Is the Opinion of the Majority (Jumhur) a Binding Proof? - By Dr. Muhammad Akram Nadwi

 Is the Opinion of the Majority (Jumhur) a Binding Proof?

By Dr. Muhammad Akram Nadwi

[Source Note: This is a direct English rendering of the article by Dr. Muhammad Akram Nadwi. The content has been translated faithfully into English with grammatical refinement, without interpretive additions.]
 

Some matters are so baseless that no serious and occupied person wishes to waste time discussing them. One such notion, however, has been circulating on social media for several years: “The opinion of the majority is a binding proof,” “Opposing the majority is misguidance,” “Truth depends upon the opinion of the majority,” “Whoever departs from the way of the majority risks losing his faith,” and similar statements.

I continued ignoring such claims, considering them unworthy of attention, assuming they were merely another wave of nonsense common on social media. Coincidentally, today, a similar post was shared in a WhatsApp group. As usual, I ignored it. Suddenly, a respected scholar directed the discussion toward me. These days, life is so busy that one naturally avoids such futile matters. Yet I thought that if scholars themselves have begun treating such falsehoods as worthy of consideration, then a remedy has become necessary; otherwise, a new innovation may take root in religion.

In both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, there is a narration from Aisha bint Abi Bakr in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that does not belong to it, it is rejected.”

Out of fear that this irrational idea may become part of God’s pure religion, I have decided to put these thoughts into writing. May Allah grant us all the ability to follow the truth.

The question posed in the title of this article can be fully answered by dividing the discussion into three sections:

1. The obligatory/practical response
2. The cause of the confusion
3. The scholarly/research-based response

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1. The Practical Response

Those who repeatedly raise this issue are generally followers of one of the four schools of jurisprudence — Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, or Hanbali. Since the majority in the Indian subcontinent are Hanafis, examples will be drawn from the Hanafi school.

The first question to such people is: if the opinion of the majority is truly a binding proof, then what justification remains for following the Hanafi school? In every issue, you should act upon the opinion held by the majority.

According to Abu Hanifa, the time of Zuhr prayer ends when the shadow becomes twice the object’s length, whereas the majority of jurists and hadith scholars hold that it ends at the first shadow length. If the majority’s opinion is truly binding, then fairness demands abandoning Imam Abu Hanifa’s opinion and following the majority.

Similarly:

• Imam Abu Hanifa considered Witr obligatory, while the majority regard it as Sunnah.
• Hanafi books mention four non-emphasized Sunnah rak‘ahs before ‘Isha, whereas no such practice is authentically reported from the Companions, the Successors, or the four Imams.
• Imam Abu Hanifa held that the opening Takbir is valid with any phrase glorifying God, while the majority disagree.
• According to Imam Abu Hanifa, intention is not a condition for the validity of ablution, while the majority say that ablution without intention is invalid.
• Imam Abu Hanifa considered purification during Tawaf obligatory, whereas the majority considered it a condition.
• Imam Abu Hanifa allowed a woman’s marriage without a guardian, while the majority require a guardian.

Every school contains hundreds of such issues where the majority opinion was not followed. If the majority’s opinion were obligatory, why would these schools insist upon their own views?

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2. The Cause of the Confusion

The confusion arises because these people fail to distinguish between narration and opinion.

If a hadith is transmitted through a connected chain of trustworthy narrators, and another hadith with a sound chain exists in opposition to it, then which narration receives preference?

The agreed position of scholars is that the narration whose transmitters possess stronger precision and reliability is preferred. If both chains are equal in precision, then preference is determined by supporting chains and multiplicity of transmission. The stronger narration is called محفوظ (preserved), and the weaker one شاذ (anomalous).

Thus, in matters of narration, the number of transmitters can sometimes become a factor of preference.

But opinions are different.

In matters of opinion, preference depends upon the strength of evidence. The opinion supported by stronger evidence is stronger; the one supported by weaker evidence remains weak. Even if the entire world votes in favor of the weaker opinion, it still remains weak and anomalous.

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3. The Scholarly Response

The claim that “the opinion of the majority is a binding proof” contradicts:

• the Qur’an,
• the Sunnah,
• the consensus of the Muslim Ummah,
• reason itself,
• and the continuous scholarly practice of Muslim jurists across generations.

The Qur’an repeatedly makes obedience to Allah and His Messenger obligatory. For example: “O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.” — Qur’an 4:59

Based upon such verses, the Ummah unanimously agreed that:

1. The first proof is the Book of Allah.
2. The second proof is the Sunnah of the Messenger.

Obedience to those in authority exists under obedience to Allah and His Messenger.

Then Allah says: “If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and the Messenger.”

Meaning: when scholars or authorities differ, the matter must be referred back to the Qur’an and Sunnah. The view most consistent with them is the stronger view.

The Qur’an commands decisions based upon evidence — not numbers. In fact, the Qur’an strongly indicates that if the majority’s opinion lacks evidence, rejecting it becomes obligatory, and blindly following the majority without proof becomes misguidance.

