What does “putting trust in Allah” mean?
| What does “putting trust in Allah” mean? Putting trust in Allah is counting on Allah knowing that everything on the earth takes place under Allah’s control and that no one can help or harm the individual unless He so wills. The believers know that Allah is the Almighty and anything He desires will happen just by His saying “Be!” and they never lose heart in the face of difficulties. They know that Allah will help them no matter what, and that He wishes comfort for them in this world and in the hereafter. They live a life of inner peace and joy caused by this awareness. What falls to a believer is just to give the reactions Allah wants him to give and to wait the result from Allah. In verses, this great secret only understood by the believers is explained as follows: …Whoever goes in fear of Allah—He will give him a means of salvation and provide for him from sources which he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah—He will be enough for him. Allah always achieves His aim. Allah has appointed a measure for all things. (Surat at-Talaq: 2-3)
Taqwa (piety) is to abide by the commands and recommendations of Allah and to avoid adverse thoughts and acts. The believers who believe with certainty and who show unremitting perseverance in this are called “the pious ones” in the Qur’an. Allah informs us of the significance of piety: …Provide well for yourselves; but the best provision is piety. So fear Me, those of you who are endowed with intelligence! (Surat al-Baqara: 197)
In the Sight of Allah, superiority is not based on the race, possessions, position, beauty or anything else a person may possess, but only on his nearness to Allah, that is, his piety: Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one with the greatest piety. Allah is All-Knowing and All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat)
What is deep thinking? One of the most important characteristics of those who believe in Allah is their ability to see the signs created by Allah. A believer sees the power and artistry of Allah in every subtlety around him, he glorifies His praise and takes this as a way to draw nearer to him. Believers having this characteristic are thus defined in the Qur’an: Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.’ (Surat Al ‘Imran: 191) Allah emphasizes the importance of deep thinking to the believers in many places in the Qur’an with the phrases “Will you not reflect?”, “There are signs for those who reflect”. The subjects to be reflected on are unlimited. A believer ponders upon many subjects, like the extraordinary order in universe, the living beings on the earth, the perfect systems in these living beings, any event he experiences, the blessings Allah creates ceaselessly, disasters sent down to the unbelievers, Paradise, Hell, and eternity, and with profound thinking, he makes a better appraisal of the existence, might and infinite wisdom of Allah.
Religion and science are in agreement, aren’t they? Religion never conflicts with science. Science is the means to see Allah’s artistry. Allah created both religion and science, therefore any discord or conflict between them is impossible. In the Qur’an which Allah sent down 1,400 years ago, there are certain scientific explanations which have now been verified by means of 20th century technology. The claim that religion conflicts with science is a lie made up by those who deny Allah, imagining that they would thus create doubt in people’s minds about religion.
Who are the scientists who believe in Allah and religion? Many people who do scientific research see with their own eyes and in full detail the extraordinarily complex structures and the perfect order in living beings, and the great harmony between them. These people inevitably come to the realization of the existence and greatness of Allah. This truth is pointed out by the following verse: ...Only those of His servants with knowledge go in fear of Allah... (Surah Fatir: 28) Some scientists who refuse to heed their consciences and who persist in denial, despite seeing the clear proofs of creation by Allah, are making a grave error. The reason for such people’s attitude is purely ideological. Many renowned scientists of our day and the past are known by their belief and devotion to Allah and religion. Some of these scientists are: Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Max Planck, Kelvin, Maxwell, Kepler, William Thompson, Robert Boyle, Iona William Petty, Michael Faraday, Gregory Mendel, Louis Pasteur, John Dalton, Blaise Pascal, John Ray. In our day, many scientists confirm the existence of Allah and more, they see science as a means of becoming acquainted with Allah. These include Francis Collins, one of the directors of the Human Genome Project, and the philosopher Anthony Flew, who stated that he now believed after years of being an atheist.
