Enumerate and explain any five lessons of the farewell sermon of the prophet (SAW).
Explanation
'Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you."
How profound are these words? Hurting others could be physical, emotional or psychological. Of course, we all know that hurting someone physically for no reason at all is a huge sin but have you thought about how your words could affect others? Teasing, backbiting, gossiping, throwing around harsh words or taunting others - these acts of yours are capable of creating the biggest wounds and scars upon people around us.
Unfortunately, we use the sharpness of our tongues against those closest to us - our parents, siblings, children or spouses and close friends. Stop for a moment and reflect upon the words of our Prophet ?. He's ? asking us not to hurt others so *we* don't get hurt in return. Makes sense doesn't it? Do no evil and to protect yourself from evil.
But controlling our tongues is sometimes really hard to do. I understand that. So the next time you are thinking about winning word wars or building a verbal duel in your head, stop and ask yourself "Is this going to help me, my peace of mind...will this please Allah?" If the answers is "no", then you probably know what to do.
- Stay away from usury (riba)
Riba - we find ourselves engulfed in riba. Anywhere we turn, any item we wish to buy or any transaction we wish to make - we find riba staring at us. Sometimes, utilizing riba seems a lucrative option to consider. Sometimes, you feel there is no escape from usury given how conventional bank systems work. But, we also know the evil effects of riba and how it can destroy our lives and leave us staring at Hellfire right in front of our eyes. So no matter how difficult your financial situation is or how tempting the Satan makes it seem, close your eyes and turn away from usury but don't stop there.
Plead Allah asking Him to keep you steadfast. Beg Him at the depths of the night to help you find halal alternatives. Beseech Him asking His help to aid you in getting what you want without going down the usury route. A lot of Muslims know riba is haram, but end up indulging in it because they see no alternative. Well, did you ask Allah to show you an alternative?
- Satan can win with small things
We know Satan is our #1 enemy, so we obviously won't fall for his tricks of prodding us to leave Islam or do kufr. Even a "not so practicing" Muslim will know that disbelieving in Allah or worshipping other idols is downright kufr and will refuse to do it. But Satan can win over us in small battles.
See how you missed your fajr today, or how you spoke rudely to your parents, how you lost your cool at work, how you cheated someone and told yourself it's okay, how you indulged in some riba because everyone does it anyway, how you watched what you shouldn't have...and the list is endless.
And remember, if Satan is not able to make you do any sins, he will force you to waste time! All those hours of sitting idle and browsing your multiple social media apps for hours together- these are tricks of Satan to make you turn away from the remembrance of Allah and waste your time on matters that are totally inconsequential. Imagine how you could have used those minutes to serve Allah, do some dhikr, read some Quran or do some isthighfar?
Yes, all of us need some time to de-stress ourselves and social media apps are great - but we need to set a time limit and not spend hours together on something that brings no benefit to us in this world or the next. Every second counts, and you will be asked about your free time on the Day of Judgment, so don't let Satan win these small battles with you.
- Avoid Racial and Ethnic Discrimination.
Superiority over skin color, financial status, or ethnicity is one of the biggest problems in our community even if we choose to brush it under the carpet or ignore it. Racism exists and we cannot deny it. But when you feel seeds of superiority enter your heart just because you belong to a higher class or whatever that is, ask yourself, "Am I better than this person in terms of deen? Do I worship Allah more than him? Do I rush to do more good deeds, more charity and more community based services when compared to him? Have I fasted more than him? Have I given more charity than him?"
If the answers are "no", then know that this person is much closer and superior in the eyes of Allah than us. Let us compare and compete with each other to do more good.
You may also like: 5 Qualities To Look For In A Quranic Teacher
- Treat women kindly
Men, listen up. The Prophet ? has some special words of advice to you. He's asked you to treat the women in your lives with kindness and love. Belittling your wife in front of your family, friends or her family, showing no ounce of gratitude or love towards
