, {'And they ask you about the mountains, say, "My Lord will wipe them out completely, leaving the earth level and bare, You will not see therein a depression or an elevation"'}. In another verse, He says, {' the Day We will blow the mountains away, and you will see the earth laid bare'}—due to its leveling, there will be no more highlands, lowlands, or the like—{'And We will gather all , leaving none behind'}. Similarly, in Surah Al-Waqi'ah, He (the Almighty) says, {'And the mountains will be crushed to pieces'}. The mountains will be completely shattered, with nothing left of their rocks or masses. They will disintegrate completely and transform into tiny particles of dust, as Allah says, {'becoming scattered dust'}. This will be a tremendous horror and a great event that will completely change the features of the earth, transforming it into a leveled ground for reckoning and resurrection.
The stage of resurrection and reckoning and its terrifying events and horrors!
In the second blowing of the trumpet, Allah resurrects all creatures and gathers everyone. No one can escape this gathering, as Allah says, {'And We will gather all , leaving none behind'}. Everyone will be resurrected, gathered, and held to account.
The Holy Quran emphasizes these truths in many verses in the surahs that speak about the Day of Resurrection and the stages of reckoning and reward. Allah says, {'Yet they will all be brought before Us'}. No one can abstain from attending or escape the reckoning.
Allah (Glory be to Him) ties the destruction in the first stage of the Resurrection to the second stage, which is the revival, since the two stages all serve one purpose: the Day of Resurrection, the transition to the stage of reckoning and reward. Allah details this matter in many blessed verses, such as His saying, {'The Trumpet will be blown and all those in the heavens and all those on the earth will fall dead, except those Allah wills . Then it will be blown again and they will rise up at once, looking on '}.
- In the first stage, the earth will be completely destroyed and then reshaped for its new purpose, which is becoming the ground for the gathering, resurrection, and reckoning.
- Then, in the reckoning and its events, terrible horrors will await those who deviated from the path of Allah, the losers who did not prepare for that day, and those who did not respond to Allah in this world by taking precautions against the horrors, fears, and terrors of that day.
When Allah (Glory be to Him) said, {'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'}, it is in this life that good deeds, responding to Allah, and adhering to His guidance are what can save you, bring you success, and grant you tranquility. On the Day of Resurrection, your soul will be at ease, finding tranquility and receiving the reassurances one after another, from the moment of your resurrection. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran: {'The angels descend upon them, "Do not fear, nor grieve. Rather, rejoice in the good news of Jannah, which you have been promised. We are your Auliya in this worldly life and t}e Hereafter. There you will have whatever your souls desire, and there you will have whatever you ask for. An accommodation from the All-Forgiving, Merciful Lord"'}. The angels will offer great reassurance to those who were mindful of their Lord in this life, those who were mindful of the reckoning on that day, and those who had great concern for their future there. The state of tranquility will continue in the stage of the reckoning. When a person is given his book of deeds in his right hand, this is a state of reassurance and good news. Then when he looks into his book and sees the scenes that please him—the scenes that are filled with good and great deeds, the deeds in which he responded to the guidance of Allah and remained steadfast in His path—he will rejoice and feel at ease, saying, {'They will cry , "Here ! Read my record! I surely knew I would face my reckoning"'}—'I believed in this day and this reckoning, so I prepared for it by holding fast to the path of Allah, obeying Him, working to please Him, seeking closeness to Him, and striving for His pleasure.' He will be in a state of tranquility.
He says about them, {'On that Day faces will be bright, laughing and rejoicing'}. They will be laughing and rejoicing and enjoy a state of ease and tranquility while in a great situation, a very important event. They will laugh at those criminals and arrogant who hindered others from the path of Allah, while they are in a terrible state of humiliation, disgrace, and regret, crying and experiencing a very shameful and tragic state, as in the blessed verse that says, {'But on that Day the believers will be laughing at the disbelievers, as they sit on couches, looking on'}. They will be on the couches, watching, enjoying the drinks of Jannah, eating its food, and experiencing a state of complete tranquility.
They will see others in a terrifying state, as the horrors they are in are extremely terrifying: From the moment they are resurrected, they will feel the magnitude of their loss and the enormity of their state and their future in the Hereafter. They will begin to feel a sense of regret and start lamenting with expressions of remorse and regret: {'Oh, how sorry I am, for having neglected my duty to Allah'}.