How does one give thanks to Allah? To give thanks for all the blessings Allah has given is an important act of worship. In addition to the verbal expression of thanks, using Allah’s blessings in a way that He will be pleased, for charity and good purposes without being extravagant, will also be giving thanks through one’s deeds. Also, the individual must know that he needs everything coming from Allah, nothing he owns belongs to him, and everything has been given to him by Allah, and he must at all times give thanks for these things. It is stated in the Qur’an: So eat the good and lawful (halal) things that Allah has provided for you, and be thankful for the blessing of Allah if you truly worship Him. (Surat an-Nahl: 114)
What kind of a being is satan? satan is one of the jinn Allah created. After Allah created Adam, who was the first human being, Allah ordered all the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam. Only satan among them did not obey Allah’s order, because he was boastful and said: My Lord, because You misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to mankind and I will mislead them all, every one of them. (Surat al-Hijr: 39) satan, who was expelled out of the Sight of Allah, asked Allah to give him time until the day of resurrection to keep all of mankind away from Allah’s path and to misguide them all. In the meantime, satan will try to cause people go astray from Allah’s path and he will do his best to achieve this. Therefore, satan is the greatest danger to the successful after life of every human being and he is thus everyone’s greatest enemy. How does satan reach people? By what methods does he try to make them stray from their course? Allah mentions in the Qur’an that satan whispers evil suggestions in people’s hearts: Believers are advised to seek refuge in Allah “from the evil of the surreptitious whisperer who whispers in people’s breasts.” (Surat an-Nas: 4). This is the most insidious tactic of satan. Most people do not realize that the thoughts in their minds are from satan. They think that all their thoughts are their own. For instance, someone who is just learning religion is an important target for satan. He may make religion seem difficult to this person. Or he may tell him that what he already does is enough and more is not required. This person may think that all this is true. Or satan induces feelings like fear, anxiety, stress, and distress in people, and aims to exhaust their energy. He tries to prevent them from doing good and charitable deeds and thinking soundly. One must be aware that all these things come from satan, seek refuge in Allah and pay no heed to satan’s whisperings. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that satan’s influence on people lies at the root of all evil, wars, massacres and debauchery in the world.
Does satan have independent power of his own? The most important point to be grasped about satan is that he has no power of his own. Like all other beings, he has also been created by Allah and is under His control. He can do nothing unless Allah so wills. satan performs his task of causing people to go astray with the permission of Allah. In this way, Allah tests who will and who will not obey satan in the life of this world, which He created to test people. Allah states this truth: He had no authority over them except insofar as We might be enabled to distinguish one who believes in the hereafter from one who is in doubt about it. Your Lord is the Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba’: 21)
On whom does satan have no influence? satan can have no influence on true believers. Allah tells us of this truth in the 99th and 100th verses of Surat an-Nahl: He has no authority only over those who believe and who put their trust in their Lord. He has authority only over those who take him as a friend and who associate others with Allah. (Surat an-Nahl: 99-100)
What is “the religion of the ignorant?” Do they then seek the judgement of the Time of Ignorance? Who could be better at giving judgement than Allah for those whose faith is steadfast? (Surah al-Ma’ida: 50) There is a common false “religion” on earth that all people, regardless of their ideologies, philosophies or world views, who have strayed from the religion of truth, adopt. This false religion is conformed to in all societies where the religion of truth is not adhered to. In such societies, people accept the value judgements, norms and mindset offered by this false religion as a result of the intense inculcation they receive from their environment from the moment they come into this world. The name of this religion is “the religion of the ignorant”. The basic characteristic of people who live the religion of the ignorant is their seeking the approval of the society they live in rather than the approval of Allah, and their building their lives around the axis of this aim. What is expected of the individuals living in such societies is to “become a man.” What is meant by the term “to become a man” is to adopt certain type of culture, attitude and mindset commonly accepted by society and to exhibit certain traits that are favoured by the members of this society. (Further reading on the subject: Harun Yahya’s The Religion of the Ignorant)
Is a system practiced by the majority always right? The conventional wisdom of societies that are far removed from Allah’s religion holds that the majority is always right. Yet this is a totally wrong deduction. Allah has informed us in the Qur’an that, “Most people will not become believers...” (Surah Yusuf: 103) and He has stated at other points in His verses that those who follow the unbelieving majority will also be the losers. From the foregoing, we understand that in every age the believers will be in the minority, and those standing apart from Allah’s religion will be in the majority. This situation will increase the value of those who believe in Allah and who live away from the “religion of the ignorant” many times over.
What does one have to do to renounce “the religion of the ignorant”? The way to be saved from this system built on the denial of Allah is, first and foremost, to seek the approval of Allah alone and to try to strictly practice the morals and the way of life He presents to us in the Qur’an. One who patterns his entire life on the guidance of the verses of the Qur’an automatically distances himself from the bad morality and the disagreeable modes of behaviour of a society marred by ignorance of religion.
