In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

All praise be to Allah, the Most High. Peace & Blessings be upon the Prophets of Allah, especially upon our Holy Prophet, Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam).

"At-Taqwa - Entrance to the Straight Path"
 
"Our Lord is He Who has given
a distinctive form to all creatures
and then rightly guided them."
[Ta-Ha 20:50]

Assalamu 'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

In Surah al-A'laa (87), Allah the most High describes His Lordship by indicating His full authority over different phases of the life of all the creatures. In the 1st phase, the creature has been created as an individual and shaped with some distinct features. But so far the creature remains static and does not perform any movement. Then in the 2nd phase, Allahu ta'ala creates destinies for the creature and the same guides the creature all the time at every step of the creature's life. Then, as the result of the 2nd phase, movements are created in the creature and its life progress (i.e. it grows) in the 3rd phase. Finally, in the 4th phase, the creature dies by the order of Allahu ta'ala. Every single creature has to go through these stages. And there is none beside Allah who has any control in these phases. Therefore, there is no Lord (Rabb) except Allahu ta'ala. All these phase have been indicated in the following ayaat of Surah al-A'laa.

Translit: Sabbihi isma rabbikal a'la ¤ Allathee khalaqa fasawwa ¤ Wal-lathee qaddara fahada ¤ Wal-lathee akhrajal-mar'a ¤ Faja'alahu ghuthaan ahwa ¤
"Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, ¤ Who has created all things and perfected them (Phase 1). ¤ Who has set their destinies and guided them. (Phase 2) ¤ Who brings forth green pasture (Phase 3), ¤ then reduces it to black rubbish (Phase 4)." [ A'laa 87:1-5 ]

The whole universe is based on Principles and Instructions set out by Allah, the Almighty. Each and every soul is continuously being instructed to perform actions that are ordered by Allahu ta'ala. These instructions are the guidance from Allahu ta'ala, just as Sayyidina Musa ('alaihi salam) has said: "Our Lord is He Who has given a distinctive form to all creatures and then rightly guided them." [Ta-Ha 20:50]. Through these instructions, the creature understands its role and performs its duties. Human beings and Jinns are the only kind of creatures that are unaware of their role in the world of creation. That is why they make a lot of mistakes in recognizing and following those instructions that are being sent to them. Whereas, the Angles, as well as the remaining creation, they are well aware of their role and the duties that they have to perform; "Wama minna illa lahu maqamun ma'loom" "There is not one of us (angels) but has his known place (or position)" [As-Saaffat 37:164].
 
"Surely your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Ayyam (time periods) and is firmly established on the throne of authority. He makes the night cover the day and the day follow the night automatically. He created the sun, the moon and the stars, and made them subservient to His will. Surely, His is the creation, and His is the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds!" [al-Araaf 7:54].  
Translit: Inna rabbakumu Allahu allathee khalaqa alssamawati waalarda fee sittati ayyamin thumma istawa AAala alAAarshi yughshee allayla alnnahara yatlubuhu hatheethan waalshshamsa waalqamara waalnnujooma musakhkharatin biamrihi ala lahu alkhalqu waalamru tabaraka Allahu rabbu alAAalameena ¤ [al-Araaf 7:54]
 
Allah has sent down Prophets and Messengers with scriptures to guide and train Human beings and the Jinns to understand their role and to obey the Orders set out by Allahu ta'ala. In the religious terminology, a person who understands his role in this world and surrenders himself to every commandment given by Allah through the Prophets, such a person is considered to be on the Straight Path or 'Siratun Mustaqeem'. Following the instructions given by Allah is the Straight Path, as Sayyidina Isa (Jesus, 'alaihi salam) says: "Surely it is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord, so Serve/Worship Him. This is the Right Way." [ Zukhruuf 43:64]. When a person follows the teachings of the Prophets, he starts to see everything in its genuine form. Meaning, the teachings of the Prophets train human beings to develops that ability with which they can clearly see the Truth and distinguish it from the Falsehood. The ability of the believer to see and recognize the Truth helps him understand the instructions given by Allah as His guidance. Thereafter, the person on the Straight Path will follow every step of his life just like the Angles perform their duties and follow the instructions that they get from Rahman. This is all what the servants of Allah have to do.
 
Translit: Yakhafoona rabbahum min fawqihim wayaf'aloon ma yumaroona ¤
"They fear their Lord Who is above them, and they do whatever they are commanded to do."  [An-Nahl 16:50]
 
Translit: Wama khalaqtu aljinna waalinsa illa liya'budooni ¤
"And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should Serve/Worship Me." [ az-Zaariyaat - 51:56]
 
 
But, why did Allah send Prophets to teach people what their role in this life is? Why can't humans and jinns understand their role and duties like the Angles and other creatures do? The reason is related to the nature of the Nafs of the Humans and Jinns. We will try to discuss this important point in detail.
 