As the events of the reckoning continue, they become more frightened: Their extreme anxiety, fear, and agitation intensify. There is nothing to reassure them, and there is nothing to give them good news. They receive their books and records of deeds in their left hands from behind their backs, and they realize what this means for them when they look at the record of their deeds and see the scenes of their sins, which reflect their deviation from the path of Allah. Then they cry out, {'They will say , "I wish I had not been given my record, nor known anything of my reckoning! I wish it were the end'}. They cry out with expressions of regret, remorse, and deep sorrow, biting their fingers: {'I wish I were dust!'}. They wish that the earth would be leveled with them. These are terrifying states of severe psychological torment. Why? The reason is that they realize they are the ones who have brought themselves to this point and they are the cause of their own situation. The means of salvation, success, and happiness were made available to them in this life. Allah called them repeatedly, numerous times in His book, the Holy Quran, in His guidance, and through His messengers and prophets throughout the nations and generations of the past.
The regret of a person there is a tremendous regret because he then realizes the extent of his loss for not responding, paying attention to what was important for him. How great his regret will be when he says, {'If only I had put forth something for my life'}—because it is your real life, it is your future, and it is what should concern you. {'And whoever strives , he does so for the benefit of his own soul'}; {'Thus whoever strives, he only strives to his own benefit'}. These are matters that should concern you. This is your future, your destiny, so pay attention to it and respond to Allah, the Almighty.
The detailed presentation in the Holy Quran is very important because it allows you to visualize those significant scenes that are inevitable, scenes that are coming. You see similar scenes here in this world, and you can imagine them, as there is what provides an approximation of those Quranic scenes to you in this world so that it can be beneficial for you. This is true if you pay attention to yourself, if you contemplate the book of Allah, if you approach it based on responding to Allah, if you listen and understand.
The categories of people on the Day of Resurrection and their different ranks
On the Day of Resurrection, people's destinies will be divided into categories based on their deeds, which will determine their fates: {'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 '}.
Among the survivors from these three categories are 'those on the right': They are the companions of favour who who performed righteous deeds, responded to Allah, repented to Him, purified themselves from their sins, returned to their Lord, and remained steadfast on His path. Their future will be great: They will have a great destiny and a great status and enjoy an immense triumph. {'What people they are!'}—this emphasizes the magnificence of their status, their condition, and their triumph.
But there is a higher category, and they are the second group of survivors: 'the pioneers'. To put more emphasis on how great their status is, He repeated the phrase, as stated: {'And the pioneers, the pioneers'}—their status is extremely great—{'Those are the ones brought near in the Gardens of Bliss.'}
In the realm of faith, Taqwa, righteous deeds, and responding to Allah, people have different levels in their faith: {'They have varying degrees in the sight of Allah'}. As mentioned in the Holy Quran, there are varying levels in faith, commitment, and response to Allah. He (the Almighty) is aware of all their deeds, and nothing is hidden from Him regarding their actions. Similarly, in terms of their level of response and their deeds, nothing is hidden from Him, and He does not diminish even the weight of a tiny particle from the reward of their deeds. {'Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, as much as a particle's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward'}.
Therefore, deeds and response to Allah (Glory be to Him) do vary. Indeed, the deeds of the believers are not equal. However, nothing escapes the knowledge of Allah (Glory be to Him) regarding any of them: He says in the Holy Quran: {'But whoever does good and is a believer will have no fear of being wronged or denied '}—his work will not be diminished, nor will his efforts be underestimated. The matter of deeds and response to Allah becomes the criterion, the criterion of fair reward. So there is no diminishing of the rights of some for the benefit of others or favoritism, where the grades of one person are elevated at the expense of the grades of another person whose deeds and response to Allah are greater! It is not possible; matters there are based on justice, on the scale of Allah, the Just, Who deals with His servants with equity.
Therefore, those who take the lead are granted excellence because taking the lead itself is a great virtue. The pioneers are those who possess the spirit of initiative, who respond quickly, and do not delay. This indicates the state of Taqwa they have, their eagerness for the satisfaction of Allah, and their fear of neglect and falling short. That is why they have the spirit of initiative, which demonstrates the level of Taqwa they have. They are the ones brought near, as He said about them: {'Those are the ones brought near in the Gardens of Bliss.'} They enjoy nearness to Allah, with a high status, with elevated ranks, with great spiritual honour, along with immense material blessings—all of that comes together for them. He also said about them, {'A throng of the ancients and a small band from the latecomers'}.
