Belief in Angels

According to the Necessitarian Theory (in Philosophy), Laws of Nature are the “principles” which govern the natural phenomena of the world. That is, the natural world “obeys” the Law of Nature. But there are quite wide-ranging implications in understanding those “principles” among philosophers.

Muslims have a definitive faith that among the creation of God there are “angels” who do not disobey God in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded (see the Qur’an, 66:6). Among them are angels whose duty is to watch human beings: to record their deeds, their activities, their behaviours, and sometimes to reinforce their good efforts in all domains, which are in the Way of God.

God says: “And indeed, there are ever-watchful forces over you, noble, recording, aware of whatever you do” (82:10-12).

Muslims believe that God, the Creator, the Almighty, governs His creation perfectly as He wills, but He makes everything go by law, proportion and measure. Nothing happens but according to His Plan. And for this purpose God made the angels His instruments. God says: “Verily, everything have We created in due measure and proportion; and Our ordaining (a thing and its coming into being) is but one (act), like the twinkling of an eye” (54:49-50). “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High, who created and proportioned, and who determined the nature (of all that exists), and thereupon guided it (towards its fulfilment)”  (87:1-3).

The Qur’an ascribes angels as strong beings, sincere, who have not been given free will and are obedient to God. Each of them has a specific duty and does it perfectly as God commands them. Their strength differs from one to another, each according to the function it takes, so the Qur’an ascribes it as follows: “All praise is due to God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who causes the angels to be (His) message-bearers, endowed with wings, two, or three, or four. (Unceasingly) He adds to His creation whatever He wills: for, verily, God has the power to will anything”  (35:1).

According to Ibn Mas’oud, the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) recounted that on the night of his ascension the Prophet saw the Angel Gabriel “endowed with six hundred wings” (Bukhari  & Muslim). I think that means that Angel Gabriel has a very high power and an extraordinary speed when flying from earth to the heavens (going and returning), because in the Arabic language “wing” can also mean  “one’s protection”. And also in English, as in “Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary”: under one’s wing = under one’s protection.

Muhammad Asad, the author of “Message of the Quran” commented that verse of the Qur’an as follows:  “The wings of the spiritual beings or forces comprised within the designation of angels are, obviously, a metaphor for the speed and power with which God’s revelations are conveyed to His prophets. Their multiplicity (two, or three, or four) is perhaps meant to stress the countless ways in which He causes His commands to materialize within the universe created by Him”.

So, in fact, what some philosophers ascribe as “the law of nature”, is what Muslims call “sunnatullah” which means: God’s way of dealing with His creation that governs or controls its movement in the universe; and that is exactly the duties of the angels. And those angels are also called “junudullah” (= the soldiers of God), those who are dedicated to the cause of God.

The Qur’an also recounts the event of the battle of Badr (a place outside Madinah) between Muslims, who were only around 300 persons, facing a military expedition of the enemies who came from Makkah and represented about one thousand soldiers: “And God already gave you victory at Badr, when you were contemptible. So fear God, in order that you might be thankful. And when you were saying to the believers: is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down? Nay, but if you are patient (in adversity) and conscious of God, and the enemy should fall upon you of a sudden, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels accoutred” (3:123-125).

The Qur’an explains that all creation of God (except jinn and mankind who are tested by a certain limited free-will) do obey God completely: “And to God prostrates whatever in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures and the angels (also prostrate) and they are not arrogant: they fear their Lord high above them, and they do whatever they are commanded” (16:49-50).

All creation – save mankind and jinn - have no free will, they are bound to obey God in everything. As for mankind, they have free will in the domains, which they will be accountable for on Judgment Day.

The area of free will of human being is also one of the domains of the angels’ function that are in charge to watch, to care and to reinforce those who deserve it, in contradiction to the efforts of Satan. The angels, according to the Qur’an, are always keen of helping human being in exercising his duty correctly as the vice-gerent of God on earth, while Satan is keen to deceiving human being. God says: “The uppermost heavens are well-nigh rent asunder (for awe of Him); and the angels extol their Lord’s limitless glory and praise, and ask forgiveness for all who are on earth. Oh, verily, God alone is truly-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!”  (42:5).

