Why Did You Bring This Up!?

Assalamualaikum dear brothers and sisters in humanity,
I start with the name of Allah the most beneficent and most merciful.

Today's story is about a person that was given a name Abu Lahab . Abu Lahab means "Father of Flame" because he is promised hellfire by Allah. Abu Lahab is the uncle of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. He is a merchant and very successful in his idol business. He was from a noble and legendary lineage of Abdul Mutallib.

This family line is called Banu Hashim and known as people of God by the people of Arabia after the incident of rediscovery of zam zam well and also well known legend of total annihilation of the elephant army from Yemen.

When coming from a noble, rich and wealthy family sometimes people get arrogant just like Abu Lahab. He is a very busy person and to sum up he is a people of this worldly life. All that matter to him is the accumulation of wealth and gaining power and influence.

"Mawi world"

He is so attached to world that when the prophet s.a.w. called the people of Makkah to hill of Safaa, and after the prophet s.a.w. address each tribe and clans in Makkah, and so the prophet s.a.w. called everyone to worship only Allah, the only deity worthy of worship and to follow him, the messenger of God. Abu Lahab said something really rude, he said kind of "curse you Muhammad! Is this what are you called us for!?"

He got angry because the prophet s.a.w. making da'wah to him in the middle of busy day at Makkah.

Then Allah s.w.t. revealed the ayah below named surah al-Masad/al-Lahab.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم

تَبَّتۡ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ۬ وَتَبَّ (١) مَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُ مَالُهُ ۥ وَمَا ڪَسَبَ (٢) سَيَصۡلَىٰ نَارً۬ا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ۬ (٣) وَٱمۡرَأَتُهُ ۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلۡحَطَبِ (٤) فِى جِيدِهَا حَبۡلٌ۬ مِّن مَّسَدِۭ(٥

Perish the two hands of Abû Lahab (an uncle of the Prophet), and perish he! (1) His wealth and his children will not benefit him! (2) He will be burnt in a Fire of blazing flames! (3) And his wife too, who carries wood (thorns of Sadan which she used to put on the way of the Prophet (SAW) , or use to slander him). (4) In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad (palm fibre). (5)

It is not a sinful act to have wealth and excelling positions in society but when call to obedience to Allah come to us we must listen carefully and thank the person that gave us the advice regardless who they are.

There are among us that can talk and chit chat or read about football, politics,economy, soccer, acedemic, girlfriends, boyfrends, gossip girl, korea, japan and whatever regarding the worldly life from night to dawn for hours and hours but once a person join and start the topic of the hereafter, the angels, volunteer, helping the needy, God and any matter related to the religion their face turned sour and blackened.

They say "Why did you bring this up? Get out of here!"

Also when they received email concerning da'wah and spirituality they felt hatred towards it and throw it away into the trash. They curse the people who sent that email just like Abu Lahab cursed the Prophet s.a.w.

Also whenever they got invitation for Islamic lectures or conference, they put it down very quickly but when someone offer to come to concert which is haraam they walk toward it really quickly. I found this very true in the Vanderbilt community.

"Lets go to Michigan"

This person has the potential to be the Abu Lahab of this age. Sometimes they don't say it (i.e. the hatred) out loud but we can see that they become uncomfortable when this occurred.

I hope we all learn about Abu Lahab and so that we can avoid imitating him without realizing. Also very strict reminder that now you know about Abu Lahab, don't go around and label everyone to be Abu Lahab but use it to reflect upon ourselves and contemplate our life and asked the question "am I like Abu Lahab?" or "am I like the sahabah?"

Spread the words....


Assalamualaikum
Nasiruddin