When Allah asked the angles to prostrate before Adam ('alaihi salam), all the angles obeyed this command except Iblis (Satan), who was a Jinn. Disobedience to Allah's clear command means that Iblis expressed that the Command of Allah is invalid or there is an error in the Judgment of Allah that Allah did not see Iblis as being better than Adam (alaihi salam) since Iblis is made from fire, which is a lot more subtle than mud. It shows such a rude attitude. Iblis took a step further and blamed Rahman of deceiving him ("Qala fabima aghwaytanee"; "Iblis said: O Allah! Because you have let me astray..." 7:16). Outrageous! So, Iblis rebelled against his Lord, and how sad that we listen to this outcast Satan! This is also what Baba Ibrahim ('alaihi salam) said to his father: "O my father! Do not obey Shaitan (Satan). Verily! Shaitan (Satan) has been a rebel against the Rahman." (Ya abati la ta'budi alshshaytana, inna alshshaytana kana lilrrahmani 'asiyyan) [Maryam 19:44]. However, the behavior of Adam ('alaihi salam) was contrary to what Iblis had done. When Adam ('alaihi salam) acted against the command of Allah by eating from that tree, he spoke the truth and blamed his own self for his disobedience and then repented by saying "Our Lord! We have wronged our souls..." [7:23]. Allah does not wrong anyone, it is the people who wrong themselves by not following the instructions that Allah gives to them.
 
Translit: Wama thalamnahum walakin kanoo humu alththalimeena ¤
"We (Allah) did not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves." [Zukhruuf 43:76]
 
So, it was the Nafs (self) of both, Adam and Satan, that disobeyed their Lord. We will now try to understand what this Nafs actually is and why Jinns and Humans disobey the commands of Allah. First of all, It should be understood that apart from human beings and jinns, all the other kinds of creatures submit to the command of Allah and they do not disobey Him. In Surah an-Nahl, Allah says:
"And to Allah prostate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the live moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud (i.e. they worship their Lord (Allah) with humility). They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded." [an-Nahl 16:49-50]
Translit: Walillahi yasjudu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi min dabbatin waalmalaikatu wahum la yastakbiroona ¤ Yakhafoona rabbahum min fawqihim wayafAAaloona ma yumaroona ¤ [an-Nahl 16:49-50]
 
Whereas, the human beings and the jinns, they can disobey their Lord. And anyone who disobeys the command of Allah, his punishment will the hell fire. Had there been any other creature, beside Jinns and Humans, that will also be punished, Allah would had mentioned this in the Book.
 
Translit: "...watammat kalimatu rabbika la-amlaanna jahannama min al-jinnati wa-alnnasi ajmaAAeena"
"...And the Word of your Lord will be fulfilled: 'Surely, I shall fill Hell with jinns and men all together.'" [Hud - 11:119]
 
Translit: Walaqad tharana lijahannama katheeran mina al-jinni wa-al-insi lahum quloobun la yafqahoona biha walahum aAAyunun la yubsiroona biha walahum athanun la yasmaAAoona biha olaika kaalanAAami bal hum adallu olaika humu alghafiloona ¤
"Certainly, We have destined many Jinns and human beings for hell; those are the ones who have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like animals - or even worse than them , because they are those who are heedless."  [ Araaf - 7:179]
 
 
Human beings perform two kinds of activities: voluntary and involuntary activities. The involuntary activities are those activities of the soul that cannot be controlled by the human conscious, for example the heart beats and blood circulation in the body, processing of the neural signals, awakening from the sleep etc are all involuntary activities that are directed by Allah and performed by the human body. Whereas, the involuntary activities are the activities performed by our will and intention.
 
When Allah commanded the heaven and the earth to perform their functions, Allah said to them: "Come forward both of you, willingly or unwillingly!" and they responded in submission: "We shall come willingly." [41:11]. Here we learn that the creatures apart from the humans and jinns are commanded to perform something without getting any option. They only have one option: "Obey the command" and nothing else. However when we look at the human beings, the human beings are given two options (paths) along with every instruction. We either obey or we choose to disobey ("Wahadaynahu alnnajdayni", "And shown him the two ways (good and evil)?") [90:10]. When a human being follows this instruction that comes to him as guidance, he shows gratefulness to Allah, but when he follows the crooked path and rejects this instructions that comes from Allah as guidance, he shows ungratefulness.
 