Now let us listen to God’s call: “O mankind! Verily, God’s promise (of resurrection) is true indeed: so do not let the life of this world deceive you, and do not let (your own) deceptive thoughts about God deceive you! Truly Satan is an enemy. He but calls on his followers so that they might find themselves among the inhabitants of the blazing flame”  (35:5-6).

At-Tabari in his Tafseer and At-Tirmidzi in his Hadith - Collection recounted a Hadith reported by Ibn Mas’oud saying: “Every one among the children of Adam can be affected by an angel and can be afflicted by Satan. As for the angel, it will incite the person to do good deeds or to behave nicely; and the Satan always tries to influence the person to do awful deeds or behave badly.”

Finally, we can understand that the Law of Nature, which the philosophers are talking about, is merely a human search, which can be useful. But what the believers and faithful persons are sure about, is the belief in the Law of God, which is fixed by the Creator Himself, the Lord of the Universe.

Test or Punishment?

Some people say: “If God knows everything, then why does He test us?”

I say: God created the whole universe, which is vast and we cannot comprehend how vast and how old it is. We know only a very small part of it after we were created. And that knowledge is really poor, so much so that since thousands of years we are still discovering from day to day new “facts” about this universe. Then, most people believe that God created this universe and human beings are a small part of it. So it is not reasonable to ask why He created all that or why He tests people with many kinds of afflictions, or why He punishes others. Billions of believers in God have the faith that human beings “encompass nothing of His knowledge, save such as He wills” (Qur’an, 2:255).

Muslims believe that only God Himself knows why He created human beings. God told us in the Qur’an: “And when your Lord said to the angels: I am appointing on earth a vicegerent. They said: What? Will You appoint therein one who will do corruption therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You? He said: Assuredly, I know what you know not. And He imparted unto Adam the names of all things; then He brought them within the ken of the angels and said: Declare unto Me the names of these (things), if you speak truly. They said: Glory be to You! We know not except what You have taught us. Surely You are the Knower, the Wise” (2: 30-32)

We understand also from the Qur’an that God created us to obey Him, and He is testing us as vicegerent on earth, by endowing us with special faculties to be able to perform our duty. And for this purpose also we are given a certain limited free will.

Each person will be interrogated in the Day of Judgment on how he used his lifespan, his welfare, his power, and how far he obeyed God’s ordinances. A great reward will await those who pass the test successfully, and an awful punishment will await the losers. That punishment in the Hereafter is the real punishment. Yet God is so Merciful; for those who did evil and then repented, and asked God for forgiveness and stopped doing evil during their life time, they will escape from the punishment.

As for afflictions in the life of this world, God says: “And whatever affliction may befall you is on account of what your (own) hands have earned; and He pardons much” (42:30).

But there are afflictions that befall human beings, which are destined by God, for a certain purpose, which is only known by Him. They are purely tests for those who got the misfortunate affliction and maybe are also tests for the people around them, as we are morally demanded to help or console the distressed.

In whatever condition we are, we have to be thankful to God as He is giving us some of what we wish. God reminds us with His saying: “And He gives you of all that you ask of Him. And if you were to enumerate God’s grace you could never number it. Lo! Man is verily a wrong-doer and unthankful!” (14.34). And if we are thankful to God, then we ask His pardon anxiously, as He is Forgiving, Merciful:

“And if you were to count God’s grace you could never reckon it. Indeed God is Forgiving, Merciful!”  (16:18). We always have to try to elevate our faith in Him and minimize any grief we may feel. God says: “No affliction befalls in the earth, or in yourselves, but it is in a Book before We bring it about – that is indeed easy for God, so that you may not grieve for what escaped you, nor exult at what He has given you, for God does not like any swaggering braggart” (57:22-23).

