To some people, what is unlawful looks lawful, not because their eyes cannot see the difference, but it is because their hearts are blind. The Eyes can see everything within existence. Allah does not blind a person’s heart from seeing things; rather the person himself causes this to happen. He puts himself in a state of denial
after rejecting the truth, and that is what causes the heart to go blind to what is lawful, and motivates the person to commit what is unlawful.
When the unlawful looks lawful, know that the heart is blind and not the eyes. The eyes can see all that appears in front of them. When the heart has its ‘sight’, it can see more than what is visible to the eyes, but when the heart loses its sight that is worse for the person than when the eyes go blind.
Allaah the Almighty says:
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ
“Have they never journeyed through the land so that they have hearts to understand, or ears to hear with? It is not the eyes, but the hearts in the chests that are blind.” (Al-Hajj 22:46)
The Arabic word هداية (hidaya):
هداية (hidaya) is derived from the root هدى (Huda) which means (guide). This word can also appear as هدية (hadiya) and this means (gift), but the word ‘hidaya’ that is pointed out in the Glorious Quran means ‘guidance’; guidance to the one path. Who is it that guides to the one path? Is it you and I? No.
Is it any other than Allaah, the Most Merciful, who created the nations, and set two parties to be destined to different locations? Isn’t it Allaah who guides the people to the truth? Indeed.
The All-powerful says:
وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ
“And thus We have inspired unto you (O Muhammad) a Quran (in Arabic) that you may warn the Mother of the Towns (Makkah) and all around it. And warn of the Day of Assembling, of which there is no doubt, when a party will be in Paradise and a party in the blazing Fire (Hell).” (Ash-shura 42:07)
Two teams were created; of the two teams one is guided, the other team is misguided. If one team is guided, then the guided team must have been chosen. If Allaah created both teams, then it must have been Him who chose the guided team.
In Surah Ash-shura, verse 13, Allah says
اللَّهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاءُ
“Allaah chooses for Himself whom He wills”
وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ
“And guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.”
Whoever Allaah chooses is chosen because it is Allaah’s will. Whoever turns to Allaah with sincere repentance will be guided, and whoever turns away from Allaah, then Allaah will leave him to stray.
The Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) was sent as:
- A bearer of good news
- A warner
The book that he held, the one that we read is a guide for the Jinn and mankind.
Allaah gave The Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) wisdom, and power of speech. However, he was not granted the power to bring whoever he wants to guidance. The Messenger (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) did not have the will to guide.
Proof of the above point:
When the prophet’s uncle, Abu-Talib, was dying the Messenger of Allaah (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) told him to testify that there is no other God worthy of being worshipped besides Allah, but he refused. And his friends Abu Jahal and Abdallah were standing nearby, and told Abu Talib: Are you going to reject your religion? The Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) kept trying to get his uncle to testify, but he refused. Instead, his uncle replied: “I stay on my religion,” and those were his last words to utter.
Allaah then revealed:
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
“Verily! You (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allaah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided.” Al-Qassas 28:56
Although Allaah knew that the Prophet’s (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) uncle was going to die as a Non-Muslim, it was still a duty upon the Prophet (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) to invite him to Islam. Allaah reiterates that it is not Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) who guides, and He (Azza wa Jal) confirms that it is He who guides.
Allaah emphasizes that he guides only whom He wills.
Allaah knows best who is guided, because:
Those guided chose to be guided by willing to repent to Allaah sincerely. The ones who repented were chosen by Allaah, and Allaah wills to guide only the repenters.
Umar Ibn Il-Khattab, do you know how he came to Islam?
Umar was twenty seven when the Holy Prophet began his mission. Young Umar was one of those who did not care to listen to the message of Islam. He was for the old way of life. As years went by, Islam began to gain recognition, and people began converting.
This made Umar angry. Once people became muslim, they never wavered in their belief, nor did they return to their old ways. One of Umar’s own maid-servants became a Muslim. He beat her as much as he could; but despite the torture she would not give up the new faith.
At last in the sixth year of the Prophet’s mission, a number of Muslims left for Abyssinia. This made Umar boil with rage. “Here is a man,” he thought to himself “who has split the people. People lived smoothly enough, until he began preaching. He has torn son from father, and brother from brother. Now his followers are running away to another land. Surely Muhammad is the cause of all trouble. I must slay him and put an end to the trouble.”
With this resolve Umar drew his sword and set out to kill the Prophet (Saw). On the way he met a friend who asked him why he looked so upset. Umar told him what he was going to do. “You better take care of your own kin first,” said the friend, “Your sister and her husband have gone over to Islam.”
