Islam's Reformers .pdf

people who prevented others from going to jihâd withRasûlullah (’alaihi ’s-salâm) and who, in the battles which theyoccasionally joined hypocritically, did not help him and hiscompanions and who stayed deadly motionless at moments ofdanger in the battles and whose tongues were sharper thantheir swords and longer than their spears during the sharing ofbooties and who escaped from charitable deeds, were notMuslims. It is meant that the people of real and firm îmân wouldnot be so and that all the worship and useful deeds of thosewho did so were unacceptable. Hadrat Hasan al-Basrî, one ofthe distinguished among the Tâbi’ûn, has a well-known saying:“One simply does not insert his hand into a hole in which it isknown that there is a snake. If he does, it means that he doesnot believe that there is a snake there.” Likewise, a person whobelieves in Allâhu ta’âlâ and in Hell should not do thingsprohibited by Islam. A sinner’s saying, “Allah is the mostgenerous, He likes to forgive. I sin because I rely on this,” is likeinserting his hand thinking that the snake will not bite.Sins taste sweet to the nafs. A Muslim may commit sinsbeing deceived by his nafs, but his reason and îmân make himfeel distress while sinning. Man believes with his reason, and heis dragged into sins because they taste sweet to the nafs.Therefore, îmân and disobedience are different. If insertingone’s hand into the snake’s hole tasted sweet to the nafs, or ifthis action caused something that would taste sweet to the nafs,for example, if he were told he would be given a certain sum ofmoney if he inserted his hand, perhaps then he would follow hisnafs and insert his hand.Deficiency in a’mâl (deeds) does not cause man to departfrom the religion. When a sin destroys îmân in the heart, forexample, if the sinner denies that it is a sin then it becomesdisbelief. Actions peculiar to disbelievers and considered assigns of disbelief, such as wearing rope girdle called “zunnâr”worn by Christian priests and worshipping idols, have beenregarded as signs indicating denial and removing îmân from theheart. The religion reformer says, “Why should a Muslimbecome a disbeliever just because of using something? Whyshould an action done with the hand, foot or head take awayîmân from the heart?” These actions themselves are notdisbelief, but they are signs indicating that îmân in the heart iscorrupt. Throwing the Qur’ân into dirty places and making up- 63 -