In any case, when an affliction strikes a person, who is a believer, he should immediately remember God, his Lord and Master. He should remember that everything comes with the permission of God: “And if God afflicts you with some hurt, there is none who can remove it save Him; and if He intends good for you, there is none who can repel His bounty. He strikes with it whomever He will of His servants. He is the forgiving, the Merciful” (10:107).

Whether it is a kind of punishment caused by his weakness, or it is purely a test, or both, a believer should ask forgiveness from God, the Merciful.  God says in the Qur’an: “Surely We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and diminution of goods and lives; yet good tidings to the patient; those who, when they are struck by an affliction say: (Inna lillahi wa-inna ilaihi raji’oun) Surely we belong to God, and to Him we will return. Upon those rest blessings and mercy from their Lord and those – they are truly guided”  (2:155-157).

God’s Will & Man’s Will

Mankind has been given the dignity over all other creation. God has exclusively bestowed on them three bounties: a relatively limited free will; the intelligence and capacity of expression and the revealed-guidance.

• Free will is a limited one, as opposed to the unlimited and ultimate will of God, Who has a great and vast plan for all His creatures in the universe.
• Intelligence and capacity of expression, both are to enable human beings to develop their capability of exploiting land and sea (even the skies!) and governing all domains of their life, generation after generation.
• Revealed-Guidance contains genial ordinances of God to lead people to the right way in governing themselves, individually and collectively, so that God will question every one according to His careful account, which will be an evidence established on the Day of Judgment.

One has no choice in his or her own existence, or in his or her physical quality or color, or in his or her bodily functioning, because all that is the area of God’s full Will. But during the period of growth, little by little the person starts to use his or her faculty of free will. God says: “It is God who created you all (in a state) of weakness, and then, after weakness, ordained strength, and then, after (a period of) strength, ordained (old-age) weakness and grey hair; He creates what He wills; and He alone is all-Knowing, infinite in His power” (30:54).

And starting with maturity one can decide how to exercise his or her duty in the society where one lives, whether it will be according to God’s guidance or others. Here is the importance of the implementation of God’s ordinances (the Shari’ah) in the life of a person.

God is Omniscient, so He knows the ineluctability of what is to happen in the future, included the choice of everyone who is put under test during this life. But He is also Just; His judgement in the Hereafter is fair and impartial. More than that, His mercy embraces everything. “.. God said: My chastisement – I smite with it whom I will, and My mercy embraces all things, and so I shall prescribe it for those who are God-fearing and pay zakat (alms), and those who believe in Our signs” (7:156). Also: “Then if they give the lie to you, say: Your Lord is the Lord of all-embracing mercy, and His punishment cannot be averted from the sinning people” (6:147).

Thus the superiority of the Will of God over the will of man is something reasonable and agreeable, especially when we put into consideration the openness of the gate of repentance, which is offered by the Almighty God for each wrongdoer as long as he (or she) is still alive in this testing world, so that God may forgive them. Then we can easily understand why God orders mankind not to say “I will indeed do that tomorrow (or any fixed time) without adding “if God so wills”, because we do not know if our will is not opposing God’ Will. God says: “And never say about anything: I will certainly do that tomorrow without adding: if God so wills. And remember your Lord if you forget, and say: may be my Lord will guide me to (something) closer (in time) than this by way of guidance”  (18:23-24).

God has not only endowed human being with “hearing and sight” (as in Q.76:2), but also with an inner intelligence faculty (the heart); and all of these faculties shall be interrogated by God on Judgment Day: “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge: verily, the hearing and the sight and the heart, each one of them shall be interrogated  about” (17:36). More than that, God also actively guides mankind by means of revelation bestowed on the Prophets.

