The Ascent

The Ascent

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Everyone in a hurry, no time to spare, short hours and too much work, the day about to end but the jobs only half done; life is brief and plans too long, even Noah's age would be insufficient to cover them; life, like a candle in the wind; existence just begins when old age comes along and with it the fearful echoes of death; the heart sinks at the thought of whether it will be possible to scale the Ascent or not.

That Ascent which has a different meaning for everyone. Man in his impatience, shortsightedness, and cowardice sets for himself such silly goals at which he himself later laughs with derision: the achievement of petty tinsel toys, the satisfaction of his sexual desires, the attainment of the height of fame, having the latest model car, a home in a posh area, to top the ladder of power………..these are all mirages that deflect the mind from the real Ascent. All his mental and physical energies are directed towards the completion of these aims and he is left too limp to try and struggle for the Ascent.

What is the Ascent? The Creator of the worlds has pointed it out thus,
"And why does he not climb the Ascent? And what do you know of the Ascent? To set free a neck (person), or provide food on a hungry day to the orphan relative or the miserable…”

To free a neck from the weight of loans, to release slaves from slavery, to set loose prisoners innocent yet spending hard times behind bars, of those oppressed Muslims who have become a target of terrorism, and those humans who because of their shirk have been marked down for Hell. Those privileged people who had uncovered the secret of Iman, who had shattered the differences of caste, tongue, and nationality, who did not give a hoot for power, fame, or wealth; who believed more in deeds than words; who did not believe in any other super power but Allah, yes, they were the one who scaled this Ascent and scaled it well. They set free millions of compromised people and manumitted thousands of slaves. A single sa'habi of RasulAllah sallallahu 'alaihi wassallam, Hadhrat 'Abdur Ra'hman bin 'Auf, released thirty thousand slaves. If a Muslim got caught all the others became restless until they had him released; and how could they not when before
them was the 'hadith of RasulAllah sallallahu 'alaihi wassallam,

"Feed the hungry, look after the sick, and try to free the prisoners."
(Bukhari)

Likewise they were well versed with the 'hadith,
"Whoever freed a prisoner from the detention of the mushrikeen (idolaters), it is as if he freed me (sallallahu 'alaihi wassallam)"

Who would be the Muslim who ever got news of the imprisonment of RasulAllah sallallahu 'alaihi wassallam and not try to release him? But when our master stresses the need of trying to free a Muslim captive, we feel no stirring of our hearts.

There is no part of the world today where freedom loving and fundamentalist Muslims are not enduring the tortures of imprisonment, these prisoners include men, women, elderly, young, naive boys and innocent girls. They are struck inhumanly on their private parts, their bodies hit with electric shocks, they are hung upside down from ceilings; some of them are tied hand and foot and excreta bound on their faces, others are forced to bark like dogs, some are made objects of ridicule by being paraded naked in front of their captors, some are being raped and others being made objects of tyranny just for saying "Allah!"

These incidents of cruelty are being made public throughout the world by the media, but not one of the 60 Islamic states have issued any strong statement or protest; not one President or Amir felt the need to climb this Ascent. The result was that the people at the receiving end of cruelty, took the wounds of their hearts and minds and walked the only left to them…that of suicide attacks. These attacks struck the tyrants, American airports were inundated with coffins, and fear and the feeling of lack of security tilted the remaining into mental disorders. When the vulture clan started deserting them, this gang of terrorists started thinking of the Islamic army so that a Muslim would be the one to kill a Muslim; he would be the oppressor and the oppressed, he would be the imprisoner and the imprisoned.

It's a wonder that among those answering the call of the formation of an Islamic Army is the country which has opened its borders freely for Zionists, sunk in the pleasures of the flesh they are ready to save the Iraqis, nay, the oppressors of the Iraqis. Has there ever been a greater tragedy in history than when the kuffar declined to help their comrades, not only that, but those already involved started backing out scared by the blaze of suicide attacks not caring for worldly goods but the lives of their soldiers and civilians. At this point in came some reciters of the Kalimah carrying a long list of their services for Islam and Muslims who decided to jump into the blaze to save their Zionist friends.

An effective ruse of Satan and satanic powers is "tazayyan" by which it presents wrong as right and right as wrong. Doubtlessly these powers would have imprinted in the minds of our shepherds the sacredness of this Ascent that they would be climbing. But if they decide to take guidance from the Quran, it will unquestionably enlighten them that this Ascent gets surmounted not with backing the kuffar but by freeing poor, innocent, Muslim prisoners, dressing their wounds, soothing away their hurt, and helping them against ill-mongers.

O slaves of Allah! Never try to climb this Ascent, which on the face of it seems a brilliant success, but will be your downfall in the Hereafter. But try your level best to scale that, the hikers of which are never unrewarded or dishonored by Allah.