Translit: Inna hadaynahus-sabeela imma shakiran wa imma kafooran ¤
"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful." [Dahr 76:3]
 
In surah al-Fatihah we talk about two paths and request Allah to make us see the Straight Path. The Straight Path is the path of those who received Allah's favours and any path other than the Straight Path is the Wrong Path. The Wrong Path is the path of those who got Allah's anger and those who went astray from the Straight Path by adopting some false creed.
 
Translit: Ihdina alssirata almustaqeema ¤ Sirata allatheena anAAamta AAalayhim ghayri almaghdoobi AAalayhim wala alddalleena ¤
"O'Allah! Guide us to The Right Way. ¤ The Way of those whom You have favored; not of those who have earned Your wrath, or of those who have lost The Way." [Fatihah 1:6-7]
 
Therefore, the human beings have been given two options: "Follow the instruction" or "Disobey". Other creatures, apart from humans and jinns, have no option except to: "Just Obey". This alternative given to the humans and jinns is what defines their freewill. Proper usage of this freewill either takes the man to the highest heights or throws him down to the lowest floor. Because of this freewill, humans and jinns consider themselves to have some worth or power. Because of this freewill, we consider ourselves to be independent and forget that every single cell of our body and every single instant of our live is dependent on Allahu ta'ala. For example, we were not created by ourselves nor were we given this choice; likewise, will not die by ourselves. This feeling of being independent in our selves compels us to rebel against our Lord and this is the root problem that humanity has been suffering from since the most earliest times. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) was also informed of this same problem in the very beginning of his mission, as we see this in Surah al-'Alaq below.
 
Trans: Kalla inna alinsana layatgha ¤ An raahu istaghna ¤ Inna ila rabbika alrrujAAa ¤
"Nay! Indeed, man transgresses all bounds, in thinking himself to be self-sufficient, although surely towards your Lord is his return." [Alaq 96:6-8]
 
The statement of Sayyidina Yusuf As-siddiq ('alaihi salam) below tells us that our self (Nafs) is inclined towards evil. If we feel hungry, our mind will compel us to find something to eat regardless of whether we steal money to buy food or eat something haram. Our mind has to inform us about our needs and wants. If we fulfill our desires without following any rule, we will remain there caught in the darkness and suffering. Allah has sent Prophets to clarify all ways through which we can fulfill our needs. Thus, Taqwa is to regulate our needs and wants by the principles given to us by the Prophets.
 
Translit: Wama obarrio nafsee inna alnnafsa laammaratun bialssooi illa ma rahima rabbee inna rabbee ghafoorun raheemun ¤
"And I do not free myself from error. Verily, the Nafs (self) is inclined to evil, except the one to whom my Lord has shown Mercy. Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [ Yusuf 12:53]
 
The above ayah informs us that the Nafs is inclined to evil. But note that it also informs us that this inclination of the Nafs towards evil can be straighten by the Mercy of Allah. Once our self has been trained or straightened by the Mercy of Allah, we do not feel any tendency towards evil. Those people who do not have any inclination towards evil are mentioned in the Quran by 'al-Mukhlaseen' (the chosen sincere slaves). This fact has even been accepted by Iblis that he will not be able to lure al-Mukhlaseen:
 
Trans: Qala fabiAAizzatika laoghwiyannahum ajmaAAeena ¤ Illa AAibadaka minhumu almukhlaseena ¤
"Iblees said: 'I swear by Your Honor, (O Allah!), I will mislead them all ¤ except your chosen sincere devotees among them.'" [Saad 38:82-83]
 
Who are these sincere slaves? They are those who have surrendered themselves to Allah. Anyone who has surrendered himself to Allah actually surrenders his freewill to the Will of Allah. As the result of this, the slave understands that there is no guide better than Allah and that everything is dependent on His Command. Since everything is dependent on Allah, our needs and wants are subjugated to Him in submission. As the result of this, Allah will reward His slaves with Paradise. In the paradise, the slaves will get all that they will desire and all their needs and wants will be fulfilled by Rabbul Aalameen.
 