God says: “Alif lam ra. A Book We have revealed to you, so that you may bring forth mankind, by their Lord’s leave out of the depths of darkness into the light, leading them to the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due; to God, to whom all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth belongs. But woe to those who deny the truth from a terrible chastisement, those who prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter, and prevent people from the way of God, and seek to make it crooked – those, they are far astray. And We have not send any messenger except with the tongue of his people, that he might make (the Message) clear to them; God then sends astray whoever He will and He guides whomever He wills; and He is the Mighty, the Wise” (14:1-4).

Let us ponder on this: God sends astray whomever He wills and He guides whomever He wills; how? Because God knows the intention and the decision of each one, so He helps and makes easy to the seeker of the truth, and leaves the wrongdoer to stray. God says: “I swear by the night when it covers (the sun); and by the day when it unveils itself; and by the One who created the male and the female; your efforts are diverse: As for the one who is willing to give (whatever good thing he possesses), and fears (and conscious of) God and believes in the (truth) of the ultimate good, for him (or her) shall We make easy the path towards (ultimate) ease. But as for him (or her) who is niggardly, and thinks that he (or she) is self-sufficient, and calls the ultimate good a lie – for him (or her) shall We make easy the path towards hardship” (92:1-10).

After considering God’s explanation thoroughly about this matter, we can clearly see how mankind is honored by God, the Creator: “And indeed, We have conferred dignity of the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favored them far above most of Our creation” (17:70).

This conferring dignity of the children of Adam is, in fact, the transaction of the bowing down of the Angels to Adam just after God created Adam. God says: “And when We said to the angels: Prostrate yourselves to Adam; so they all prostrated themselves, except Iblis, he refused and disdained, and so he became one of the disbelievers” (2: 34).

In the Qur’an God relates the prayers of the angels who are surrounding Him: “Our Lord You embrace all things in Your mercy and knowledge, so forgive those (human beings) who repent and follow Your Way and shield them from the chastisement of the Hell-fire. Our Lord, and admit them into the Gardens of Eden which You have promised them, along with whoever were righteous among their fathers and their spouses and their descendants. Surely You are the One who is the Mighty, the Wise” (40: 7-8).

Enjoining Decency and Forbidding Indecency

« Al-amrru bil-ma’roof » (=Enjoining decency) means to prescribe a course of action confirmed by the Islamic Law; and “an-Nahy ‘an al-munkar” (=Forbidding indecency) is to hinder and prevent evil deeds in the society. These two activities are the method meant by “al-‘amal as-salih” (= Good deeds), which is potential for a believer in applying God’s ordinances.

God’s ordinance to enjoin decency and to forbid indecency forces Muslim individuals to work together in applying God’s laws in the society: « There has to be a group of people among you calling to good and enjoining decency and forbidding indecency; those are the successful » (3 : 104).

In fact, the original text of that verse in Arabic could also mean: « All of you should become a community calling to good and enjoining decency and forbidding indecency; those are the successful ». It is understandable also because this verse was revealed after the establishment of the Muslim community in Madinah. God also says: « And the believers, both men and women, are allies of one another ; they enjoin decency and forbid indecency ; they observe prayer and pay zakat (alms), and they obey God and His messenger. Those God will have mercy on them. Truly God is Mighty, Wise » (9 :71). And says: “You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for (the good of) mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in God. Now if the followers of earlier revelation had attained to faith, it would have been for their own good; (but only few) among them are believers, while most of them are iniquitous” (3:110).

The achievement of establishing that genial community by God’s Messenger Muhammad (God blessings upon him) was the fruit of his great efforts in educating them constantly during nearly 13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madinah.

God says: “Indeed, God bestowed a favour upon the believers when He raised up in their midst a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses and to cause them to grow in purity, and to teach them the Book as well as Wisdom, though before, they were indeed in clear error” (3:164).