Examples of the luxurious and exquisite bliss of the people of Jannah
Then He speaks about examples of the bliss they enjoy: {'On couches woven , reclining on them, facing each other'}. Those are their gathering places in Jannah, and He only presents examples. In other surahs, He presents other examples, and so on.
Their gathering places in Jannah are extremely elegant places in the luxurious, pleasant, and magnificent abodes of Jannah. They gather there, since humans are social beings. If a person was given a palace in this worldly life to stay in alone for the rest of his life, he would feel constrained and long to see his relatives, companions, friends, and those who can talk and sit with him, especially his companions. By nature, humans are social beings, so companions gather in Jannah, those whom the bond of faith brought together, as well as the companionship of Taqwa and the path of righteousness that pleases Allah (Glory be to Him). Relatives also gather there, those brought together by Taqwa, faith, and adherence to the path of Allah, the Almighty.
In the gathering places of Jannah, there are luxurious, distinguished, and elegant beds. They are not worn-out or wooden beds in poor condition. Rather, they are intricately woven, with multiple layers of weaving, adorned with precious gemstones of Jannah, such as pearls, corundum, and rubies, as mentioned in the narrations. They are extremely luxurious beds in the world of Jannah, in the abodes of Jannah, where sitting is pleasant, and those gatherings with its dwellers are delightful.
{'Reclining on them, facing each other'}—to be {'reclining on them'} signifies comfort, tranquility, and an unimaginable happiness. {'Facing each other'}—so they sit together in those gatherings that bring them together, speaking to one another while experiencing perfect happiness.
Of what the Quran describes about their conversations is their reflections on their worldly lives and the reasons of their salvation in the world, as mentioned in the blessed verses of Surah At-Tur: {'And they approached one another, inquiring'}—they inquire about their salvation and the reasons behind it—{'They said, "When we were still with our families, we used to live in fear. So Allah has graced us and protected us from the torment of scorching heat. Indeed, we used to pray to Him before. He is truly the Kind, the Merciful"'}. Only Allah knows how many conversations they engage in and what topics they discuss! They are all fascinating, pleasant, and filled with good speech, as described in the blessed verse: {'They were guided to good speech'}. Their conversations are not vain or hurtful, nor do they cause any harm to one another's feelings. All their speech is good, and they are immersed in that bliss and happiness.
{'Reclining on them, facing each other. They will be waited on by eternal youths with cups, pitchers, and a drink from a flowing stream, which will cause them neither headache nor intoxication'}. In their gatherings, servants circulate among them. Those who serve them are young men in Jannah, who are healthy and sound. They are not afflicted with any illness, such as colds, coughs, or any diseases that would hinder their service. They circulate among them with that drink, which they offer in those gatherings, from the drinks of Jannah that are extremely delightful, pleasurable, and satisfying, {'with cups, pitchers, and a drink from a flowing stream'}. And those young men remain in perfect health and freshness: They do not age, gray, change, or fall ill. They are always in a state of well-being.
{'With cups'}—these are cups from Jannah. There are other verses that mentioned this, too: {'and cups of crystal—crystalline silver, filled precisely as desired'}. They are cups made from the materials of Jannah, very exquisite cups and pitchers. The drink in them is extremely delightful and refreshing when they drink it.
{'And a drink from a flowing stream'}—it refers here to a spring in Jannah where the drink there is very delicious and refreshing. They enjoy drinking it and feel refreshed. {'Which will cause them neither headache nor intoxication'}—it is not like the alcoholic drinks of the worldly life, which are a calamity, a disease, and a cause of harm to humans. They cause headaches and bleeding, and they affect one's senses, psyche, mind, and awareness. But the refined drink in Jannah combines pleasure, refreshment, and tranquility without any negative effects on one's mental state, awareness, or physical health. They drink it in their gatherings while exchanging conversations among themselves, and they find solace and relaxation in those meetings and sessions, for they have been saved from the greatest fear, from the punishment of Allah. Their souls are at ease, and they enjoy a life of stability in that great bliss.
