As Salamu 'Alaykum,
From my inner most being, I can say that the most important thing to me isn't that my wife and I avoid Hell Fire. The most important thing for me isn't that I live a prosperous or long life. Them most important thing isn't status, comfort, or any of the things people who are not Muslims: wealth, power, prestige, health, happiness, etc. The most important thing in my life, even when I fall short of the mark, is to please Allah. It is such a privilege after such a long spiritual journey to finally have a peace and assurance that I have once again found that Path of Submission to Allah.
And, now just to check if anyone ,other than those dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters who tolerate my longwindedness and still answer my questions and send me private messages or help and encouragement, actually read my posts, I have a question: What does the following Ayah mean and is it is it wrong based on this or any other Ayah to ask for prayer?
Al-Anbiya
He knoweth what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepteth, and they quake for awe of Him. (28)
سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنبیَاء
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يَشۡفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَتِهِۦ مُشۡفِقُونَ (٢٨)
And, if it is alright for Muslims to ask for Du'a, I have in addition to my long chronic pain and disabilities, a new medical problem (only six or seven months) severe pain, tenderness, and swelling in my neck. My Oldest sister who worked as a nurse in the operating room and has had cancer and lost her husband to cancer told me that it may be either a serious infection or cancer.Alhamdulillah. I am not looking for pity or admiration, but if it is permissible, I would appreciate you remember me in when doing your Du'a that I continue to please Allah and that I live or die a Muslim. My health has prevented me from making my Shahadah physically before Muslim and I tell anyone who asks that "I am a Muslim." and when asked why I think:
"Ashhadu an la ilaha illa 'llah; ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu 'llah"
I want only the best for each of you. The more I use English Search Engines, the more I feel that on behalf of all decent English Speakers I need to apologize to every Muslim for the garbage that is put on the web concerning Islam. I can't do a single search without having to wade through a mountain of garbage propaganda. I use to refer to myself as a paranoid, but now I think cynical or realistic would be better. Only Shaitan could propagate such lies and negativity against those who seek to worship Allah and peacefully live in submission to His Perfect Will.
:salam2:
Dear brother Frank,
Assalam-o-alikum wa Rahamullah wa Barakatohu,
First of all brother let me tell you that I love your posts, they are great and very inspiring, and also contain knowledge. Your desire to please Allah (SWT) is awesome and put us the so-called "born Muslims" to shame.
May Allah reward you immensely, bring your wife also to Islam, and grant you the Jannah Al-Firdous in the hereafter. Ameen!
I also pray that Allah protect you and your wife and ease your pain.
But also here is the thing-- The pain and suffering in this life brings a lot of "Ajar" (rewards) in the hereafter. There is a Hadith in which our Prophet (PBUH) said that on the Day of Judgment when these people who lived their life in luxury will see what rewards those people are receiving who suffered in their life, they will wish that they could go back to their previous life and all their flesh were cut and removed from their bones.
We should never ask for pain or death, but if pain comes in one's life then it can be a blessing if one still thanks Allah and continue to try to please Him, as you are doing, brother Frank.
About your question about the verse in Al-Anbiya I found the following explanation in Tafheem-ul Quran from Maulana Maududi.
(21:26) They say: "The Most Compassionate Lord has taken to Himself a son."26 Glory be to Him! Those whom they so designate are only His honoured servants.
*26 "Offspring" here refers to the angels as is clear from v. 28. The disbelievers of Arabia believed that the angels were the daughters of God.
(21:27) They do not outstrip Him in speech and only act as He commands.
(
21:28) He knows whatever is before them and whatsoever is remote from them and they do not intercede except for him, intercession on whose behalf pleases Him, and they stand constantly in awe of Him.27
*27 These two verses refute the two reasons for which the mushriks had made the angels their deities:
(1) They took them for the offspring of Allah.
(2) They thought that if they worshipped the angels, they would be so pleased that they would intercede with Allah on their behalf. (See X:18; *!*!*!IX:3).
In this connection, it should also be noted that the Qur'an refutes the doctrine of intercession of the mushriks, saying, that their so-called intercessors are not qualified to intercede for anyone. This is so' because they have no knowledge of the hidden things, whereas Allah knows all that is hidden from or open to them. Therefore, the angels or Prophets or saints shall be allowed intercession only with the prior permission of Allah. As Allah alone has the power to hear or accept intercession, none else is entitled to divine worship or rights. For further details, please sec Ta Ha (XX): E. N.'s 85-86.
(21:29) And if anyone of them were to claim: "Indeed I am a god apart from Him," We shall recompense both with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrong-doers.
The navigation is simple to understand. There is an "Intro" button which explains the background of each chapter "Surah" which I have found very beneficial.
Once again brother... Thank you for your posts. InshaAllah you will get great rewards for what you are doing. I would just add this that, please don't get dishearted if people are not listening, and continue to teach Islam to your friends and neighbour, because if you will not do it then who will do it? And as far as result is concerned... leave the result is in the hands of Allah. He guides whoever he wants.
Shukran & Wassalam.