What is the difference between wisdom and intelligence? Wisdom is an important quality possessed only by believers. However, there is a great difference between the concept of wisdom as it commonly figures in society and the wisdom entailed by living by the moral values of the Qur’an. The wisdom referred to in the Qur’an is a concept totally different from intelligence. Intelligence is the brain capacity a human being biologically possesses. Intelligence neither increases nor decreases. Wisdom, on the other hand, is granted to believers, who are pious and who fear Allah, as a great blessing. The level of wisdom of the individual increases in parallel with his piety. The primary characteristics of a man of wisdom is his fearing Allah and observing his duty to Him, following his conscience all the time, evaluating everything he sees according to the Qur’an and seeking Allah’s approval every moment. No individual, be he the most intelligent, most knowledgeable and most intellectual person on earth, will possess “wisdom” if he lacks these qualities, and, lacking the ability to understand, he will not be able to see many truths. Allah has described what damage is done by a lack of wisdom: The worst of beasts in Allah’s Sight are the deaf and dumb who do not use their reason. (Surat al-Anfal: 22)
What are the factors clouding man's wisdom? What vitiates a man's heart and mind are his ambitions and selfish desires. For example, fears about the future, jealousy, strong obsessions felt for worldly things, and romanticism so preoccupy people that they are prevented from thinking about the really important things, such as the greatness of Allah and the perfection in His creation. Allah has advised us that success will be possible only by breaking free from the obsessions of the self: …It is the people who are safeguarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al-Hashr: 9)
It is stated in the Qur’an that Allah does not like those who are boastful. What is ‘being boastful’ according the Qur’an? According to the Qur’an, the foremost characteristic of a person who is boastful is his forgetting that everything he owns has been given to him by Allah, and in his imagined and ignorant superiority, boasting about these things. An important misconception on this subject is thinking of only extreme persons as those who forget Allah and boast arrogantly. In fact, a person is boastful if he thinks that his beauty is of his own making, if he is proud of his successes, if, thinking he is adequate, he never asks himself the question: “Can I be more conscientious?”, and if he behaves arrogantly and conceitedly. Therefore, every individual should seriously avoid such misconduct and should realize that he is in need and impotent against Allah and that Allah may take everything away from him if He so wills. Allah has told us what the ultimate fate of such people will be: When it is said to him, “Fear Allah,” he is seized by pride which drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be enough for him! What an evil resting-place! (Surat al-Baqara: 206)
What should a humble person be like according to the morals of the Qur’an? A humble person, as opposed to a boastful person, knows that everything he owns is given to him by Allah either as a blessing or as a trial. He is aware that as a human being, he is impotent and needy and that he does not have the power to do anything unless Allah so wills. Therefore, he always turns to Allah and thanks Him for every blessing. Allah has praised the humble attitude of the believers: The servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk modestly on the earth... (Surat al-Furqan: 63)
Will I be responsible for my intentions? Every individual is responsible for his intentions. Allah makes this clear when He says: “…He will take you to task for the intention in your hearts have made…” (Surat al-Baqara: 225). In every act, the intention must be to gain Allah’s approval. An act may seem to be good but, if the intention behind it is to gain the approval of others, or some other worldly benefit, this act will not be acceptable in the Sight of Allah.
What is meant by “the life of this world is the enjoyment of delusion”? One of the most serious, but largely unacknowledged misconceptions, is the supposition that the life of this world is the only real life for human beings. In fact, the world is a temporary place created by Allah to test man. What is real is the life after death. Therefore, everything that charms people and preoccupies them in the fleeting and short-lived existence of this world is an “enjoyment of delusion”. As stated in the following verse, Allah warns people against this deception, reminding them that the real, beautiful abode is in the Presence of Allah: To mankind the objects of worldly appetites are painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. Far better is the return to Allah. (Surat al ‘Imran: 14)
What are the divine reasons (hiqmat) for the weaknesses people have? There are many physical drawbacks afflicting man. First of all, man has to keep his body and his surroundings clean and constantly look after them. The time he spares for this care takes up a large part of his life. However, no matter how much care he takes or how much cleaning he does, the effect is only temporary. A person who brushes his teeth will find that in just one hour his teeth a will feel as if he had never cleaned them. Somebody who takes a bath in the summer will feel as if he never had taken a bath at all just a couple of hours later. What is important to understand here is that such physical drawbacks have a specific purpose. These are not inherent weaknesses but have been specially created. In the same way, old age and the changes that come along with it are also weaknesses devised by Allah to make people think about the temporary nature of human life, avoid becoming attached to this world, which is full of defects, and aim at the hereafter which is the “real abode”. Allah has advised in the Qur’an that the best objective for man is the hereafter: The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The hereafter is better for those who are pious. So will you not use your reason? (Surat al-An‘am: 32) |
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