These words changed the direction of Umar’s anger. He went straight to the house of his sister, Fatima. He knocked at the door. Someone was reciting the Quran inside. Fatima was terrified when she heard Umar’s voice. She hid the portion of the Quran she was reading and opened the door.
“What was it that you were reciting just now?” Omar demanded.
“Oh nothing,” replied his sister.
“Why nothing?” he shouted in rage.
“I have heard it alright. I know you both have accepted Muhammad’s faith.”
Saying this, he began to beat his brother-in-law, Saeed. Fatima ran to his help and got a blow to the head. Her head began to bleed. This made the couple bold. “Yes, we have become Muslims,” they shouted at Omar. “Do what you will.”
The sight of his bleeding sister deeply moved Omar. Fatima was such a loving sister! Surely there must be some great truth in the Quran which had won her innocent heart. “Would you let me have a look at the Quran?” said Umar.
Fatima handed him the few pages of the book she had.
Umar sat down to study the pages. Slowly, his face changed. His anger cooled down. The fear of Allah gripped his heart. He wept and declared, “Surely this is the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”
Umar was again on his way to the place of the Prophet. But he was a changed man. He was not going to slay him, but to embrace his faith.
The Prophet (Saw) was sitting in the company of some men. He saw Umar coming and asked, “Umar, what brings you here?”
“O Prophet of Allah!” replied Umar, “I have come to embrace Islam.”
Great was the joy of the Holy Prophet and his followers. Loud shouts of “Allah is Great” echoed the air of Mecca. Soon everyone knew that Umar was no longer an enemy of Islam. It was a great day for Islam, because one of its bitterest enemies had become its staunch follower.
You see, who guided Umar? Did anyone know that he will change? Did anyone expect Umar to change? No. Allaah guided him, and Allaah was the only one who knew that he would change.
And if it is said to you, good news! Here is a job for you, take it and you will be rewarded, would you then say no?
What did they have to say when they were said to do such and such for rewards in return?
The hypocrites-
Al-Baqara (02:11)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them: “Make not mischief on the earth,” they say: “We are only peacemakers.”
Al-Baqara (02:13)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا كَمَا آمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاءُ
And when it is said to them: “Believe as the people have believed,” they say: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?
Al-Munafiqoon (63:05)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُمْ مُسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And when it is said to them: “Come, so that the Messenger of Allaah may ask forgiveness from Allaah for you”, they turn aside their heads, and you would see them turning away their faces arrogantly.”
The hypocrites make mischief on the Earth, and think that they are making peace. To them the believers are fools, and due to that Allaah put a disease in their hearts called arrogance. That is why when they are called to righteousness they turn away with aversion. That is why they are left to go astray.
What did they have to say?
The polytheists-
Al-Baqara (02:170)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا
When it is said to them: “Follow what Allaah has sent down.” They say: “Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.”
Al-Furqan (25:60)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ قَالُوا وَمَا الرَّحْمَـٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًا
And when it is said to them: “Prostrate to the Most Beneficent (Allaah)! They say: “And what is the Most Beneficent? Shall we fall down in prostration to that which you (O Muhammad) command us?” And it increases in them only aversion.
An-Nahl (16:24)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ مَاذَا أَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
And when it is said to them: “What is it that your Lord has sent down (unto Muhammad)?” They say: “Tales of the men before us!”
Al-Mursilat (77:48)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لَا يَرْكَعُونَ
And when it is said to them: “Bow down yourself (in prayer)!” They bow not down.
The polytheists follow what their fathers follow, and even if you bring clear signs to them that Allaah is the only one who deserves to be worshipped most of them reject, and that is because they only seek for the pleasures of this worldly life, and do not know anything about the hereafter.
In Comparison, What did the Believers say?
An-Nahl (16:30)
وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا مَاذَا أَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۚ قَالُوا خَيْرًا ۗ
And (when) it is said to those who are the pious “What did your Lord send down?” They say: “Something good.”
The believers who follow the Islamic law accept the truth easily, are pleased of what they are given from Allaah’s bounties, and are grateful that Allaah chose this religion for them as the way of life, and as a guide to the straight path.
To wrap things up let’s turn to what we commenced with:
When The All Generous Allaah says:
فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُور
“Then indeed it is not the eyes, but the hearts in the chests that are blind.” Al-Hajj (22:46)
Do you remember the last time you parked your car in the parking lot, and went out looking for it, had you closed your eyes while looking for it, you would have never found it, right?
Picture this life as a parking lot, Allaah’s guidance as your car that you are searching for, and your eyes as your heart. If you never use your heart to search for Allaah’s guidance, then the next thing that will happen to your heart is that it will become blinded.
And now I know why;
The eye that never cries, never cries because it is blind to the signs of Allaah.
Dr. Rayan Arab,