Nowadays, they urge and compel you to reflect when you meet them
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Imam as-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“It is, indeed, impossible to rectify the souls and acquire virtue merely through worldly disciplines. The biggest indications of this matter are experienced and witnessed circumstances, for despite its growth and vastness, it has been unable to nurture and rectify souls. What the religion of Islam propagates is that which is charged with this rectification – it is what will steer people’s thoughts towards genuine and authentic sources of knowledge, guide people’s actions towards good, and keep them from evil. Islam is the rectifier of creeds and manners–the thing that cultivates thoughts, promotes virtuousness and prevents corruption. The essence of what religion calls to regarding belief in Allah, His (perfect) Names and Attributes, belief in recompense for one’s good and bad deeds in this life and the next, which can only be known through the Messengers, is what informs one that rectification is – in fact – only possible through sound belief and the religion of Islam. Thus, regardless of how far the worldly sciences redress (some) issues based on that which individuals know comprehensively, it will in any case not be equivalent (in perfection, mercy, guidance, excellence) to the knowledge of the Messengers (in the least). It will neither arrive at that which is arrived at through the knowledge of the Messengers nor could it at any point impact the souls in the manner the knowledge of the Messengers has done because for sure the souls do not voluntarily submit through other than (sound) belief in Allah, His angels, His revealed divine Books, Messengers, and the Hereafter. Without this, voluntary submission is impossible, as is notable regarding human nature”. [1]
The Imam also stated:
“They developed these (sciences) through a development that is detached from submission to Allah and the religion He has ordained. It has caused harm and driven its proponents to viciousness and brutality whose results have been annihilation, ruin, and wrongs that have no comparison”. [2]
The Imam also said:
“Industrialisation and modern inventions; everyone has participated in it – the righteous, the wicked, the believer, and the disbeliever. As for religion and (virtuous) manners, indeed, in this era, it has greatly declined. So, when this industrial advancement was devoid of (sound) religion and faith, it became a great harm from two angles: first, it beguiled many people, who – due to their ignorance – thought that worldly advancement was proof to show that its people are more worthy of achieving every good than others. They are misguided because a person might be the most skillful in affairs related to the material world, but is one of the most ignorant people in affairs related to religion, virtuous manners, and the (other) beneficial things in this life and the next. Second, when these inventions were devoid of (sound) religion, its mercy, and wisdom, they became a great disaster for humankind due to the wars that resulted from them, killing, destruction, and other affairs related to them. Its overseers and scholars are unable to lay down a stable, just and good life for humankind, rather they have not ceased moving from one miserable state to another. This is inevitable and the continuous state of affairs shows that (to be the case). Therefore all good is found in the sound religion and all evil is found in rejecting and wilfully denying [Allah, His Messengers, His Laws, Guidance, Commands, Prohibitions, etc]”.
The Imam also said:
“Many contemporary writers and politicians actively address various social issues from different perspectives. However, it is astonishing that when it comes to the problem of partial or complete deviation from the path ordained by Allah, which has greatly influenced the younger generation, they have not taken immediate action to counter it by promoting strong faith and certainty. Instead, those who have strayed from Allah’s path are left to wander aimlessly in their confusion and deception. Consequently, the social problems they aim to solve end up giving rise to even more issues. It is crucial to understand that if the approach to addressing social ills does not rely on sound faith and a solid religious foundation, these problems will only worsen and multiply”. [3]
Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah preserve him, said:
“The knowledge brought by the Prophets is a rectification for the people, a guide for them towards the right path and removes them from the darkness they are living in – the darkness of disbelief and ignorance. As for the knowledge of the philosophers and the heretics, then what Allah has stated truly applies to it:
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَرِحُواْ بِمَا عِندَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَہۡزِءُونَ
Then when their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, they were glad (and proud) with that which they had of the knowledge (of worldly things): And that at which they used to mock, surrounded them (i.e. the punishment)]. [Ghaafir. 83]
It is the knowledge that people boast about nowadays, whether it is medicine, engineering, astronomy, politics, or economics. After the Prophets came to remove them from the darkness of ignorance and enter them into the light of knowledge and sound faith, they were glad and boastful with the knowledge they possessed. These sciences become a trial and tribulation if they are not regulated by the knowledge which Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] brought”. [4]
Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him, stated: The disbelievers in their sciences, are operating upon Darwinian Socialism, Eugenics, upon an evolutionary model, and they believe that they have reached the stage of “Self-directed evolution”, due to enhanced understanding of the programmatic nature of biological life. They believe that they can consciously direct evolution now, in a more controlled and purposeful way. This is a proof against them and their arrogant disbelief as it is from the greatest of signs, Ayat, for Allaah’s Rububiyyah (Oneness in Lordship), which they witness in a way no different to how tyrants of the past, such as Firaun and the polytheists of various nations, were shown signs”. [5]
Read: Understanding the Two Definitions of ‘Science’ in Operation
http://www.aboutatheism.net/articles/juvtbpd-understanding-the-two-definitions-of-science-and-scientific-enquiry.cfm
Imam As-Sadi [1889-1957—may Allah’s mercy be upon him] made these profound observations at a time when our parents were either yet to be born or were just in their tender childhood during the 1940s and 50s. As for us, who entered this world in the early 1970s or earlier, we have witnessed an extraordinary age of technological advancement—an astonishing reality that would have been beyond our wildest dreams when we were merely ten years old. Yet, alongside these remarkable advancements, we have also observed a disheartening social transformation, one that has seen the erosion of morality, a departure from modesty, and the rise of numerous dubious ideologies masquerading as progress and modernity, not to mention the pervasive influence of globalism. The concepts of Wokeism [Footnote a] and its ilk were beyond our wildest dreams in our formative years, yet today we find ourselves in circumstances far more troubling than we could have anticipated. What, then, must our parents think, who experienced even less of this moral decline?
