Identifying obstacles and eliminating them

17:62-64

قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كَرَّمۡتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا 62

قَالَ ٱذۡهَبۡ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ مَّوۡفُورٗا 63

وَٱسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡهُم بِصَوۡتِكَ وَأَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡهِم بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِ وَعِدۡهُمۡۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا 64

 

62. He said: Tell me, is this he whom Thou hast honored above me? If Thou shouldst respite me to the day of resurrection, I will most certainly cause his progeny to perish except a few.

63. He said: Be gone! for whoever of them will follow you, then surely hell is your recompense, a full recompense:

64. And beguile whomsoever of them you can with your voice, and collect against them your forces riding and on foot, and share with them in wealth and children, and hold out promises to them; and the Shaitan makes not promises to them but to deceive: (17:62-64)

and

35:6

إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٞ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّاۚ إِنَّمَا يَدۡعُواْ حِزۡبَهُۥ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ 6

Surely the Shaitan is your enemy, so take him for an enemy; he only invites his party that they may be inmates of the burning (35:6)

  • Planning and Implementing: In verses 97-100 of Surat An-Nisaa, Allah speaks about 3 groups of people in regards to Hijrah.  Let us consider these groups: 1.       Those who stayed at home, not making hijrah claiming that they were weak and oppressed on the earth (mustad’afeen) when in reality they could have migrated—Allah states that such will find an abode in hell. 2.       Those men, women and children who stayed at home, not making hijrah because they were, indeed, so weak and oppressed on the earth (mustad’afeen) that “they could not devise a ploy (strategic plan) nor direct their way.” –…

  • Moderation and Continuity Once we have developed a plan, the next step is to implement it. But, how do we go about implementing a plan when our schedules are full and our responsibilities are heavy? If we consider the advice of The Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) regarding performing good deeds when he said: Narrated `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah's is the most regular and constant even though it were little." حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ…

  • Avoiding the two poles of extremism in all affairs: (i.e. doing too much such that it overwhelms you and doing so little that nothing or very little is accomplished)   فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ وَٱسۡمَعُواْ وَأَطِيعُواْ وَأَنفِقُواْ خَيۡرٗا لِّأَنفُسِكُمۡۗ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ 64:16 Therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah as much as you can, and hear and obey and spend, it is better for your souls; and whoever is saved from the greediness of his soul, these it is that are the successful. (64:16) ‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:…

  • Identifying obstacles and eliminating them 17:62-64 قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كَرَّمۡتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا 62 قَالَ ٱذۡهَبۡ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ مَّوۡفُورٗا 63 وَٱسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡهُم بِصَوۡتِكَ وَأَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡهِم بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِ وَعِدۡهُمۡۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا 64   62. He said: Tell me, is this he whom Thou hast honored above me? If Thou shouldst respite me to the day of resurrection, I will most certainly cause his progeny to perish except a few. 63. He said: Be gone! for whoever of them will…

  • Escaping and remaining aloof   Narrated Hudhayfah: The tradition mentioned above (No. 4232) has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Nasr ibn Asim al-Laythi who said: We came to al-Yashkuri with a group of the people of Banu Layth. He asked: Who are these people? We replied: Banu Layth. We have come to you to ask you about the tradition of Hudhayfah. He then mentioned the tradition and said: I asked: Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good? He replied: There will be trial (fitnah) and evil. I asked: Messenger of Allah, will…