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:

Just like people follow other religious leaders, if one just listens to your viewpoints and thoughts.... and if your words are not entirely expressing the will of Allah.... how much time will you spend in hell ? (The readers are advised to study the implications in other contexts.) Please do not refuse to answer this question. 

(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:

We are not Religious leaders

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.

My beloved brother, the first thing we would like to clarify, and Allah Subhanah is our witness, is that we are not religious leaders, nor have we ever claimed to be one! We are no more than simple and humble believers, who are only trying to do our duty to our brethren believers by giving our humble opinions in light of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger of Allah (saws). We ask you for no reward and no thanks for our humble service in the Cause of Allah Subhanah; we look for our reward only from the Lord of the Worlds. If by this humble effort we are able to bring even one brother or sister closer to Allah Subhanah and His Message of Al-Islam, we will indeed consider ourselves to be the most fortunate people on this earth. We humbly and sincerely beg Allah Subhanah to accept our humble efforts, have mercy upon us, forgive us our short-comings, and save us and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire.

We are trying only to obey the commands of our Merciful Lord and Creator to the best of our ability, and fulfilling our responsibility towards our brethren, who care to listen to good caution from the Quran and Sunnah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125:Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 164:And remind them that when some people from among them asked the others, “Why do you admonish those people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?” They replied, “We admonish them in order to be able to offer an excuse before our Lord (that we did invite them to the Truth), and we also hope that they might refrain from disobedience to Him.”

Your Statement: if one just listens to your viewpoints and thoughts.... and if your words are not entirely expressing the will of Allah.... how much time will you spend in hell ?

Beloved brother, we only express our views in light of the guidance of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws). Allah Subhanah has bestowed upon each individual the faculty of intelligence and the power of reasoning; and granted each a free will to choose the path he wishes to choose. If in some brother’s view, our viewpoints and thoughts are against the guidance and teachings of Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws), we would be indebted to him if he corrects us and guides us to the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah; for Allah is our witness, if it is from the Quran and Sunnah, we will whole-heartedly accept it, obey it, and follow it to the best of our ability.

Our intention is starting this humble forum was never to express ‘our’ viewpoints and thoughts! Allah is our witness, and He Alone suffices as a witness, that the only reason we started this forum was to propagate the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah to our brothers and sisters who care to listen to good caution.

To accept or reject the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah is entirely upto each individual. Neither are we responsible for any deeds other than our own, nor are you responsible for deeds other than your own! Every matter will be brought forth in the Presence of the All Just-Lord on an Inevitable Day, and He Alone will Judge each person according to his deeds.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 29:Proclaim, “This (Quran) is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills may accept it, and whosoever wills may reject it.” (As for those who reject it) We have prepared for such workers of iniquity a fire whose flames have encircled them. There, if they as for water , they will be given a drink like the dregs of oil, which will burn their mouths! What an evil drink, and what an evil abode!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verses 19-21:Well, how can the one who believes that this Book which has been sent to you from your Lord, is the Truth, be like the one who is blind to this fact? It is the wise people who take advice from this; they fulfill their Covenant with Allah, and break it not after confirming it. They join together what Allah has bidden to join; they fear their Lord, and dread lest they should be called upon to render a Heavy Reckoning.

Your Statement: ……and if your words are not entirely expressing the will of Allah.... how much time will you spend in hell ?

Beloved brother in Islam, we appreciate your concern for our well-being in the Presence of our Lord and Creator. Our intention is only to express the Will of Allah Subhanah, and Allah Alone is a witness to our intentions; for none knows the intentions better than the One Who Knows All Things! If we have any hidden agenda other than the propagation of the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah, or if we seek any worldly benefit by our efforts on this humble forum, or if we seek to nominate ourselves to some worldly gain or position, or if we seek to mislead people from the Straight Path; then indeed we fear a Heavy Reckoning in the Presence of the All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Lord of the Worlds.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 40-44:Some of these people will believe in (The Quran), and others will not. Your Lord knows these mischief-makers very well indeed. If these people deny you, say to them: “I am responsible for my deeds and you are for yours. You are not accountable for what I do, nor am I for what you do.” There are many among them who hear what you say, but will you make the deaf to listen to you, even though they be incapable of understanding this? Then there are many others among them who see you. But will you show the way to the blind, even though they be bereft of sight? The fact is that Allah does not in any way wrong the people, but they wronged themselves!

Beloved brother, we sincerely believe that we are expressing our views in light of the Quran and Sunnah, and are well aware of the responsibility we have taken upon our humble shoulders. We sincerely and humbly beseech our Merciful Lord to guide us to the Straight Path, have Mercy upon us, forgive us our short-comings, and save us and all the believers in His Truth from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Statement.... how much time will you spend in hell ?

My beloved brother in Islam, it is our ardent prayer, and the prayer of every true believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, that Allah Subhanah keep us and all the believers far far away from the torment of the Hell Fire. Leave alone spend some time in Hell, we humbly beg and beseech the Merciful not to even let His believing slaves near this horrendous and torturous place called Hell.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 15-18:

15 Say: shall I give you glad tidings of things far better than those? For the righteous are gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy), and the good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah's sight are (all) His servants.

16 (Namely) those who say: "O Our Lord! We have indeed believed: forgive us then our sins, and save us from the agony of the Fire."

17 Those who show patience, firmness, and self-control; who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who spend (in the way of Allah); and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning.

18 There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise.

My beloved brother in Islam, we sincerely believe in every word of Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws); we sincerely believe that every word of Allah and His Messenger is nothing but the Absolute Truth; we sincerely believe that Allah Subhanah has, in His Infinite Mercy, revealed the Glorious Quran for the guidance of mankind; we sincerely believe that Allah and His Messenger (saws) guide to nothing but the Siraat-al-Mustaqeem (Straight Path of Islam); and we sincerely believe in the promises of Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws) to the believers of their Message.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verses 105-109:We have sent down this Quran with the Truth and with the Truth it has come down. (O Mohamed(saws)), We have sent you only to give good news (to the believers) and as a warner (to the disbelievers). And We have sent down this Quran piecemeal so that you may recite it to the people gradually piece by piece; and We have sent it down by gradual Revelations. (O Mohamed (saws)) say to these people, “Whether you believe in it or not, those who were given the knowledge before this, fall prostrate on their faces when it is recited to them and cry out, ‘Our Lord is Gracious, and His Promise is surely to be fulfilled.’ And they fall down on their faces, weeping, when they listen to it; and this increases their humility all the more.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verses 58-60:We have set forth in this Quran every sort of argument to make the people understand; but whatever ‘aayah’ you may bring, the disbelievers will certainly say, “You are following falsehood”. Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. So, patiently perservere; for surely the promise of Allah is True. And let not those who have no certainty of faith, shake your firmness.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fussilat (Ha Mim Sajdah) verses 30-32:Those who said, ‘Allah is our Lord’, and then stood steadfast, Angels descend on them and say, ‘Fear not nor grieve, and rejoice in the good news of Paradise that has been promised to you: we are your companions in the life of this world, and also in the Hereafter. There you will have whatever you desire, and whatever you ask for will be yours! An entertainment from the One, Who is All Forgiving, All Merciful.’

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa verse 122:The promise of Allah is true, and who can be truer in his word than Allah?

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