Amidst this tumultuous landscape of moral relativism and ambiguity, orchestrated by self-proclaimed global role models devoid of prophetic guidance, we have been graced with a remarkable resurgence in the religious sciences, led by individuals from unexpected quarters. As children, we could never have fathomed that we would one day be introduced to the Salafi Manhaj or come to know figures such as Imam Nasiruddin Al-Albani, Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, al-Allamah Muqbil Bin Hadi al-Wadi’i, Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi al-Mad’khali, Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, Al-Allamah Ubaid Al-Jabiri and others, nor could we have imagined having access to the works of scholars of the past transmitted to us by contemporary scholars in the East and students of knowledge in the East and the West, or engaging with diverse individuals united by the blessed methodology of our righteous predecessors. Yet, by the grace of Allah, we have lived to witness this phenomenon. Thus, despite the prevailing moral decay, Ahlus Sunnah remain steadfast, and the revivers of knowledge will emerge every century.
The Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him- said, “Allah will raise for this Ummah at the end of every hundred years the one who will revive its religion for it”. [6]
“Allaah will raise for this Ummah”– Meaning, the Ummah Al-Ijaabah (the Muslims). “At the end of every hundred years”– Meaning, at the end of every hundred years when there is little knowledge of the Shariah and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah, while ignorance and innovation in religious matters is rife. “One who will revive its religion for it”– Meaning, a scholar who is alive and well known. He will clarify the authentic Prophetic Sunnah and distinguish it from Bidah. knowledge will be abundant again and its adherents will be aided, and the proponents of Bidah will be overcome and degraded. This reviver is none else but a scholar who has a sound understanding of the religious sciences that deal with acts of worship, the underlying wisdom of the religion, and the texts that deal with beliefs of the heart. [7]
Nowadays when we meet some of the brothers in their mid to late 50s and early 60s, a profound reflection emerges as they ponder their past and present circumstances. They express gratitude to Allah for bestowing upon them the gift of Salafiyyah, especially amidst the myriad of challenges—both religious and worldly—that have arisen since the 1990s, a pivotal time when many of them found their path to the metholodlogy of the pious predecessors. Unlike the fervent pursuit of status and influence that often captivates some of the youth today, these brothers, as they approach the twilight of their lives, experience an intensified apprehension of deviation. Thus, we beseech Allah to safeguard us and the younger generation, nurturing the next generation of Ahlus Sunnah in steadfastness, honesty and truthfulness, forgiving our many shortcomings, showering us with mercy alongside our parents, and granting us a noble exit from this worldly life. Amin.
We ask Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ
وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ
O Allah! By Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if life is good for me, and let me die if death is good for me; O Allah! I ask You to grant me (the blessing of having) fear of You in private and public, and I ask You (to make me utter) a statement of truth in times of contentment and anger, and I ask You for moderation when in a state of wealth and poverty, and I ask you for blessings that never ceases, and I ask You for the coolness of my eye that never ends, and I ask You (to make me pleased) after (Your) decree; and I ask You for a life of (ease, comfort, tranquillity, etc) after death; I ask You for the delight of looking at Your Face (i.e. in the Hereafter) and yearning to meet You without any harm and misleading trials (coming upon me). O Allah! Adorn us with the adornment of Iman, and make us (from those who are) guided and guiding (others). [8]
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي
وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ
وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ
O Allah! Rectify my religion for me, which is the safeguard of my affairs; rectify my worldly [affairs], wherein is my livelihood; and rectify my Afterlife to which is my return; and make life for me [as a means of] increase in every good and make death for me as a rest from every evil. [Sahih Muslim Number: 2720] [9]
Footnote a: Wokeism: https://abukhadeejah.com/the-rise-of-western-liberalism-wokeist-doctrine-and-radical-feminism-and-their-evil-effects-on-women-family-and-society-updated/
[1] An Excerpt from “Al-Adillatul Qawaati Wal Baraaheem Fee Ibtaalil Usoolil Mul’hideen”. Page 48
[2] An Excerpt from “Ad-Dalaa’il Al-Qur’aaniyyah Fee Annal Uloom Wal-A’maal An-Naafi’ah Al-Asriyyah Daakhilatun Fid-deen Al-Islaamiy”. page 44
[3] An Excerpt from “Al-Adillatul Qawaati Wal Baraaheem Fee Ibtaalil Usoolil Mul’hideen”. pages 40- 46
[4] An Excerpt from “Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm”. page 100
[5] Article titled: Moderna Admits: MRNA Jabs are An ‘Operating System’ Designed To Program Humans. 28 Jumada al-Awwal 1442/12 January 2021- v.1.01
[6] Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawud. Hadith Number 4291.
[7] An Excerpt from Awnul Ma’bood Sharh Sunan Abee Daawud. 11/259-260
[8]https://salafidawah.uk/2021/01/01/o-allaah-let-me-live-if-life-is-good-for-me-and-let-me-die-if-death-is-good-for-me/
[9]https://salafidawah.uk/2020/12/29/o-allaah-rectify-my-religion-for-me-which-the-safeguard-of-my-affairs-a-tremendous-supplication/