1. Islam & Imaan
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Hayaatul Muslimeen(Life of Muslims)
1. Islam & Imaan
Both the words, Islam and lmaan, are used synonymously. Allah Ta'ala says:
"Verily, (the true) Deen by Allah is Islam. "
"Whoever searches for a Deen other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him. (i.e. his adoption of any other religion will never be acceptable to Allah Ta'ala). And, in the Aakhirah he (the one who chooses another religion) will be ruined. "
" Whoever among you turns away from his Deen (Islam) and then dies being a kaafir. his good deeds will be ruined in this world and the Aakhirah. Such people are the inmates of the Fire; therein will they remain forever. "
The ruin of one's deeds in this world is the nullification of one's nikah. By reneging from Islam, the renegade's (murtad's) wife falls out of his nikah. He is also deprived of inheritance. He will not inherit in the estate of any Muslim. After death there is no Janaazah Salaat for him. The ruin of one's deeds in relation to the Aakhirah is the everlasting residence in Jahannum.
If a murtad (one who renounced Islam) returns to the fold of Islam, he will have to renew his nikah with the woman who was previously his wife. This renewal will be with her consent and approval. If she refuses, it cannot be imposed on her and she cannot be compelled to marry him.
Allah Ta'ala says:
"0 People of Imaan! Believe in Allah, His Rasool, in the Kitab which He has revealed to His Rasool and in those Kitaabs which were revealed before (Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Whoever commits kufr (i.e. disbelieves) with Allah, with His Angels, with His Books, with His Rasools and with the Day of Qiyaamah, verily, he has gone far astray. Undoubtedly, those who were (first) Muslims then became kaafir; then again Muslims; then again kaafir (and remained so to the last), have gone multiplying in kufr. Allah will never forgive such people nor will He show them the Road (of Jannat). "
Allah Ta'ala says:
“Verily, those who have rejected Our laws, soon will We enter them into a dreadful Fire. Therein (their condition will be such that) when their skins have become scorched (and burnt out). We will immediately replace the skin so that they suffer the punishment (forever). Verily, Allah is most Powerful and the Wise.
Those who have adopted Imaan and practised righteousness, soon will We enter them into such Paradises under which flow rivers. They will dwell therein forever. Therein will be pure wives for them. We will enter them into a dense shade (of coolness).”
In these ayaat some of the bounties of Jannat for the people of Islam and some of the terrors and hardships of Jahannum are mentioned for the rejectors of Islam. Other aayaat and Ahadith explain these in greater detail.
0 Muslims! The life of this world is insignificant. If you remain steadfast on Islam irrespective of whether you have to suffer some hardship, the comforts and luxuries which you will experience and enjoy immediately after death, will obliterate the memory of any difficulty or hardship which you had undergone here on earth.
If due to some baneful motive, greed, fear or hardship you turned away from Islam Allah forbid! you will experience and suffer such terror and punishment immediately after death that you will forget whatever comfort and luxury you had enjoyed here on earth. You will never be able to escape that misfortune and dread which will overtake you after death. Hence, a person with the least amount of understanding will not renounce Islam for the sake of even the kingdom of the whole world.
"0 Allah! Guide our brethren and straighten their intelligence."