And that extraordinary achievement happened because God wanted it to be the highest example for Humanity forever. And it is expected from later generations, in different countries and times, that there may be people who manage to achieve subsequently examples nearer to that top genial example, as God says: “Verily, in the Messenger of God you have a good example for everyone  who looks forward (with  hope and awe) to God and the Last Day, and remembers God profusely” (33:21). The Prophet’s effort in raising that genial examplary community has been achieved by the Grace of God who said (addressing the Prophet): “And it was by God’s grace that you were lenient with them; had you been harsh and fierce of heart, they would have dispersed from about you …” (3:159). “And surely you are on an excellent standard of character” (68.4).

In the Qur’an also, God says: “O you who have attained to faith! It is but for your own selves that you are responsible: those who go astray can do you no harm if you (yourselves) are on the right path. To God you all must return; and then He will make you (truly) understand all that you were doing (in life)” (5:105).

The danger of four diseases:

Some people may think that this verse urges everyone to think only of him or herself. Imam Tirmizi reported in his Collection of Hadis, that Abu-Umayah As-Shaibani went one day to Abu Tha’labah Al-Khushani (one among the companions of the Prophet) asking him about the meaning of this verse. Abu-Tha’labah answered: O my dear! Fortunately you have found the right person to ask about it, because I myself have asked the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) about this verse, and he said: “But first you all have to mutually enjoin one another to do good deeds, and forbid one another from doing evil deeds, until the time comes where you see people become inclined to stinginess and follow their whim, and when you see most people prefer the adornment of this life to what is in the Hereafter, and where each person is too proud with their own idea ... at that time, you have only to care about yourself and your kin, far from following the masses. Behold, it will come a time where whoever endures in his faith will live a very hard life, as if he is holding an amber in his hand. At that time anyone active in enjoining good deeds and forbidding evil doing, will get a reward (by God) multiplied by fifty”.

From this prophetic prediction we understand that there are four diseases in a society which could destroy it and which oblige a good Muslim to care only for his own self so that he can be safe from any of them. And we understand also, that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) was inciting the following generations to be steadfast in applying God’s ordinances, and warn them from being afflicted by those dangerous diseases.

Three steps:

Imam Muslim narrated in his Collection of Hadis the report of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudry that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees evil doing being committed he should hinder it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is yet unable to do (even that), then with his heart, and that is the weakest degree of faith”.

There are two dimensions to reflect on this prescription given by the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him): one is to see it pertaining a person or an authority able to make a real change of that evil that appeared in front of him, so he should stop it immediately.

The other dimension is that for a person who can only try to hinder that evil deed by admonition with his tongue (or of course by writing, etc.) then he should do it.

But the essential is that every true believer should detest any evil doing, and never concede to it.

Imam Muslim also narrated the report of Abdullah Ibn Mas’oud that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) said: “There was not a single Prophet among those who were sent before me who did not have disciples and companions who followed his ways and obeyed his commands. But afterwards other generations came whose words belied their deeds, and whose deeds were not in accordance with what they commended others to do. So, whoever strove against them with his hand (force or authority) is a (real) believer; and whoever strove against them with his tongue is a (real) believer; and whoever strove with his heart is a (real) believer; but beyond that there is no grain of faith”. That means, there is no reason for a real believer to stand neutral between right and wrong.

Genial Word

The genial word, the good saying, we can get it from a goodly source. It could be from a person, but of course we get it absolutely from God, through His messengers. “Say: if the sea were ink for the Words of my Lord, the sea would be depleted before the words of my Lord were depleted, even though the like of it as replenishment” (18: 1099). “And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea replenished with seven more seas, the Words of God would not be depleted. Truly God is Mighty, Wise” (31: 27).

As for the word of a human being, it depends on whether it is  good or bad.

If  the word which is uttered is good then it may be fruitful for the person himself or herself and for others, not only in this life but also in the Hereafter. The good word can come only from a good origin. For that, God has struck a parable: “Are you not aware how God sets forth the parable of a good word? (It is) like a good tree, its root set firm and its shoots (reaching out) towards the sky; it gives its produce every season by the leave of its Lord. And (thus it is that) God propounds parables for mankind, so that they might bethink themselves”(14: 24-25).

