“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” Qur’an 16:97.
In every society, there are widely accepted norms and value systems that bind people together and whether these value systems are morally right or not, they still define these respective societies. The system of the world has not been designed to allow for immorality and godlessness to flourish rather it has been sufficiently designed for true religiousness and high moral standards to be established. However, those on the side of religiousness and morality as defined by Islam, are always the few ones in the midst of an overwhelming group bent on challenging anything good and moral.
At the inception of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the early Muslims who would later become the most successful revolutionaries in the history of mankind, faced a lot of challenges unequaled in the history of mankind. The challenges were as a result of their strict adherence to the dictates of the new religion (Islam) that sought to overshadow and silence the religion of their forefathers which was characterized by idol worship, magic, immorality, materialism and godlessness. These handful of religious faithful and passionate adherents understood that in order for them to be successful in this world and the Hereafter, they needed to dare the status-quo, they simply held on to the hot coal.
History, they say, repeats itself. The hadith recorded by Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (494) speaks volume of the genius of the prophesy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said, “Ahead of you there lie days of patience, during which being patient will be like grasping a hot coal. The one who does good deeds then will have a reward like that of fifty men who do such deeds. And someone else added- They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, the reward of fifty of them? He said: “The reward of fifty of you.” This ushers in the era wherein the doers of good will be looked down upon and persecuted and will be left alone like a lone-sheep ready to be attacked by the wolf.
The prophesy of “holding on to hot coal” fits the description of the few Muslims of today who are seen as strangers in their various societies by the virtue of their adherence to the teachings of the Shari’ah when such act seems archaic. In other words, this signifies sticking to the sunnah in the midst of widespread corruption and innovations (Bid’ah). In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) aptly described these people as those that will revive his sunnah and teach it to the people. Being a change agent in a society that has long been dominated by widespread corruption and innovation requires patience, perseverance and nobility of intention otherwise nothing will be worth achieving.
Fulfilling the requirements of holding on to the hot coal qualifies the holders to having a reward equal to that of fifty of those present at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This alone is strong enough to attract any right thinking Muslim to do the unthinkable by searching for the hot coal (sticking to the true teachings of Islam) in order to grasp it. What are these virtuous yet challenging requirements? It demands from the adherent to fulfill the obligatory duties and to abstain from the prohibited matters even if the entire society embraces them. It demands that innovated matters be avoided in both words and actions even if it is the norm of the society. It also demands that Sunnah and recommended acts be performed diligently to the best of the individual’s ability. And the crux of it is that people should be called to all that Islam has commanded which entails goodness in its entirely in order to have a reformed society.
It comes with a big price. The price of sticking to the true teachings of Islam leaves its adherents with little or no friends, it leaves them being ex-communicated, it causes all the forces of evil to be unleashed against them. But above all, it is the only thing that guarantees their success in this world and the Hereafter. They follow sunnah in its strictest form without compromise, they are the torch-bearers of truth amidst ignorance, they are not swayed by the tide of public opinion, they always form the majority even if they are alone. In Sharh Usool ‘Itiqaad Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama’a of al-Lalikai, the inspirational statement of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allaah be please with him) appeared. He said; “al-Jama’a (Community, majority) is whatever that is consistent with the truth, even if one is alone on it.” Allaah Exalted be He says: “O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islam), Allaah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allaah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allaah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allaah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.” Qur’an 5:54
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an authentic narration recorded in Muslim that: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being something strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.” It was said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: “Those who are righteous when the people are corrupt.” Amidst these widespread corruption and innovation in worship (Bid’ah) and prevailing Fitan (trials and tribulations), the reward for the one who adheres to the Sunnah will be greater, and the status of those who follow the Sunnah will be higher. They are as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described them, strangers. They strive day and night to set the affairs of people aright, to bring them out from the darkness of ignorance onto the glorious light of Islam and its excellent teachings. And to show them the exit route from the narrowness and depression of this worldly life to the vastness of the path that guarantees happiness and success.
The prevailing societal challenges make it seem as though they are holding on to a hot coal but in reality if they persevere and are sincere that is their ticket to Paradise. Holding a hot coal means reviving the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and teaching it to the people while being excellently patient in doing so. May Allaah bless us with sufficient amount of Faith and wisdom to become the torch-bearers of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Twitter: @Penabdull; instagram: @Penabdul
