Page 22 - Quick Grasp of Faith 3
P. 22
8. Is it proper to refer to people as "the people
of Paradise" or "the people of Hell" while still
in this world?
Making such comments is improper, for only Allah
knows who will enter Paradise and Hell. People will have
such knowledge, if Allah wills, only in the Hereafter. The be-
lievers hope for Paradise, but they can never be sure whether
they will enter it. Prophet Yusuf’s (as) prayer that he be al-
lowed to die as a Muslim is a good example of this:
… Originator of the heavens and Earth, You are my
Friend in this world and the Next. So take me as a
Muslim at my death and join me to the righteous.
(Surah Yusuf, 101)
9. What does the phrase "leaders who summon
to the Fire" mean?
Both the believers and the unbelievers have leaders. The
believers’ leaders invite them to live by the religion, perform
good deeds, and exhibit good behavior. They inform them of
Allah’s existence and the good morals that they should
have, describe how the religion’s commands should be ful-
filled, and enable them to improve themselves by showing
them what they are doing wrong.
In the case of the unbelievers, we should not understand
their "leaders" to be the community’s leading people. People
who do not believe in Allah, and reflect their unbelief in
their way of thinking, behaving, and living, call others to the
Fire, and so become leaders of unbelief. They do not direct
20