And if the word or saying of a person is bad, then it may hurt the person himself or herself, not only in this life, but also in the Hereafter, and it may hurt others too in this life.

In case a person has nothing to help a needy, then comes a needy to him asking for help fiercely and maybe impolitely, this person is recommended to behave forbearance with him, and he should never utter to him any bad word, as God says: “A honorable word and forgiveness is better than charity followed by causing hurt, and God is Self-sufficient, Forbearing”(2 : 263).

Al-Bukhari recorded in his important Collection of Hadith the report of Abu Hurairah that the blessed Prophet said:    

“A person may say a word which is contented by God, even if he uttered it unconsciously, God will elevate him to a higher degree by it; while a person may say a word which is discontented by God, even if he uttered it unconsciously, but this will end him to Hell”. And Abu Hurairah also reported the saying of the blessed Prophet:

“Whoever is believing in God and in the Hereafter, he or she should say something good or should keep quiet” (This Hadith is recorded by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Collections of Hadith).

One of the companions of the blessed Prophet, Mu’adz Bin Jabal reported that one day he asked the Prophet: O messenger of God! Are we accountable on what we utter  with our tongues? The blessed Prophet answered: ((How stupid you are, o Mu’adz! Do not you know that most people who will be punished in Hell will be held there ONLY because of what was uttered by their tongues?))

(This Hadith was recorded by Tirmidzy).

In the Qur’an also there is a continuation of that parable which was mentioned above, which says:  “And the parable of a bad saying is as a bad tree, uprooted from upon the earth, wholly unable to endure” (14: 26).

In fact the Qur’an is warning mankind to be careful in using this excellent gift of God (the capability of expressing what is in his inner self), because this will effect into good or into bad in the society (in this life), and will effect  into good or into bad for the person himself (in the Hereafter) :”And verily We have created human being and We know what his innermost self whispers within him, for We are closer to him than his jugular vein. (And so) whenever the two (angels) who are in charge of watching a person’s deeds come face to face, contending from the right and from the left, not even a word can he utter but there is a watcher with him, ever-present” (50: 16-18).

And as the word uttered by a person is considered his or her deed, then we can understand that the good word which is uttered by a person will be rewarded in the Hereafter with ten times credit, while the bad word which is uttered by a person will be requited with only no more than the like. This is a kind of great bounty of God to His servants, and an encouragement for people to do good and to say good. God says: “Whoever shall come (before God) with a good deed will gain ten times the like thereof, but whoever shall come with an evil deed will be requited with no more than the like thereof, and none shall be wronged” (6 : 160). 

Good Deeds

The Good Deeds of which we are going to talk about here are not the mere good deeds propagated by philanthropists, like for example Shari Arison every 9^th of March since 2007. This lady initiated to incite people to mark one day, every 9^th of March as  “a good-deeds-day”. Although it may do good somehow,  but what I will try to evoke here is the good deeds according to the Islamic evaluation.

Good deeds according to the Qur’anic prescription are human deeds, which are useful and fruitful to humankind and motivated by a deep faith in God and in the Hereafter. God says in the Qur’an: “Say (o Prophet): I am but a mortal man like all of you; it has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and only God; hence, whoever looks forward (with hope and awe) to meeting the Lord (on Judgment Day), let him or her do righteous deed (which is considered worship to God), and let him or her not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his or her Lord” (18:110 ).

According to the Qur’an, a “good deed” is a kind of worship to God, and that is why the Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings upon him) said: “Verily, God likes from each of you, when you carry on a work, to do it with excellence”. And he said also: “The excellence is that you worship God as if you see Him, and if you cannot see Him of course, then be sure that He is watching you”.

Let us see more than that; in the Qur’an we find: “(I swear) by the Time. Verily Man is in loss, except those who have attained to faith, and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to (follow) the truth, and enjoin one another to patience” (Surah Al’Asr).

