The Prophet Muhammad Campaign: Peace and Blessings be Upon Him

The Levels Of The People in the Hereafte

 

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Muslim

 

So these are the levels of the people, and their ranks in the Abode of the Hereafter, as mentioned by Ibnul Qayyim rahimullah, and they are eighteen in number.
The highest level is that of the Messengers, may Allah extol and grant them perfect peace and security: and they are of three levels, the highest of them being:

1) ‘Those firmest in resolve’ (Oolul-’Azm): Nooh, Ibraheem, Moosa, ‘Eesa and Muhammad, may Allah extoll and grant them perfect peace and security ameen, then;

2) Those besides them from the Messengers (Rusul) then;

3) The Prophets (al-Anbiyaa), those who were not sent as Messengers their nations;and then;

4) The truest and sincerest followers of the Messengers (as-Siddeeqoon)- the inheritors of the Messenges, those who established what the Messengers had been sent with, in their knowledge, actions and in calling to Allaah, then;

5) The just Emaams and Rulers, then;

6) Those who strove and fought Jihaad in Allaah’s cause, with their wealth and their persons, then;

7) Those who preferred others over themselves, treated the people with goodness and performed charitable acts, then;

Those for whom Allaah opened a door to performance of good which was restricted to themselves such as Prayer, Charity, Fasting, Hajj and so on, then;

9) The level of the people of salvation, and they were those who carried out Allaah’s obligations and avoided that which He prohibited, then;

10) The level of a people who wronged themselves and commited major sins forbidden by Allaah; however Allaah granted them sincere repentance before death. So they died upon sincere repentance, so Allaah accepted their repentance, then;

11) The level of a people who combined righteous deeds and evil deeds, meeting Allaah whilst persisting upon their sins and not repentant. However their good deeds outweighed their evil deeds: the balance of the good they did being heavier. So they are also saved and successful, then;

12) A people whose good and evil deeds were equal, and they are the companions of the Heights (al-A’raaf)-which is a place between the Paradise and the Hellfire; and they will eventually enter Paradise, then;

13) The level of those who were afflicted and put to tahaadeeth trial-we ask Allaah for well being and security, and they were Muslims whose scales were light: their evil deeds outweighed their good deeds.
There are ahaadeeth concerning them showing that they will enter the Fire and will be in it in accordance with their deeds; and then they will come out of it through the intercession of those who intercede and the Mercy of the Most Merciful of those who show mercy, then;

14) A people who had no acts of obedience or disobedience, nor Unbelief, nor true Faith (Eemaan), and they are of different types; from them are those who the true call did not reach; and from them is the insane person who did not possess intellect; and from them is the deaf person who never heard anything; and from them are the children of the Mushriks who died before being able to correctly discern anything. So the scholars differ concerning them, having eight positions.

The most correct of these is that they will be tested on the Day of Ressurrection, and a Messenger will be sent to them there:
whoever obeys him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys him will enter Hellfire. Because Allaah does not punish anyone until the Proof is established upon him and he then turns away from it and obstinately refuses it, just as He, the Most High said:
“And We do not punish until We send a Messenger.” (Surah al-Israa 17:15)

15) The level of the Hypocrites (al-Munafiqoon) who outwardly displayed Islaam but inwardly concealed Unbelief (Kufr), and they are in the lowest depth of the Fire, then;

16) The heads of Unbelief (Kufr), its leaders and its callers, then;

17) The level of those Unbelievers who were blind-followers and ignorant ones, and the Ummah are agreed that they are Unbelievers, and lastly;

18) The level of Jinn, and they were bound with duties-liale to reward of punishment in accordance with their deeds, just as Allaah, the Most High, said:

“And for all there will be degrees in accordance with what they did, so that He may fully recompense them for their deeds, and they wil not be wronged.” (Surah-Ahqaaf 46:19)
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Reference:
From ‘The Abridgment of the Levels Of The People in the Hereafter’
By Ibnul Qayyim Rahimullah

az-Zuhd

Understanding/Interpretation that leads some to a life of poverty;

One will not acquire the material joys of this life unless he or she works hard to achieve such a goal. In this regard, mankind pays a significant effort and deep thinking. One may then have to mingle with the worst types of people.

All this will come at the expense of seeking knowledge of the religion, conducting Da'wah unto Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, performing Jihad and worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When the slave feels all this and when he has an enlightened heart, he will feel compelled and encouraged to disregard the Dunya, that he will be able to preserved what is essential and that which will never end.

"Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight (you indulged in, in this world)!" (At-Takathur 102:

 The Quran's belittling the significance of the Dunya and its joys, while describing this life as deceiving, false and short-lived pastime that involves wasting the time. Also, Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala criticism of the adverse effect that excessive indulging in the Dunya will result in the Hereafter.

The numerous Texts in the Quran and the Sunnah about this subject will encourage the Muslim to abandon matters of the Dunya and busy himself with what will truly remain. (excessive is a relative term)

Furthermore, Al-Mustawrid Al-Fihry related from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam that he said,

"The Dunya, as compared to the Akhirah (the Hereafter), is just like when one of you dips his finger in the sea! Let him see how much (water) it (his finger) will carry." (Sahih Al-Jami')

The Sufi understanding of Zuhd:

Asceticism, which literally means renouncing worldly pleasures and resisting carnal desires, is defined by Sufis as indifference to worldly appetites, living an austere life, choosing to refrain from sin in fear of God, and despising the world’s carnal and material aspects. Asceticism is also described as renouncing this world’s temporary ease and comfort for the sake of eternal happiness in the Hereafter. The first step in asceticism is the intention to avoid what has been forbidden and to engage only in what has been allowed. The second and final step is being extremely careful even when engaging in what is allowed.

An ascetic is steadfast in fulfilling his or her responsibilities, is not defeated by misfortune, and who avoids the traps of sin and evil encountered during the journey. With the exception of unbelief and misguidance, an ascetic is pleased with how the Creator decides to treat him or her, seeks to attain God’s pleasure and the eternal abode through the blessings and bounties that He bestows, and directs others to the absolute Truth. In the ear of his or her heart, the Divine announcement is echoed:

Say: The enjoyment of this world is short; and the Hereafter is better for him who obeys God’s commandments in fear of Him (4:77).

The command: Seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which God has given you, and forget not your portion of the world (28:77) radiates itself through all the cells of his or her brain.

The Divine warning: This life of the world is but a pastime and a game, but the home of the Hereafter, that is Life if they but knew (29:64) penetrates his or her innermost senses.

There is nothing in Islam that even suggest that we should be poor, to the contrary we are to live our life "Wearing our Blessings In Humility", acknowledging the Lord as our provider, being an example of what it means to be a blessed servant of Allah, who is the owner of everything and able to bestow his favor and blessing on whom He will.  we should clean our wealth through Zakat and Sadakat .  We should make sure we are not neglecting our responsibilities to Allah, His Prophet, our families, our neighbors, our communities and our societies.

We should pray for the well being of others and be grateful for what we have not looking at those that have more but those that have less.  Islam is not stagnate and is meant to be the leading force of improvement and prosperity.  Somewhere, along the way the rich made the rest of us believe that it was more religious to be poor.  Poverty mentality has no benefit to anyone and has nothing to do with material wealth.

We are ever in need of Allah in our life this is what makes us poor or Faqir not the absence of material wealth, which Allah bestows on whom he wills,

"Wear Your Blessings Well" (from a sermon I heard this morning), Allah loves beauty, wa Alahu Alim