{'Along with fruits of their choice'}—in Jannah, there are abundant fruits, which are diverse and never run out. They are not seasonal, and the inhabitants do not have to work hard to get them. They don't need to go and toil, suffer, stay awake, or exert themselves. The fruits are readily available and presented to them. Due to the abundance and variety of fruits, they are given the choice of what to choose and like this time, as well as every coming time. All they have to do is to simply make the choice, and it is served to them, without any effort or fatigue.
{'And meat from any bird they desire'}—meat is available there, including the meat of birds in its various forms in Jannah, which is extremely exquisite. They have the meat that they desire, according to their preferences. Their food, in all its varieties, is available to them without any difficulty or fatigue. They enjoy the finest and best types of food a human would ever desire.
{'And maidens with gorgeous eyes, like pristine pearls'}. In Jannah, along with the beautiful dwellings and the finest types of food, which are the best and most exquisite, there are the {'maidens with gorgeous eyes'}.They are the wives in Jannah, and they possess an exceptional and unimaginable beauty in their eyes and bodies {'like pristine pearls'}—these pearls that are well preserved with their radiant whiteness and extreme beauty.
{' as a reward for what they used to do'}—the bliss they enjoy. These are just some examples. In other Quranic verses, there are other types of blessings mentioned, such as their clothing. Also, in other verses it is mentioned that {'They will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls'}—the bracelets that are the adornments they wear on their hands are made of the gold and pearls of Jannah, which are incomparable to the gold and pearls of this world—{'and their clothing will be silk'}. {'And they will be dressed in green garments made of fine silk and thick silk'}. Their clothing is made of the silk of Jannah, which is the finest and best type of fabric. Allah describes their state and the various types of bliss and luxurious living they are in, as they are served by servants and enjoy whatever they desire, living in a state of happiness, with abundant opportunities: {'And if you looked around, you would see bliss and great dominion'}. This pleasure and great dominion is described as {' as a reward for what they used to do.'} It is your actions that determine your destiny, your future, and the rewards you receive.
Good deeds are still within your reach, so set off to secure your future!
The deeds they were doing in this life—including those deeds that are distinguished by the virtue of taking the lead—are within the capacity and reach of human beings. Allah (Glory be to Him) has commanded us with what we are capable of and within our reach. It does not even reach such a level that we can hardly bear! Rather, it is something that we are able to do, and people even engage in more difficult and arduous works—that are not meant to be for seeking the pleasure of Allah and the reward of Jannah—and they exert great effort to attain very simple things that are insignificant compared to what they will receive in the Hereafter. There is no problem about looking after livelihood and worldly affairs. In fact, one can make this be part of his religious and spiritual devotion and something that brings him closer to Allah, the Almighty. However, he must connect it to his work and strive for the Hereafter and abide by the guidance and instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him). He should adhere to what Allah has commanded, work within the permissible boundaries, spend his wealth in the cause of Allah, and fulfill his life responsibilities that are connected to his pursuit of the Hereafter.
However, some people imagine that the deeds that lead to the pleasure of Allah and the great bliss and securing our future in the Hereafter and that are a means of Allah's mercy and the attainment of what He has promised, including Jannah, are impossible deeds. In fact, they are not impossible, for Allah (Glory be to Him) said in the Holy Quran, {'As for the one who is charitable, mindful , and believes in the finest reward, We will facilitate for them the Way of Ease'}. The Way of Ease is the facilitated path that Allah (Glory be to Him) makes easy for us. He has also taught us to seek His help as we traverse this path, saying, {'You we worship and You we ask for help'}. We declare our worship to Him and then say, {'And You we ask for help.'} So He taught us to seek His help, which is the best support.
Great deeds that have a significant impact and high value in terms of reward, blessings, and closeness to Allah and ensure divine help, are essential for people to maintain their righteousness, improve their lives, and repel evil from themselves. Examples of such deeds include performing Jihad in the cause of Allah. It is one of the greatest deeds, referred to as a trade. Allah says, {'O believers! Shall I guide you to an exchange that will save you from a painful punishment?'}. It is called a trade because its profit is immense, and the reward for it is exceedingly great. Other good deeds have a specific level of reward, where a good deed is rewarded tenfold, but spending in the cause of Allah is multiplied by seven hundred times—seven hundred times! This is mentioned in the Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Baqarah. Furthermore, the multiplication can go far beyond that, depending on the circumstances, conditions, and the level of faith one has in his giving and actions. Fighting in the cause of Allah and other deeds in His cause, which fall under the title of Jihad in the cause of Allah, have an immensely great reward. They are like a trade, where the income of a merchant is significant based on his trade, different from the income of an ordinary worker. Similarly, there is a difference in the varying degrees of deeds and the level of reward and virtue associated with them.
