Materialistic World Is A Place of Temptation, Trial and Test Called Fitna in Quranic Terminology
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
9 August
2021
Materialistic
World Is A Place of Fitna Where a Human Being Is Tested With the Lure of Having
Satanic Belongings That Puts Human Beings on Trials and Allah Tests His Belief
in Him
Main
Points:
1. Fitna is an
Arabic word that means temptation, test, trial and misguidance in the Quranic
usage.
2. Common
believers are prone to temptations, it is only the Prophets that are way ahead
of it.
3. It is the
mistakes and sins of the believers that manifests the forgiveness of Allah, the
Most Forgiving.
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Photo Courtesy: Gralefrit Theology/ How the ‘Temptations of Jesus’
relate to everthing about you, society and the world
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Fitna is an
Arabic word that means temptation, test, trial and misguidance in the Quranic
terminology. All these expressions are inter-related because the human being is
tempted to take the misguided path and resultantly tested with trials by Allah,
the All-Knower before being forgiven.
The fact is
that common believers are prone to temptations. It is only the Prophets that
are way ahead of it. They are infallible. Allah, the Most Gracious has created
us with the essence of mistakes and sins. It is the mistakes and sins of the
believers that manifests the forgiveness of Allah, the Most Forgiving. In a
famous Hadees, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ says:
‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you did
not sin Allah would replace you with people who would sin and they would seek
the forgiveness of Allah and He would forgive them.’ (Muslim)
And Allah,
the Most Forgiving says in the Holy Quran:
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed
against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed,
Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Quran 39: 53)
The above
mentioned beautiful verse of the Holy Quran creates a soothing feeling in the
hearts of the believer as in it they are reminded of the ‘forgiving’ trait of
Allah, the Creator of the universe. This verse invites believers to strongly
hold the rope to the righteous path and make their faith stronger.
The
materialistic world is a place of Fitna. At every step, the human being is
tested with a lure of having satanic belongings that put a human being on trial
and Allah test his belief in Him. For
every person, no matter how much worldly gains does he acquire, there is a
temptation of earning more. This is because there is a more wealthy or powerful
or big person than the other. The temptation to be better than all others is
taking humankind on the unrighteous path that leads to a forever punishing life
hereafter. Most of the time we notice such lured to temptation people being
punished by the social bodies, legally authorised to maintain just in the
society, as well. Many of the people that are trapped in the allurement of the
materialistic gains are the losers both in life here and hereafter.
Almost all
religions have warned their followers of the dangers of temptation and satanic
allurement. Islam has mentioned Satan and their dangerous designs that tempt
people to the wrong path. There are various incidents of satanic temptations
that have brought dangerous consequences for the believers. The Satanic trials
and temptations have got mentions from the period of Adam and Eve and Hazrat
Ismaeel Zabihullah. Satan tempted Hazrat Adam (AS) and Hazrat Hawwa (AS) into
eating the forbidden fruit and tried his best to allure Hazrat Ismaeel
Zabihullah into foregoing his decision to obey his father Hazrat Ibraheem
Khalilullah for his sacrifice in the path of Allah’s pleasure. Thus for common
people, Satanic temptations are very easy to be trapped.
Practical
ways of defeating the temptation are to keep oneself busy in Zikr and maintain
a positive thinking attitude having faith in the forgiveness of Allah and
remembering that ‘every soul has to test death’.
Allah the
Most Gracious has warned believers of being tested so that they could prove
their worthiness for a permanent heavenly abode. The Quranic Ayat and the
Prophetic traditions are guidelines for the believers to take heed and save
themselves from falling into the traps of temptations and trials. Some of the
many Quranic Ayat and Prophetic traditions mentioned below are for the human
being to follow and be out of the tempting allurements of the evils so that
they pass through the trials and the tests taken by Allah, the Almighty.
Quranic
Ayaat on Fitna
In the
following Quranic Ayaat, the world Fitna is used in different terms such as
trial, test, misguidance and temptation etc. Consider the following:
"And
know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation
(Fitna) and that with Allah there is a tremendous reward" (8:28).
"They
said: 'In Allah do we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us not a trial [Fitna] for
those who practice oppression" (10:85).
"Every
soul shall have a taste of death. And We test you by evil and by good by way of
trial [Fitna]. And to Us you must return" (21:35).
"Our
Lord! Make us not a test and trial [Fitna] for the unbelievers, but forgive us,
our Lord! For You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise" (60:5).
