THE DECLINING TIME
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord and the Cherisher of the Universe.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the holy prophet, Muhammad
(PBUH), his household, companions and the followers of the right guidance
till the Day of Judgement. Allah, the Exalted, says in the Holy Qur'an,
Chapter 103:
1 By (the declining) time (through the Ages)
2 Verily Man is in loss
3 Except such as have Faith and do righteous deeds and (join together) in
the mutual teaching of Truth and of Patience and Constancy
(Steadfastness).
This short Chapter (surah) of three verses outlines a complete system for
human life based on the Islamic viewpoint. It defines in the clearest and
most concise form, the basic concept of faith in the context of its
comprehensive reality. In a few words the whole Islamic constitution is
covered and in fact, the nation of Islam is described in its essential
qualities and its message in one verse only: the third. This is the
eloquence of which Allah alone is capable.
The great fact which this surah affirms is simply that throughout the
history of man there has been one worthwhile and trustworthy path ? the
adoption of faith, followed up with good deeds and exhortation to follow
the truth and to steadfastness. What does the adoption of faith then
signify?
Faith is the characteristic by which the minute, transient human being
attains closeness to the Absolute and Everlasting Originator of the
universe and all that exists in it. Man thus establishes a link with the
whole world, which springs from that One Origin, with the laws governing
it and with the powers and potentialities created in it. As a result, he
breaks away from the narrow boundaries of his trivial self to the
broadness of the universe.
The qualities of faith are also precisely those of sublime and dignified
humanity, such as the worship of one God which elevates man above
servitude to others. Godliness is the second quality of dignified
humanity. This quality determines for man the source from which he derives
his concepts, values, criteria, considerations, doctrines, laws and
whatever brings him into relation with Allah, the world at large and with
human beings. Thus, equity and justice replace personal desires and
self-interest.
A third quality of faith and dignified humanity is the clarity of the
relationship between the Creator and the created. It supplies man's heart
with light, his soul with contentment and gives him confidence and
purpose. It eliminates from his mind perplexity, fear, anxiety and
agitation as well as unlawful haughtiness on earth and unjustifiable
tyranny over people.
Steadfastness along the path ordained by Allah is the next quality of such
humanity. This must be maintained so that good does not occur casually,
incidentally or without deliberation but springs from definite motives and
heads towards certain aims. Another quality is belief in the dignity of
man in the sight of Allah. This heightens man's regard for himself and
restrains him from aspiring for a position higher than that which the
Creator has defined for him. Any ideology or concept which abases this
valuation and ascribes a dishonorable origin to man, separating him from
the Highest Society of Allah is, in effect inviting him to abjection and
derogation, though it may not say so openly. Hence, the effects of
Darwinism, Freudianism and Marxism are among the most horrid disasters
human nature has encountered.
Purity of motivation is yet another quality of the dignified humanity
established by faith. Man is aware of Allah's supervision over his
conscience and His knowledge of his innermost undertakings. From this
follows the responsibility of the believer that results from his freewill
and the comprehensiveness of Allah's supervision over him. It stimulates
within him healthy awareness, sensitivity, serenity and foresight. It is a
communal responsibility rather than an individual one and it is a
responsibility towards all humanity in relation to goodness, pure and
simple. The believer feels all these in every action.
The final quality is man's elevation above greed for worldly gains and the
choice of Allah's richer, everlasting reward for which all man should
strive, as the Qur'an directs them to do and which results in elevation,
purification and cleansing of their souls. He does good only because it
is good and because Allah requires it.
Faith is the great root of life from which goodness springs in its various
forms and to which all its fruits are bound. What does not spring from
faith is a branch cut from a tree: it is bound to fade and perish, it is
indeed a devilish production, limited and impermanent! Faith is the axis
to which all the fine fabric of life's network is connected. Without it
life is a loose event, wasted through the pursuit of yearnings and
fantasies. All deeds not stemming from faith is completely disregarded by
the Qur'an. Allah says: "The parable of those who reject their Lord is
that their works are as ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a
stormy day; they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned.