{'O believers! Shall I guide you to an exchange that will save you from a painful punishment? have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if only you knew. He will forgive your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and splendid homes in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the ultimate triumph'}. This is an extremely great deed, with immense rewards. We are in need of it because it is a means by which Allah protects us form the harm of our enemies in this life. It is a means through which we live in honour, strength, and protection from the harm of enemies and from humiliation, subjugation, and degradation at their hands. It is a means of protection and strength for the Ummah and a factor for its prosperity and renaissance.
And so are the rest of the good deeds: When people collectively engage in what serves the public interest, it is for their own benefit. The benefits, results, returns, and goodness of such effort are for their own benefit. And this is also a form of cooperation in righteousness and Taqwa.
The deeds that a person engages in and through which he attains great rewards are deeds that serve his own interests in this worldly life. They have a positive impact on his psyche, educational reality, and human elevation, and they hold importance in his actual life: These deeds bring tranquility to his soul and have positive results in the immediate worldly life. They even become a reason for Allah's care for him in this worldly life, just as we mentioned regarding the fruits of Taqwa in this life. They also secure his great future in the Hereafter.
As for the issue of suffering, hardships, troubles, and difficulties, let's not forget that they are part of our lives. Those who disregard their future in the Hereafter and do not care about it at all, focusing entirely on the immediate worldly life and its concerns, are they immune from troubles, difficulties, hardships, and suffering? They experience them even more than those who have concerns about their Hereafter, along with their concerns about their worldly life. They, too, endure fatigue, suffer, and face hardships. Many of them may be extremely poor, facing extreme difficulties, toil, misery, and distress in their lives. Yet, they do not think about their Hereafter, even though this is within the reach of all people.
The virtue of good deeds, those deeds that lead to Jannah, are not limited to traders, the wealthy, or the rich. It is an opportunity open to all: the poor and the rich. It does not require a specific social status or a certain wealth; it is a field open to all servants of Allah. A person does not need to be, for example, wealthy or influential, nor does he need to hold a certain social status, particular position, or specific authority . Rather, some of those might even be a cause of one's destruction and misery.
Indeed, the arena is unbounded, and such deeds are attainable, and the way is prepared for all. Nevertheless, how does a person approach to attain that bliss? It is by the righteous deeds that are within everyone's reach: {'a reward for what they used to do'}.
{'There they will never hear any idle or sinful talk'}. There is nothing that spoils the bliss they enjoy: not even hurtful words, negative speech, or words that have no positive impact, which harm a person or affect his life. Allah (Glory be to Him) said, {'They were guided to good speech'}. In that realm, a person never hears idle or sinful talk: offensive words directed to him that diminish, offend, or provoke him. In fact, a person lives a good life, where there is nothing to disturb the bliss he enjoys. Even at the level of hurtful words, he does not hear hurtful, provocative, or offensive words at all. He lives with peace of mind, with everlasting tranquility. In this worldly life, can a person attain this? Even if he obtains acceptable living conditions, there are many annoyances. In fact, there are too many annoyances in this life.
{'Only a saying peace, peace'}—all the words one hears there are proper, devoid of anything that provokes, offends, distorts, or hurts one's feelings or causes harm. In that realm, all the words one hears are proper, and they also hear the greeting of peace: {'And "Peace!" will be greeting from the Merciful Lord'}. It is 'Peace!' from Allah; the angels greet them, saying, {'Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured'}. People, there, greet each other with peace, and all the words are proper, without anything that harms, provokes, hurts feelings, or offends. All words there are good, and only good words are heard. A person lives in a state of respect, valued and respected by everyone: No one despises, provokes, offends, or hurts his feelings. It is truly a blissful life in every sense of the word, and it is eternal and everlasting.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing!
O Allah, accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.