That is because the existence of mankind itself, on earth, is nothing other than God’s will to test each person – as long as he or she is alive in this world - who is supposed to fulfill his or her task correctly. God says: “And indeed We have destroyed generations before you, when they did evil, and their messengers brought them all evidence of the truth, but they were not the ones who would believe. This is how We punish the guilty people, then We made you successors in the land, so that We see how you would act”(10 : 13 – 14 ).

Unfortunately there are many among Muslims today who think that “al-‘amal-assalih” (= good deed) is only if you go to do prayer, or to give zakat or sadaqah (alms), or to do fasting, or to go for ‘umrah or hajj. Of course those are the pillars of Islam, but pillars are necessary for a building to be established by putting on a lot of work on them. A building is not only made of pillars. All works that can help the progress recommended by God through his messenger, are considered “al a’mal assalihah” (=the good deeds), which will be rewarded in the Hereafter.

It is interesting to find in one verse in Surah Al-Hadeed

in the Qur’an, that God mentioned three very important things for mankind so that they could work performing their duty as they are charged by God to act as the “mustakhlaf” (=the one who is in charge on something) on earth. These three things are: the Book, the Balance and the Iron. God says:

“Indeed, We have sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that people may uphold equity; and We sent down Iron in which there is awesome power as well as (a source of) benefits for mankind: and (all this was given to you) so that God might mark out those who would stand up for Him and His messengers, even though He is beyond the reach of human perception. Verily, God is Powerful, Almighty!” ( 57 : 25 ).

In his commentary, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (14 April 1872 – 10 December 1953) wrote: “Those three things (the Book, the Balance and the Iron) stand as emblems of three things which hold society together, viz. Revelation, which commands Good and forbids Evil; Justice, which gives to each person his due; and the strong arm of the Law, which maintains sanctions for evil-doers”.

And Muhammad Asad (2 July 1900 – 23 February 1992) wrote in his commentary: “God endowed mankind with the ability to convert to his use the natural resources of his earthly environment. An outstanding symbol of this ability is man’s skill, unique among all animated beings in making tools; and the primary material for all tool-making – and, indeed, for all human technology – is iron: the one metal which is found abundantly on earth, and which can be utilized for beneficial as well as destructive ends”.

So, the only thing, which could enrich human civilization, is the deed. And we can see along human history that the more a society gives efforts in performing their duties, the more that society has flourished in their civilization.

The Qur’an even indicated that people in the Judgment Day will see clearly that faith in God is something necessary, but those who did not believe while they were in life of this world, or who believed but did not mark any good deed will be in loss. In Surah Al-An’am (in the Qur’an) we find this warning: “Do they, perchance, wait for the angels to appear to them, or for your Lord (Himself) to appear, or for some of your Lord’s (final) portents to appear? (But)

 on the Day when your Lord’s (final) portents to appear, believing will be of no avail to any human being who did not believe before, or who, while believing,  did no good deeds. Say: Wait, (then, for the Last Day, o unbelievers:)

behold, we (believers) are waiting, too !”  ( 6 : 158 ).

Most good deeds should be done collectively, although of course good deeds can also come individually, or first from individuals, each with the intention that this deed is a kind of “’ibadah” (= worship), for those who believe in God and the Hereafter. As in the Hereafter each person will be questioned individually, as God says: “Whoever acts righteously, it is for (the good of) his own self, and whoever does evil, it is to the detriment thereof; and your Lord is not (at all) a tyrant to His servants” ( 41 : 46 ). And He says also: “And every one of them will appear before Him on Resurrection Day in a lonely state. Verily, those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds will the Most Gracious endow with love”  ( 19: 95 – 96 ); but most good deeds need to be done collectively, and that is why God ordained four conditions for a person to be avoided from the loss, half of them is “enjoining one another to do collective deeds”: “Verily, Man is in loss, except those who have attained to faith, and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to (follow) the truth, and enjoin one another to patience” (103:2-3). It means that every person should be very keen to carry on collective works in the society, and should never keep silent without undertaking any collective venture to achieve good deeds of any kind for the benefit of the society.