That is the straying far (from the goal)." Q14:18. "Say(Muhammad): "Shall
we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose
efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were
acquiring good by their works? They are those who deny the Ayat (signs,
proofs, verses, lessons, laws, etc.) of their Lord and the fact of their
having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works nor shall
We on the Day of Judgment give them any Weight. Their reward is Hell;
because they rejected Faith and took My Ayat and My Messengers by way of
jest. As to those who believe and work righteous deeds they have for
their entertainment the Gardens of Paradise " Q18:103-106. From all this
we recognize the values of faith: dynamism, activity, creativeness and
productiveness devoted to Allah's pleasure and not narrowness, negativity
or isolation into self. It is not just sincere and innocent intentions
that never develop into actions. This is the distinguishing characteristic
of Islam that makes it a creative power in practical life.
Counseling one another to follow the truth and to steadfastness reveals a
picture of Islamic society which has its own very special entity, a unique
inter?relationship between its individual members and a single destination
and which fully understands its entity as well as its duties. It realizes
the essence of its faith and what it has to do of good deeds which
include, among other tasks, the leadership of humanity along its own path.
To execute this tremendous duty, counseling and exhortation becomes a
necessity.
Mutual counsel aimed at that which is right is a necessity because it is
hard always to maintain what is right, bearing in mind that the obstacles
in its way are innumerable: egoistic passions and predilections, the false
concepts in the environment and the tyranny, iniquity and despotism of
some. Hence the mutual exhortation urged here means reminding, encouraging
and expressing the unity in aim and destination and equality in
responsibility and charge.
Counsel and exhortation to be steadfast are also a necessity because the
sustenance of faith and good deeds and catering for right and equity are
the hardest tasks ever to carry out. This makes endurance utterly
indispensable. Endurance is also necessary when adapting oneself to the
Islamic way of life, when confronting others, when afflicted with
maltreatment and hardship. Steadfastness is necessary when evil and
falsehood triumph. It is necessary for traversing the length of the route,
putting up with the slowness of the process of reform, the obscurity of
road?posts and the lengthy road leading to the destination.
Judging by the doctrine which the Qur'an outlines for the life of the
successful group which attains salvation, we are gravely shocked to see
the loss and the ruin in which humanity finds itself everywhere on this
earth today. We are shocked by the frustrations humanity suffers in this
present world and by witnessing how humanity turns away, in vain, from the
goodness Allah has bestowed upon it. We are the more distressed by the
absence of a righteous and faithful authority to stand up for the Truth.
Moreover, the Muslims, or rather people claiming to be Muslims, are the
farthest of all from what is good and the most averse to the ideology
Allah ordained for their nation and the one route Allah prescribed for
their deliverance from loss and ruin.
We know some features of that glorious period of human history whose
generation lived under the Islamic Constitution, the pillars of which this
particular surah erects and under the banner carried by the group of
believers who performed righteous deeds and encouraged each other to
follow the truth and to be steadfast. Now, the "loss" humanity is
suffering everywhere is obvious in its failure to fight against evils. The
banners of mankind have been for Satan, falsehood, error, oppression,
double standard, darkness and loss. No banner has been raised for Allah,
truth, guidance, light or success. The banner of Allah, however, is still
there awaiting the arms that will raise it and the nation that will
advance towards righteousness, guidance and success under this banner.
All that has been said so far concerned gain and loss in this life which,
though of great importance, is very trivial in comparison with the
Hereafter. There is an everlasting life and a world of reality ? the real
gain and the real loss, the attainment or deprivation of Paradise and the
pleasure of Allah. In the Hereafter, man either accomplishes the highest
of perfection allowed for him or completely collapses so that his humanity
is crushed and ends up as worthless as pebbles or even worse in condition:
"On a day when a man will look on what his hands have forwarded and the
disbeliever will cry: would that I were dust." Q78:40
Consequently, whenever two companions of the Messenger of Allah were about
to depart from each other, or before leaving a gathering, they would read
this surah, after which they would shake hands. This was indicative of a
pledge to accept this doctrine fully, to preserve this faith, piety and a
willingness to counsel each other to follow the truth and remain
steadfast. It was a mutual compact to remain good elements in an Islamic
society established according to that doctrine and to preserve the
foundation of this society.
"(Pray) Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) now after
Thou has guided us but grant us mercy from Your own Presence; for You are
the Bestower of bounties without measure." Q3:8.
"Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm; help us
against those that reject faith." Q2:250
May Allah increase us in faith and knowledge. May Allah help all the
oppressed people in the world.
Peace be on you.
Surajudeen.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Source: Sayyid Qutub, In the Shade of the Qur'an. Vol. 30.
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