"Your
riches and your children may be but a trial [Fitna], but in the presence of
Allah, is the highest reward" (64:15).
“Then,
verily, your Lord for those who emigrated after they had been put to trials (Futinoo)
and thereafter strove hard and fought (for the Cause of Allah) and were
patient, verily, your Lord afterward is, Oft‑Forgiving,
Most Merciful” (al-Nahl 16:110)
“And
fight them until there is no more Fitna (disbelief and worshipping of others
along with Allah)”
(al-Baqarah 2:193)
“(The
hypocrites) will call the believers: “Were we not with you?” The believers will
reply: “Yes! But you led yourselves into temptations (Fatantum Anfusakum), you
looked forward to our destruction; you doubted (in Faith) and you were deceived
by false desires”
(Al-Hadeed 57:14)
Prophetic
Traditions on Fitna
Abu
al-Tufayl reported: It was said to Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him,
“Who are the dead among the living?” Hudhayfah said, “Those who do not
recognize good in their hearts and do not reject evil in their hearts.” - Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 37577
Ibn ‘Asakir
reported: ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with him, said to his son, “My
son, memorize what I instruct you: a just leader is better than abundant rain,
a predatory lion is better than an oppressive leader, and an oppressive and
tyrannical leader is better than an everlasting tribulation.” - Tārīkh Dimashq 46/184
Abdullah
ibn Amr reported: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)said:...This nation of yours has been
granted well-being in its beginning, but the latter generations will be
afflicted with trials and affairs you will recognize as evil. Tribulations will
come one after another, and tribulation will come in which the believer says:
This will destroy me! Then it will pass and another tribulation will come in
which the believer says: This one, this one! Thus, whoever would love to be
delivered from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, let him meet his end with
faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat people as he would love to
be treated. Whoever pledges allegiance to a leader should give him the contract
of his hand and sincerity of his heart, so let him obey as much as he can. If
another leads come to start a rebellion, strike the neck of the other.” - Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1844
Thawban
reported: Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “Soon the nations will be summoned to
you just like one is invited to a feast.” It was said, “Will we be few in that
day?” The Prophet said, “No, rather, you will be many in that day, but you will
be scum like such flowing down a torrent. Allah will remove your esteem from
the chests of your enemies and Allah will insert feebleness in your hearts.” It
was said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is this feebleness?” The Prophet said,
“Love for the worldly life and hatred of death.” - Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4297
Anas ibn
Malik reported: Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “If Allah puts the Muslim servant
to trial in his body, Allah says: Record his righteous deeds for him that he
used to do. If he is healed, he will wash and cleanse himself. If his soul is
taken, he will be forgiven and shown mercy.” - Musnad Ahmad 12503
Abdullah
ibn Amr reported: We were gathered around the Messenger of Allah, Pbuh, while
he mentioned tribulations, saying, “If you see that people have disordered
their commitments, diminished their trusts, and are as jumbled as this,” and he
interlaced his fingers. I stood to come near him and I said, “How should I act
if that happens?” The Prophet said, “Stay in your house, control your tongue,
accept what you know is good, reject what you know is evil, take care of your
affairs specifically and abandon the affairs of the common people.” - Sunan Abī
Dawud 4343
As Doomsday
approaches, Fitna will increase. It will resemble the increase in darkness as
night begins. Many who leave their homes in the morning as Muslims will return
home as disbelievers in the evening. While they are Muslims in the evening,
they will lose their faith during the night. During such times, staying at home
is better than being involved in Fitna. Those who stay aloof are better than
those who attack and lead in front. On that day, break your arrows! Leave your
weapons! Address everybody with a smiling face and sweet words!” (Abu Dawood)
(Temptation of Christ/ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia) Christ in
the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872
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Fitna as described by Ibn al-Arabi, the great mystic and philosophic scholar of Islam:
“Fitna
means testing, Fitna means trial, Fitna means wealth, Fitna means children,
Fitna means Kufr [denier of truth], Fitna means differences of opinion among
people, Fitna means burning with fire.”
The
anti-Muslim Dutch politician, parliamentary leader of his party, Party for
Freedom, in the House of Representatives, has rightly named his 2008 short
film, ‘Fitna’ as it is to highlight the war verses of the Holy Quran for
creating rift among communities.
And
Allah Knows the Best.
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Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/temptation-trial-quranic-terminology/d/125196
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