Translit: Wamina alnnasi man yashree nafsahu ibtighaa mardati Allahi waAllahu raoofun bialAAibadi ¤
"And among people there is one who would give away his life to seek the pleasure of Allah. Allah is affectionate to His devotees." [Baqarah 2:207]
 
In the nutshell, Taqwa is like a shield, which can be imagined as that shield which is surrounding our earth. This shield will halt harmful radiations as well as rocks from entering into the earth. Likewise, the shield of Taqwa will prevent evil thoughts and whisperings from entering into the heart. And if these evil thoughts penetrate through to the heart, they will cover the heart with filth and darkness. Sincere repentance will wash away this filth and darkness. But if the shield of Taqwa is strong, the heart will only accumulate light. This light is the guidance from Allah. If the men could pay attention to this Nur, they will start to all things in their true formats. There will be truth and just truth. Allah says: "O you who believe! If you OBSERVE TAQWA, Allah will grant you FURQAN..." [Anfaal 8:29]. This Furqan is that criterion with which the believer understands Truth from Falsehoods. With this light, everything becomes clear. The person even starts to see true dreams that will be like a bright day and will also come true.
 
Just remember that the things seen without any light will only create doubts and will lead us to nowhere. And the things seen under the moonlight are still not clear. The mind uses conjectures and guesses to figure out what these things are by looking at the outlines of these objects in the moonlight. But under the sunlight, everything becomes vivid and clear. Any person who sees by the light of Allah, Allah will show him the truth. If the person is still desirous of knowing more in addition to the truth, Allah will even show him the formats, natures of the things and much more knowledge leading to the realities.
 
Muhammadur Rasool Allah (saw) informed his companions about the Straight Path by saying: "Allah has set forth a parable of a straight path. On both sides of the path there are two enclosures in which there are open doors, and hanging upon each door are curtains. There is at the end of the path an admonisher saying: Adhere to the path and don't go astray. Above that there is an announcer who announces as often as anyone intends to open the doors: Woe be to thee! Don't open it for if you open it you shall have to enter it. He then explained (this parable) and said: Verily the path is al-Islam; the open doors are the prohibitions made by Allah; the hanging curtains are the limits set by Allah; the announcer at the end of the path is the Qur'an; and the announcer over it is Allah's Preacher in every heart." Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud [Al-Tirmidhi].
 
Whenever we are in a situation where there is haram in our way, we feel a thought inside us saying "Stop, don't do this", and it also happens when are about to do something good but are reluctant to do so, we hear "Go, do it!" inside ourselves. We refer to this as 'Conscience'. Whenever we follow this call of our conscience, we feel the satisfaction (the state of Nafs al-Mutmainnah). But whenever we reject this call and do something opposite, we feel dejected and sad (the state of Nafs al-Lawwamah). The doors of forgiveness are open for us as long as we are alive. The soul that departs the body while in the state of Mutmainnah (satisfied) by following the instructions of Allah, Allah says:
 
Translit: Ya ayyatuha alnnafsu almutmainnatu ¤ IrjiAAee ila rabbiki radiyatan mardiyyatan ¤ Faodkhulee fee AAibadee ¤ Waodkhulee jannatee ¤
"To the righteous soul it will be said: 'O fully satisfied soul! ¤ Return to your Lord, well pleased with Him and well-pleasing to Him. ¤ Join My servants, ¤ and enter My paradise.'" [Fajr 89:27-30]
 
 
A small group of Jinns passed by the Prophet (saw), they stopped and listened to the recitation of the Quran. Then the Jinns returned to their people and spoke to them about the Quran as the following:
 
Translit: Qaloo ya qawmana inna samiAAna kitaban onzila min baAAdi moosa musaddiqan lima bayna yadayhi yahdee ila alhaqqi waila tareeqin mustaqeemin ¤
"They said: 'O our people! Verily! We have heard a Book (this Quran) sent down after Moosa (Moses), confirming what came before it, it guides to the truth and to Tareeqin Mustaqeem (Methodology to the Straight Path).  [ Ahqaaf 46:30]
 
The Quran guides us to the Straight Path by: (1) informing us of the Truth/Reality, which informs us about our objectives or the beliefs system; and (2) it also guides us to those steps or procedures through which we can perform our role in this world. For example, it tells us that every single instant of this world is being recorded. Even the tiniest movement of the atoms in each and every galaxy is being recorded. The life of hereafter will be the reflection of our deeds that we are performing in this world. This is the truth and we will all be recreated in the hereafter. This is the truth that Quran tells us. And as for the Tareeq, the methodology is what our Prophet (saw) has shown us and the same fulfils the meaning of our role in this world. We have not really discussed about our role in this world. But we will soon, insha'Allah, discuss about our role in the future and until then think yourself about what this role of ours is in this world.
 
 
"Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honor, He is free from what they ascribe to Him!
Peace be on the Messengers, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds."
Al-Quran [37:180-182]
 
wa Assalamu 'alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
Abdullah ibn Adam

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