The fruits of believing in the last day.

Source: The Fruits of Believing in the Last Day. A lecture given by Shaikh Muhammad Husain Ya’qoub. (Audio Cassettes)

Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The adulterer will not commit adultery while he is in a state of Iman (Faith), the thief will not steal while he is in a state of Iman.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The scholars said: “The adulterer is a believer, but his belief is deficient.”

Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) [the narrator of the Hadith] said: “The Iman (Faith) is taken off from him when he is in a state of committing the sin the same way as when one of you takes off his shirt from his head. If he repents, it (the Faith) will return to him.”

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in another narration: “Verily, Iman wears out in one’s heart, just as the garment wears out (becomes thin). Therefore, ask Allah to renew Iman in your hearts.” [Al-Hakim and authenticated by al-Albani in al-Silsilah as-Sahiha no. 1585]

When one is in a state of committing a sin, one’s Iman, as a result, becomes old and wears out just as is the case with the clothes. The clothes wear out and become thin and torn because of wearing and taking off the clothes frequently. In a similar way, the Faith is taken off when one backbites, then it is returned. Also, if one of you sleeps and does not offer the Salat, the Faith is taken off. In the same way, if one lies or looks at Haram and so on. This (taking off frequently) is how the Faith becomes thin (weak).

One of the most important means of renewing the Faith is to believe in the Last Day; actually, it is one of the Articles of Faith.

Ask yourself! Do you really believe with certainty and truthfulness in the Last Day?

If yes, then what have you prepared for it?

When Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) was asked: “When is the Hour?” He (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “What have you prepared for it?”

The belief in the Last Day is based on the following:

1. The Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it. (Al-Hajj 22:7)

2. No one knows the time of its establishment except Allah. (Al-Araaf 7:187)

3. It is near. (Ash-Shura 42:17) and (Al-Ahzab 33:63)

4. It will come all of a sudden. (Al-Anbiya’ 21:40)

The Fruits of Believing in the Last Day:

1. Hasten the repentance

If one believes that the Day of Resurrection is coming and there is no doubt about it,  then one should hasten toward repenting from sins because one might die at any moment. Committing sins, such as backbiting, looking at Haram, lying, etc. indicate that one’s certainty in the Day of Resurrection is weak. Does the one who knows that he may die at any moment and meet Allah (Who will account him for his sins), commit sins?

2. Do not wait for the recompense in this life

If you do good to others, believing in the Last Day, you will not wait for the reward or recompense except from Allah; that is, if you are really seeking the everlasting reward which will benefit you, and not the reward from the people which is a quick and temporary reward.

3. Sincerity

The person who believes in the Last Day performs the deeds totally for Allah’s Sake and with sincerity.

Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment let him entertain his guest.” [Al-Bukhari]

You should not entertain your guest thinking that he will entertain you similarly in return when you visit him. You should entertain him only to find the reward of doing so on the Day of Judgment.

Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet (i.e. abstain from all kinds of evil and dirty talk e.g. abusing, lying, backbiting, etc.).” [Al-Bukhari]

The one who believes in the Last Day will watch his speech and avoid sinful talk because he knows that he will certainly be punished for it. Accordingly, when one’s manners are refined (correct), he will not deal with people according to worldly rules i.e. whoever gives me, I will give him, and whoever beats me I will beat him ten times. Surely one will submit to Allah in all his affairs and ask Allah to take his right from them (those who oppressed). In this way, you will calm down and feel at rest, knowing that you have a Lord Who will gather you and those who oppressed you and He (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) will judge between you in justice and truth.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said to His Messenger Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) in Surat Az-Zumar (39:30-31):

“Verily, you [O Muhammad(Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam)] will die and verily, they (too) will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord.”

4. Understanding the Qur’an

If you would really like to understand the Qur’an, you should revive your heart with belief in the Last Day.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Isra’ (17:45):

“And when you [Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam)] recite the Qur’an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their heart, so they hear or understand it not).”

