The Effect of Hellfire & Heaven on Motivating the Ummah
Islam is a complete way of life, with concepts revealed to govern every aspect of the Muslims' lives, as they live their lives fulfilling their needs and satisfying their interests. On the struggle to revive the Ummah to abide by Islam we must give them the motivation, the force, which will lead them to implement Islam, and put in them the fear from the punishment resulting from non- implementation.
The essential motivation to implement Islam on an individual and political level, and to carry it to the world, comes by realising that Islam is their destiny, and is the sole reason for their existence. This realisation comes from the fundamental belief ('aqeeda) that we hold, since the Islamic belief entails complete submission to Allah (swt). When this belief ('aqeeda) is strong and clear in our hearts and souls the motivation for Islam will exist. When its light grew dim in our hearts, its effect on our
actions disappeared, and that is why we lost the essential motivation which pushes us to abide by Islam.
Elements of the belief such as the intellectual belief in Allah and the Qur'an, and the transmitted aspects of belief (from the Qur'an and Sunnah) such as the belief that Rizq (sustenance) and Ajal (lifespan) are from Allah (swt) all have a strong affect on our actions as Muslims, and always should be kept alive in our hearts and minds. But one aspect of 'aqeeda which has become dimmed is the appreciation of the Day of Judgement and its ordeals. Accountability to Allah (swt) is no longer on
our minds, and as a result we are not affected by the punishment of Allah (swt) anymore. We have also lost the desire for Heaven and the unimaginable eternal joys of the afterlife The result was that we lost the desire to please Allah (swt), the highest aspiration of all, and have
instead spent our time and effort on this life and on gaining its temporary pleasures such as wealth, power and family. Our highest aspirations became to attain the material desires and please whoever can satisfy those desires. We started looking towards the earth instead of the sky.
This dimming of the Islamic 'aqeeda in our souls is what led to what we see today. It led to disobedience of Allah's (swt) laws in our daily transactions and relationships, whether economic or social. It led us to accept kufr political ruling system and kufr laws implemented by oppressive leaders. It led to the dominance of the Kuffar over our societies. Our lives and wealth became under their complete authority. We live in humiliation fear and surrender. It has become easy to commit the haram which Allah ( swt) forbade, and leave the obligations which Allah ( swt) has commanded.
That is why in our work for revival we must wake up the Islamic 'aqeeda in our souls and to concentrate on it. Once life is given to this 'aqeeda, then life will come back in the Ummah, and the Muslims will go back to Allah (swt), and to abiding by His shar'a and adhering to His (swt) commands, and avoid disobeying Him. At this instant the Muslim Ummah will stop referring to Kuffar laws , and work to remove the corrupt kufr governments imposing themselves over Muslims. They will desire Heaven and its pleasures more than they desire the pleasures of this life, and thus they will work to gain the afterlife much more than the pleasures of this life. Their fear from Allah's (swt) punishment will by far outweigh the fear from the oppression and punishment of the Kufr governments, and as a result the Ummah will speak against the corruption and seek to remove it. So in our work to establish the rule of Islam we must motivate the Ummah by raising the 'aqeeda and discussing how it should be perceived, using this verse and similar verses to remind us of hellfire:
''Those who reject our signs We shall cast into the fire. As often as their skins are roasted we will give them fresh skins so they experience the pain.'' [ 4:56]
Similarly to remember the pleasures of heaven:
''Those who believe and do good deeds, We shall admit them to Gardens with rivers flowing underneath. This is their eternal home in which they have pure companions.'' [ 4:57]
We find that the Qur'an's concentration on the 'aqeeda and its concept of accountability is related to heaven and hellfire. When any rule is revealed, we find that with this law the obedience is linked to the belief in Allah ( swt) and the concept of accountability. Some examples to illustrate this point are:
''O you who believe fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if you are indeed believers.'' [ 2:278]
''O you who believe do not eat each' others wealth by haram means.''
[ 4:29]
''O you who believe obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the people in authority among you, and if you dispute over a matter then take it back to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and
the day of Judgement.'' [ 4:59]
''O you who believe, if you listen to a faction from among the people of the Book, they would render you indeed apostates after you have believed'' [: 3:100]
In conclusions, hundreds of ayahs and ahadith mention ahkam(laws) and link their implementation to belief. This is a reminder that the true manifestation of our belief is in the obedience of every law revealed.
Our daw'ah should be geared towards addressing the emotions of belief as well as the addressing the obligation of the Ummah to implement Islam. For only this method will motivate the Ummah to remove the kufr laws and authority and implement Islam in their lives.
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