Tuesday, 26 May 2026 (10 Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1447 AH)
A question about books of encouragement and warning: I find myself perplexed by what I see in examples such as warning of death and what comes after it, and its severity, and that even the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) emphasized upon him; and likewise statements attributed to Imam Ali (Peace be Upon Him); and likewise warnings about what is after death—stations of the grave, the gathering, and other matters. And in these books they do not differentiate between a believer, an open sinner, or a disbeliever—although, according to my limited knowledge, I have not seen in the Qur’an verses that mention severity, punishment, or hardship upon a believer after his death until his entry into Paradise; rather, all of them give him glad tidings and make him rejoice.
And also, it is from reason that the abode of recompense—if there must be, therein, constriction for the believer—then how can he keep away and be safe, when there is no way for him out of that by any deed, so long as even the prophets are in constriction and distress, and others? This is one aspect…
And another aspect, for example: they magnify everything, so it falls, when they magnify a matter as a facilitation for something else; for example, they say: Indeed, backbiting is worse than adultery because … etc., and everyone knows that adultery is a tremendous obscenity; and this is an example, and there is much.
And also, magnifying some acts of worship—for example: remaining in the mosque after the dawn prayer until sunrise is like two pilgrimages and two ‘umrahs; so what is the benefit of fatigue and spending wealth and effort in voluntary Hajj and ‘Umrah, otherwise what is meant?
And of that: censuring wealth and its earning even if it is from the lawful, to the extent that if applied people would refrain from work, while the Qur’an and the life of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) and the Ahl al-Bayt are full of calling to work and to build the self and the society economically, and what is in that of benefit in spreading religion and truth and good; for we see the domination of the economy now over everything, even over politics, and whoever does not possess his sustenance does not possess his decision).
And also, we see in the chapter of the believer’s joy at death and his love for it for the meeting with Allah, then we find another chapter that magnifies death and makes it something harsh.
So, clarify what has occurred of the problems, and increase us in benefit and analysis, so that the inner conflicts may be removed by the balm of your overflowing knowledge; and may you remain for us and for the Muslims a good example and a light; and peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings.
The Answer:
- There is no objection to the intensification of death upon the believer; because of what he has in it of recompenses, and there is no contradiction between it and glad tidings, so the angels may give him glad tidings of Allah’s pleasure while he is suffering the severities of the agonies of death.
- As for after death, the believer meets no severity, and no distress, and no constriction befalls him—neither in the grave nor in the resurrection and the reckoning.
- And what is mentioned in the books of warning, of mentioning the severities and terrors of death and the grave and the resurrection and the reckoning—then even if it has come in general, what is meant by it is what befalls the enemies of Allah specifically.
- And what has come of severities and terrors upon the believers and the truthful and the prophets, then it is not relied upon, and it is not accepted for its disobeying of the Qur’an, and because it has come by solitary routes, and solitary reports do not yield knowledge, and what we are in is from the matters of knowledge.
- But the scholars are lenient in transporting the narrations of encouragement and warning; because in them are kindness for the believer, and because no due is built upon them.
- And what was mentioned such as: “Backbiting is worse than ‘adultery’”—in it there is no making light of adultery; rather, what is meant by that is that people are lenient regarding backbiting, so that statement was cast to them so that they may know that the backbiting which they are lenient in is not as they imagine; rather, it is, in obscenity and crime with Allah, Exalted is He, like that crime which they know its obscenity and realize its enormity; so the example you mentioned is intended to portray the unknown by means of comparing it with the known.
- And remaining in the mosque after the dawn prayer until sunrise as one Hajj, or as two Hajj, or as two ‘umrahs—this narration has been reported through the ways of our Imams and through the ways of others, and there is no problem in its meaning.
And the meaning is correct, for the hadith has been authenticated and has become well-known with all the scholars: "Hajj is ‘Arafah". And then, the obligated person’s confining himself in his place of prayer after the dawn prayer until sunrise, and occupying himself in that with the remembrance of Allah and His praise and … etc., is equal and similar to the pilgrim’s standing in ‘Arafah and his remaining therein; thus the two matters are truly equal—since each of them is remaining in a specified place.
And then, what problem is there in that the reward of that remaining be like the reward of that remaining?!
And thus it came in the hadith: "‘Umrah is the circumambulation of the House". And it is known that circumambulation of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah does not need of time more than the measure from the rising of dawn to sunrise; so what prevents the equality of the reward of the ‘umrah that we mentioned and the reward of remaining in the mosque after the dawn prayer?! And if there is no crowding, then what is between the dawn prayer and sunrise suffices for performing two ‘umrahs or more.
And know that standing at ‘Arafah for a minute, or two minutes, or a moment suffices in performing the obligation of standing—thus did the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) state that explicitly, and it became well-known from him (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) with widespread fame; so let it be known.
If you know that, then what has come in the hadith from the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) and from Ali (Peace be Upon Him) of the equivalence between remaining in the place of prayer until sunrise and between Hajj and ‘Umrah is intended by it what we mentioned and nothing else; so the student should not understand from it other than what we mentioned.
As for the reward of travel, and spending, and fatigue, and fear, and the reward of the rest of the rites of Hajj, and the reward of ihram, and talbiyah, and takbir, and … etc.—then that is another matter that did not enter into the equivalence; and whoever understood the entering of that has erred; because reward is according to the measure of hardship.
And it should be understood that what is meant by the equivalence with Hajj is the equivalence with the supererogatory Hajj; so remaining in the mosque until sunrise equals the supererogatory standing in ‘Arafah, not the standing in the Hajj of Islam; because there is no comparison between the reward of the supererogatory and the reward of the obligatory.
- And what has come of censuring wealth and its earning, what is meant by it is unlawful wealth and unlawful earning, or what distracts from the remembrance of Allah, or calls to tyranny.
As for earning the lawful—even if it is abundant—without it distracting from the remembrance of Allah or from fulfilling the obligations of Allah, then there is no harm and no blame: "Say, 'Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good things of provision?' Say, 'They are for those who believe during the life of this world, exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.'" [Al-A‘raf:32] And Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned in describing some of the Companions of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace), in His saying, Exalted is He: "…and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah…". [Al-Muzzammil:20] And Allah, Exalted is He, has made that traveling a cause for easing upon the Muslims from what He had obligated at the beginning of Islam of standing the whole night in prayer, or standing half of it, or a third of it, mentioned in Surat Al-Muzzammil; and read Surat Al-Muzzammil from its beginning to His saying: "Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] almost…" [Al-Muzzammil:20] …to the end of the surah.
So then, the forbidden is that the world own you, not that you own it; and the blameworthy is its unlawful, not its lawful; and the grateful rich person who fulfills the rights of Allah, Exalted is He, from himself and from his wealth is better than the patient poor person.
And what has come of censuring from the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) and from Ali (Peace be Upon Him) and from others, then what is meant by it is what we mentioned.
And there is no harm in general admonitions that warn of the world in general and absolutely; because people are naturally disposed to love wealth and the world and its adornment, and those admonitions lessen the amount of greed.
And the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) used to warn of the world in his admonitions, then he would say: "Fear Allah and be moderate in seeking", then he (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) explained moderation in seeking, and he (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) said: "Take what is lawful and leave what is unlawful".
And there is no objection to the believer’s joy at death and his love for meeting Allah, Exalted is He, and there is no contradiction between it and magnifying death and what is after it; because that is directed to other than the believer.
And there is no harm in magnifying death and what is after it absolutely without specifying it to the enemies of Allah, and that is because in it are consoling for the believer—and Allah knows best.
Source: Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.3