There are some people whose hearts are sick and because of not understanding the Qur’an, the sickness of their hearts is not cured; although the Qur’an is a healing for all the sicknesses of the heart (such as doubts, hypocrisy, etc.).

5. Firmness in the Faith

Many complain of slackness after being enthusiastic in the religion.

One of the reasons of slackening is the weak belief in the Hereafter. If a person believes that the Hour is near, he will be afraid of the coming of the Hour while doing something wrong. And whoever dies, his Qiyamah (the Hereafter) is already started.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) says in Surat Aal-Imran (3:102):

“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah.” i.e. stay firm on the Religion of Islam till you meet Allah with it.

When Pharaoh ordered the butcher to skin (strip off the skin from) his wife, she was laughing. They said: “She’s gone mad.” She said: “It is not madness; actually I have seen my house in Paradise.”

Offering 12 Rak’ahs a day (Rawatib Sunnah), reserves a house for you in Paradise. Try to reserve for yourselves a house before it is too late and you regret; or before a sickness might befall you and you will not be able to offer even one Rak’ah.

Belief in the Hereafter induces a person to stay firm on the Religion, even if he is tortured; because he knows for sure that he is going to die one day and meet Allah. Therefore, it will not harm him to be tortured even for 100 years because he will meet Allah and will live forever in Paradise.

6. The Reforming of the Heart

The way (path) to Allah is crossed by hearts and not by feet. These hearts need fuel in order to help them to reach Allah. One of the fuels is belief in the Hereafter.

If the heart is reformed because of belief with certainty in the Hereafter; then he will walk on the right way. Bear in mind, firmness on the Sirat on the Day of Judgment will be according to firmness in this Dunya on the right way, e.g. whoever offers the Fajr prayer and backbites, and/or offers the Duha prayer and looks at unlawful things, the same thing will happen to him on the Day of Judgment; sometimes he would walk straight on the Sirat and sometimes he would stumble. But the one who is walking straight (hastening to do good deeds) and with lightning speed; the same will be his state on the Sirat. Standing firm and straight on the Religion in this Dunya will bring on (cause) the firmness on the Sirat on the Day of Judgment.

7. Indifference to the world and the contentment on the small portion

The Dunya will not be your main concern if you know that you are going to die and the Hour is near; so you need to pray, give charity and ask forgiveness in order for Allah to accept your repentance. Your concern will not be collecting wealth. The Dunya does not weigh anything with Allah as it is mentioned in the Hadith narrated by Sahl bin Sa’ad that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “If in the sight of Allah the world had the value equal to that of the wing of a mosquito, He would not have allowed a disbeliever even to drink a mouthful of water out of it.” [At-Tirmidhi].

Actually Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) did not create this life except for us to take the provision for the Hereafter. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Kahf (18:7): “Verily! We have made that which is on earth as adoration for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e. those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah’s Sake and in accordance with the legal ways of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam)].”

If you are told that you will enter a palace full of jewelry, gold, diamonds, etc. and you should collect as much as you can of these precious stones and treasure within one and a half hour only; and at the same time you are told that there are pictures hung on the walls of the palace that you shouldn’t occupy yourself with, what would you do? Imagine if you entered the palace and instead of collecting from the treasure, you were tempted by the pictures and you occupied your time (the one and a half hour) looking at them [a picture of a beautiful villa, a car, a beautiful woman, etc.] until the time was finished and you didn’t collect anything.

Similarly, your life, when compared to the Aakhira, if we estimate that the average life span is 60 years and these years compared to a day with Allah (which is 1000 years), it would be approximately 86.4 minutes (i.e. one and a half hour). This jewelry that we need to be collecting in this life should be Salat, Wudu, Dhikr, and Fasting. These are what will benefit us both in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Kahf (18:46):

“Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds (five compulsory prayers, deeds of Allah’s obedience, good and nice talk, remembrance of Allah with glorification, praises and thanks, etc.) that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.”