Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Sir

Reading these messages, I get the impression that to stay as a true muslim, one will have to leave the world and stay as a hermit. Banks, insurance companies, movies, music, mixing of the sexes, interest everything is Haram. I can't think of any place or job where we can avoid these things. I agree what is haram cannot be made halal. In such a situation, it is the Ulema's duty to guide the people. If interest is haram, what is the alternative.

If we were living in a Muslim welfare state, I would agree that insurance and life insurance were evils that we could do away with. We know for a fact that even the oil rich Muslim states have not been able to make a welfare system, that will ensure that everyone will be looked after.

In practical terms, when the bread winner dies what happens to his wife and kids. There is no relief provided by any Muslim Govt. The man has not made any investments as most investments in the world are interest based and to make Islamic investments, he needs to be highly educated. Islam does not permit the life of a hermit. It insists that we live in the world. However, with everything going around us this will be very difficult.

Could you please advise

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

To be true Muslim one must be hermit

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Islam is not a religion which advocates its followers to live in isolation as a hermit; but the clear guidance and teachings of Islam enjoins the believers to live life to the full in the midst of people and society, adhering, accepting, obeying, following and living within the boundaries laid down by Allah and His Messenger (saws). And that is precisely the test Allah Subhanah has ordained for mankind! Those who flee to live their lives like a hermit in isolation, actually flee from the test ordained for mankind by Allah Subhanah! Those who resist the temptations of the world, control their illegal desires, stay constant in the remembrance of Allah Subhanah, develop God-consiousness or ‘taqwa’ in the midst of temptations, and complete the test of life striving to stay within the boundaries of Allah and His Messenger (saws), will be the ones who will be successful in the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter.

My beloved brother in Islam, we understand your anxiety, for today it is indeed a severe test for the believers to remain within the boundaries of Islam; especially in the absence of a righteous and God-fearing society. Good enjoins good, and evil leads to other evils; that is precisely why Islam guides the believers to strive to form and bring about a society of righteousness and piety, where good will be enjoined, and evil will be recognized as evil, and thus shunned. Indeed, in the absence of such a righteous society of the believers where the Laws, Guidance and Teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws) stand supreme, man puts himself in a severe test. In an unrighteous society, everything good and Islamic is looked down upon and shunned, and evil is made to look the norm! Unfortunately, we live in such times today.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 64 Surah Taghabun verse 16: So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey; and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls: and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity.

The duty laid upon the believers by Allah Subhanah, is to fear Allah Subhanah as much as we can. If one has strived his utmost and to the best of his capacity to stay away from the forbidden and the haraam, and strived as much as he can to the best of his capacity to live within the boundaries of Allah and His Messenger (saws); he will find his Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Your Statement: Banks, insurance companies, movies, music, mixing of the sexes, interest everything is Haram.

The list of the haraam is only a numbered few; for Allah Subhanah, in His Mercy and Grace, has made the list of the halaal limitless and endless!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5 (part): This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you (the believers).

Banks, insurance, movies, music, the mixing of sexes, etc. are not haraam or forbidden in its essence! What is declared haraam is ‘usury’ and ‘zina’ (fornication and adultery); and when something is declared Haraam by Allah and His Messenger (saws), all paths that lead to that Haraam are also considered impermissible! When one understands the wisdom behind why some things are declared Haraam by Allah and His Messenger (saws); he will realize and will have to admit in gratitude that these things are forbidden only for the good and well-being of man and his society!

Banks and insurance companies that do not deal in interest; or movies and music which are not vulgar, and do not arouse illegal sexual emotions are absolutely permissible in Islam. The mixing of the mehram sexes is not only permissible, it is the Command of Allah Subhanah to honor, revere, respect, and give due rights to these relations which Allah Subhanah has made for mankind! What is forbidden is the illegal and casual mixing of non-mehram sexes, which inevitably leads to the evil and horrendous path of ‘zina’, and ultimately to the path of destruction of the very core of the structure of family and society!

Your Statement: However, with everything going around us this will be very difficult.

Beloved brother in Islam, indeed we absolutely agree with you that the test of this transitory life might look difficult; but the believers, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, must remember that the reward for passing this short, transitory test of one life, is the eternal and everlasting home of bliss called Paradise!

For the one whose ultimate goal is ease, comfort, and luxury in the life of this short transitory world and not Paradise, will indeed find this short test of life difficult and suffocating. But one whose goal, destination, mission, and the only desire is the eternal abode of Paradise and the Pleasure of his Merciful Lord, will accept every affliction as a passing test from his Lord, and strive to live his life within the boundaries of his Creator; for he knows that the reward of Paradise CAN ONLY be attained by living this transitory test of one life on this earth according to the laws laid down by the Quran and Sunnah.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1758 Narrated by Abu Umamah

The Prophet (saws) stated that Allah, who is Blessed and Exalted, said "Son of Adam, if you show endurance and seek your reward from me in the first affliction, I shall be Pleased with no lesser reward for you, than Paradise."

Blessed indeed are those, who have recognized their mission of life, and given preference to attaining the life of the Hereafter! All they have to do is live this one life of maximum 60 or 70 or 100 years within the boundaries of Allah and His Messenger (saws); and get the eternal, ever-lasting, and never-ending reward of Paradise!

If one really gives it a couple of minutes and thinks deeply, he will confirm to himself that: ‘The test could not be easier, and the reward could not be better!!!’.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 111:Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their property in return for the Gardens of Paradise! ……. So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Allah, that is the Greatest Success!

A maximum of one life in submission to the One Who Gave us life in the first place, for the eternal and everlasting Gardens of Paradise!

Paradise is going cheap!; are there any amongst us willing to grab This Bargain of a lifetime???

Only one condition applies in grabbing this Bargain of all bargains!: Grab it, before the inevitable appointment with the Angel of Death!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan