Shadow of our real existence...

We all heard the story of Pinnochio. Every time he lied his nose would grow longer. Imagine this were true for all human beings. How many would make sure they always tell the truth? Most likely all of us. Now imagine our nose would also grow longer every time we sinned. How many would constantly critique our actions, making sure that what ever we do, we do not sin? Again most likely all of us.


So question, why didn't Allah manifest the consequence of sin as it seems this is the only means by which all of us will collectively seek to be virtuous beings.


A moments reflection will reveal that if every virtuous deed was manifestly rewarded immediately and if every evil deed was manifestly punished immediately, then both patience and faith will no longer have a need. Why?


Well that is because patience and faith are inseparably intertwined, i.e. one will not be able to wait for things to improve if one does not have faith. Yet if one does not need to exercise patience, one does not need to have faith. So if every good deed is rewarded immediately patience would not be needed and so in turn faith would also no longer be needed.


Now consider this, if patience and faith are no longer necessary, than how will the virtuous and the corrupt ever be separated? The reason the corrupt engage in sin is because they have no patience. They want immediate gain which is why they lie, cheat and steal. Yet they would not need to do this if every good deed was rewarded immediately. So we can see here that at any value a virtuous deed is now completely gone for even the wicked would engage in virtuous deeds.


So Allah has placed a veil. That veil is none other than this world, which is merely a shadow of our real existence, the hereafter. Thus it is this shadow that conceals the manifest consequences of good and evil and so it is here where the true believers are separated from the evil doers.


Now we should be aware that every action, every word, every thought, is motivated by our virtues and vices. None can dispute this. For instance, it may be our sincerity that drives us to a certain action, or perhaps our ego, whatever the motivation may be, it will be from either the two warring parties, virtue or vice. This is the mother of all wars. A war in which its aftermath will be manifested at our death, revealing the condition of our soul and thus, the side we ultimately chose. A heavenly warrior of virtue beaming of light, or a hellish indescribable creature of vice, doomed to darkness.


Could this be why many scholars are reported to have highly emphasized to repeat the following prayer and sincerely ask for their end result to be brilliant and felicitous:
Allahummaj'al awaaqiba umoorina khayran (O Allah make the final consequences of our affairs to be good).

Salawat Sweetens Honey

Once the Holy Prophet (s) was sitting with Amir al-mu’minin 'Ali (a) in the middle of a garden, which contained many trees, and was very fertile.
A bee came towards them and started circling above them for quite some time...


The Holy Prophet (s) addressing 'Ali ('a) said: Indeed this bee has made us his guests today. It said to me: I have placed for you some honey in that specific place. So send your brother Amir al-mu’minin to the place so that he may bring the same.
Thereupon Imam 'Ali ('a) stood up and brought the honey.


[Then] the Prophet (s) addressing the bee said:
O bee, surely your food is from the roses of flowers, and that is bitter [in taste]; so how does it change into sweet honey?
The bee replied: O Messenger of Allah, surely the sweetness of the honey comes from the blessing of mentioning your blessed name and the name [s] of your pure progeny; when we draw the nectar of the flowers we are inspired to invoke blessings upon you and your infallible progeny three times; therefore when we eat, the mention of salawat  turns our honey sweet.
[Khazinat al-Jawahir was lama’aat al-Anwaar, p. 586]

Some food for thought from Lady Fatima ('aS)

Anas bin Malik narrates: "The Messenger of God (S) asked us, "What is most preferable for women?" We did not know what to reply, so Ali went to Fatima and asked her this question. Fatima (A) said, "Why did you not answer that it is most preferable for them that they do not see men and men do not see them." Ali returned and related this reply to the Prophet (S). The Prophet (S) asked, "Who has taught you this?" He said, "Fatima." The Prophet (S) stated, "She is a portion of me."
[Musnad; p 336, tradition 9, narrated by Hafiz abu Na'im in Hilyatu'l awliya']


Hakim al-Nishaburi narrates from Ibn Abbas:
When Fatima fell mortally ill she said to Asma b. al-Umais, "Do you realise what a distressing time has arrived for me? I must be hidden from the eyes of the people when I am carried before them." Asma said, "I swear by my life, I will make a bier for you in the shape that I saw used in Abyssinia." Fatima asked for more details, so Asma obtained some fresh wood and made a bier (taabut), and this was the first time such a device had been used (in Islam). Fatima (A) smiled when she saw it, and this was the first time I had seen her smile since her father had passed away. When she died, we carried her in the same bier and buried her at night.
[Musnad, p.429, trad.56, quoting from Mustadrak al-Sahihain]


It has also been narrated that: "A blind man came to Fatima (A), daughter of the Messenger of God (S), and Fatima veiled herself from him. The Prophet (S) asked why she had veiled herself from him, when he cannot see you. She replied, "O Messenger of God, he does not see me, but I can see him and (furthermore) he can smell fragrances." The Prophet (S) stated, "I bear witness that you are a portion of me."
[Musnad; p 336, tradition 10, quoting from al-Manaqib of Ibn Maghazali.]

An Important Rule Often Neglected 16

A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West : Youth's issues » Questions and Answers
Fatawa of Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani


520. Question: At times the big companies in Europe discriminate —among those who come to them seeking jobs— between those who shave the beards and those who don’t shave them. If this is true, then is it permissible to be clean shaven in order to get the job?
Answer: Shaving the beard —whose prohibition is based on obligatory precaution— would not become permissible just by the desire to get a job with these companies.


521. Question: Is it permissible to shave the two sides of the face and leave the hair on the chin?
Answer: Shaving the beard is haram based on obligatory precaution, and this includes the hair that grows on the sides of the face. However, there is no problem in shaving the hair that grows on the cheeks.