The Jews claim that they are God’s chosen people (according to what is mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:2, Exodus 19:5 and Genesis 17:7), so they assured for themselves God’s grace in the Hereafter and they believe that they shall not be requited for their sins.

And the Christians believe in “Vicarious atonement” which promises salvation to all who believe in Jesus as God’s son.

But the Qur’an says clearly: “And those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds We shall admit them to Gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; God’s promise in truth; and who is truer in utterance than  God. It may not accord with your (means: Muslims’) wishful thinking, nor with the wishful thinking of the people of the Scripture (means: the Jews and the Christians): whoever does evil shall be requited for it; and he will not find besides God any friend or helper” (4:122-123).

Very often in the Qur’an God describes the real believers as “al-amiroona bil-ma’roof wan-nahoona ‘anil-munkar” (=“those who enjoin decency and forbid indecency”. For this  we should have a separate issue.

Keeping One's Responsibility

The Qur’an so often points out that the destiny of a person depends on his own deeds, good or evil. And the doctrine of personal responsibility is insisted upon, no one can bear the burden of another:

“And every human being’s destiny We have tied to his neck;  and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find wide open; and he will be told: Read this your record! Sufficient is your own self today to make out your account. Whoever chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and whoever goes astray, goes but astray to his own hurt; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden. Moreover, We would never chastise (any community for the wrong they may do) ere We have sent a messenger (to them)” (17: 13-15).

And human beings were not created to be left aimless: “Does human being suppose that he is to be left aimless?” (75: 36). But they were created for a certain purpose: “And I have not created the jinn and mankind to any end other than that they may (know and) worship Me. No sustenance do I ever demand of them, nor do I demand that they feed Me” (51: 56-57). Then the purpose of the creation of mankind is that they become “the vicegerent (of God) on earth” (2: 30). And for that God has imparted to them the capacity of cognition of the existence of God and the capacity of understanding the nature of all visible beings around them, and to know how to use them for developing their life on earth, as God says: “He it is Who created  FOR YOU all that is in the earth, then He turned to heaven and leveled them seven heavens and He has knowledge of all things” (2: 29). “And He has MADE SUBSERVIENT TO YOU, (as a gift) from Himself, all that is in the heavens and on earth: Surely in that there are signs for a people who reflect” (45: 13).

There is also a statement of the Great Prophet Muhammad (blessings of God be upon him) which was reported by so many of the companions of the Prophet, and recorded by many of important collectors of Hadith (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu-Dawood and Tirmidzi) as follows: “All of you are guardians and all of you are accountable on things which are under their disposals. The head of State or of an organism is accountable on what is under his disposal. The housewife in her home is accountable on what is under her disposal. The worker is accountable on things under his disposal. The husband is accountable on his responsibility. Each of you is a guardian over his dependents, and is accountable on his disposal”.

So it is clear, that in Islam, every one is responsible for something. No one is excepted (of course unless the mad ones). This is inconsistent with the doctrine that God has created human being as the vicegerent on earth. He is given a lot of freedom to act, but is responsible and accountable, after the end of his task’s period during his life.

This is the real justice..! This is the real equality. . .!  This is the real freedom !

Here we can understand that God incites every person to do the best he or she can do for the development of human civilization and to get its fruit in the Hereafter, if his or her deed is done for the sake of God’s contentment and according to His ordinances. We find in the Qur’an God’s saying: “And for all shall be judged according to what they have done, and your Lord is not unaware of what they do. And your Lord is self-sufficient, limitless in His grace. If He so wills He may put an end to you and thereafter cause whom He wills to succeed you – even as He has brought you into being out of other people’s seed” (6: 132-133).