Sunday, May 24, 2015

Injustice and the Ideology of Cruelty (1)


Injustice and the Ideology of Cruelty

(Ustaz Abdul Jalil Abdul Razak)

Allah SWT has many names for all of His most excellent characteristics, of which people of faith  utter and say many times over as praises to remember (zikir)  Him by and in prayers, an encouragement that can be understood from Allah SWT’s decree in Surah Al `Araf, verse 180, which reads:

و لله الأسماء الحسنى فادعوه بها

Which means: `The most beautiful names belong to God, so call on Him by them.’

Also as had been said by the Prophet SAW- a `hadith’ (everything said by Prophet Muhammad SAW,that had been stringently authenticated, with regards an event),related by Abu Hurairah r.a.

  إن الله تسعة و تسعين اسما، من حفظها دخل الجنة،   

Which means :`Allah has 99 names,  and whoever comprehends them all will enter paradise, and He is Indivisible and loves that which is indivisible’.

From the many names and characteristics of Allah SWT, most noble and Exalted, a characteristic He forbids linked to His essence is cruelty, in even as miniscule as the tiniest particle to be found as any part of the essence of Allah and Allah prohibits this to all mankind and forbids them from being cruel.

 

 

[1] Complete Dictionary, Editor Drs Awang Sudjai Hairul and Yusoff Khan: Ideology, way of thinking and thoughts found in a person, group, etc. especially in making it a foundation for an economic or political system.

2 Memorising these good names means to remember Him with an understanding deeply felt in the soul (heart); Islamic Beliefs : Sayid Sabiq

3Complete Dictionary : the meaning of cruelty page1238

 

The word `cruel’ in Arabic reflects something that can mean a cruel demeanour, fierce, with no compassion, like seeing people in pain and distress, doing wrongful deeds, oppression, destruction of property, injustice and many other meanings deriving from the character of being cruel, which at its foundation, is a characteristic that is vile and despicable and against the nature of man who is honourable who should use the gift of his mind for doing good deeds to prosper and harmonise the earth.

The concept or ideology of cruelty is a form of thought whether organized or not, that produces a deed or action that is cruel and this can exists within an individual irrespective of  his background, culture or religion, and it can also exists in individuals, groups or within the administration of a state. This can be seen from the leaves of man’s history which is full of cruel acts. This subject had been uttered by the angels to Allah, as in Allah’s decree in surah Al Baqarah, verse 30 which means :

"قالوآ أتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها و يسفك الدمآء و نحن نسبح بحمدك و نقدس لك"

`They said:` Wilt Thou place them therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy Holy (name)?’

If examined, the cruel traits, all of which go against the teachings of the holy religion of Islam because Islam doesn’t teach its followers to conduct any sort of cruelty and forbids strongly any concept or acts of cruelty, a prohibition not only towards each individual but also amongst mankind, animals and Allah’s other creatures.  This prohibition is clearly embodied in Allah SWT’s decree in Surah Ali Imran, verse 182:

" و أن الله ليس بظلام للعبيد"

Which means:` For Allah never harms those who serves Him’.

In Surah An Nisaa, verse 40:

"إن الله لا يظلم مثقال ذرة , و إن تك حسنة يضاعفها و يؤت من لدنه أجرا عظيما"

 

`Allah is never unjust in the least degree, if there is any good (done), He doubleth it, and giveth from His own presence a great reward.’

Allah SWT’s Decree in Surah Yunus, verse 44:

إن الله لا يظلم الناس شيئا و لكن الناس أنفسهم يظلمون

Which means : ` Verily God will not deal unjustly with man in aught; it is man that wrongs his own soul’.

 

Allah had also informed his Prophet Muhammad SAW in a` Hadith Qudsi ’ (meaning `based on Allah’s saying  in the Prophet’s words) about the prohibition of being cruel:


 

3Complete Dictionary : the meaning of cruelty page1238
4Surah Israil verse 70: We have honoured the sons of Adam…

 

 

 

Which means: `From Abu Dzar Al-Ghafri r.a., from the Prophet SAW who said`from Allah Azzawajalla, that Allah said : My servants! That I have forbidden cruelty in Me and make it a prohibition amongst yourselves, therefore don’t you be cruel and cause hurt to each other. My servants! You are hungry except those that I feed, therefore all of you ask of Me for food, that I will feed you. My servants! All of you are naked, except those I clothe, therefore ask you of Me to clothe you. My servants! All of you sin at night and in the day and only I can forgive you all your sins, therefore ask of Me for forgiveness that I will forgive all your sins. My servants! All of you cannot plan anything to hurt Me and all of you cannot plan to benefit Me. My servants! If all of you from before and all of you from the later times band together, whether mankind or jinns all faithful like the faith of a man’s heart amongst you, this does not in any way add to My kingdom. My servants! If all of you from before and all of you from the later times band together, whether mankind or jinns, all of whom are evil like the evil in a man’s heart amongst you, this will not in any way decrease even a little from My kingdom. My servants! If all of you from before and from the later times gather together on a flat land and each of you makes a request to whom I grant to each and every one his request, this in no way at all lessen anything from My kingdom, it is as if a needle falling into the to curse.’

Allah SWT’s decree and the `Hadith Quds’  above confirms that Allah is never cruel to His creatures, and Allah SWT also prohibits each of His creatures from doing cruel things to each other, that He prohibits this character to be part of His holy essence. Allah will not do cruel things to men, no matter their backgrounds , whether they have or haven’t any faith in Him,  whether they are non-believers or those taking other gods alongside Allah as gods (shirk). Allah does not repay with cruelty even the person that is cruel to himself as this is against the characteristic of Allah, Most Exalted....(continue.1)

 

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