The Prophet ﷺ also emphasized this principle. In Sahih Muslim, Jabir ibn Abd Allah narrates:

“I leave among you that which, if you hold firmly to it, you will never go astray after me: the Book of Allah.”

A narration in Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn also mentions the Sunnah alongside it.

The famous hadith of Muadh ibn Jabal likewise directs people first to the Book of Allah, then to the Sunnah of the Messenger, and thereafter to analogy (Qiyas).

Some narrations also command adherence to the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs. Yet no hadith states that, in cases of disagreement, the majority opinion becomes automatically authoritative.

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From the era of the Companions onward, all jurists, hadith scholars, and scholars generally agreed that the proofs are the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Most jurists — except the Zahiris — also accepted consensus (Ijma‘) and analogy (Qiyas) as legal proofs. But no jurist ever declared the opinion of the majority itself to be an independent proof.

The books of Usul al-Fiqh from the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali schools exist in abundance. They count consensus as proof, but none considers the majority opinion itself a proof.

Reason also dictates that the correct view is the one supported by evidence. A claim without evidence remains weak, even if the entire world supports it.

This is why democracy itself is not considered proof of truth.

Many beliefs once universally accepted by nations were later disproven by scientific inquiry.

Even members of Tablighi Jamaat repeatedly emphasize this point. During their consultations, it is specifically stated that the Amir is not bound to decide according to majority opinion.

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The historical practice of jurists clearly proves that the majority’s opinion is not binding proof.

If you study the books of all schools and the commentaries on hadith, you will repeatedly find statements such as “this is the opinion of the majority,” yet no jurist treats majority agreement itself as evidence. Rather, those opposing the majority present proofs for their position.

This clearly demonstrates that evidence is what matters — not numbers.

Otherwise, anyone opposing the majority would have been obligated to abandon his view merely because he stood in the minority. Yet no scholar ever abandoned his position solely because the majority disagreed.

If the Hanafis began blindly following the majority, the Hanafi school itself would disappear.

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Conclusion

Calling people to follow the majority is an unacademic and irrational call. The invitation should always be toward following evidence.

In this religion, the universally agreed proofs are the Qur’an and Sunnah. Other disputed proofs also exist, foremost among them consensus and analogy.

Whenever a person presents an opinion, he is obligated to support it with evidence from these sources.

Merely chanting “majority, majority” in place of evidence is manifest misguidance. It effectively declares the Companions, the Successors, the four Imams, and all jurists and hadith scholars to have been mistaken.

Arranged by:
Aamir I. Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization (PAKISTAN)
MSc Irrigation Engineering (UK)

An Ode To A Dear Childhood Gallian Friend Who Left Us Far Too Early

 18th May — my dear childhood Gallian friend, Sohail Javed’s birthday. He left us over two decades ago, yet the memories remain as vivid as ever.

Sohail Javed joined Lawrence College Ghora Gali the same year I did, in 1976, in Senior School, Class VIII. From the very beginning, he was gentle, soft-spoken, and noble in temperament. Our beds in the dormitory remained side by side throughout our years in GG, until we left after our Intermediate Board examinations in 1981.

In Class IX, Sohail used to narrate incidents late at night, in a hushed voice before sleep, from the famous Islamic horror books Maut ka Manzar and Marnay Kay Baad Kya Hoga. Those eerie narrations still send shudders down my spine.

He was firmly against my smoking. Once in Class XII, Alamzeb and I were smoking secretly on the terrace after lights out. Suddenly, Sohail stepped out of the dormitory. I quickly passed the cigarette to Alamzeb, who dramatically exhaled smoke to make it appear as though he alone was smoking. Sohail instantly understood the whole scene. Looking straight at me with mock annoyance, he remarked:
“Keep smoking! You’re the one who’ll die!”
…and quietly walked back inside. Alamzeb and I burst into laughter.

My prayers in the College mosque were often alongside Sohail Javed. At times, we would even offer Tahajjud together late at night in the Babar House common room. Those moments now feel timeless.

I still remember one amusing incident vividly. Once on the College field, while talking to Sohail, I casually used the famous GG expression “bloody fool.” Unfortunately, the Principal, Brigadier Safdar Nawab, happened to overhear me from atop the field.

The next day, our House Master, Mr. Najam, summoned us and conveyed the Principal’s displeasure. Then, turning to Sohail, he asked:
“Why didn’t you stop Yazdani from using that language?”

Sohail, in his trademark innocence and simplicity, replied:
“Sir… mein bhool gaya tha.”
(“Sir… I forgot.”)

Mr. Najam could not help smiling wryly.

Sohail’s mother had passed away before he joined GG. In Class VIII, I was perhaps the only one in whom he confided this deeply personal sorrow. I still remember him showing me a small newspaper cutting carrying the news of her death — a treasured keepsake he carried with him. Even at that young age, one could sense the quiet grief he bore within.

Today, I find myself flooded with memories of those irreplaceable years spent with Sohail Javed — memories wrapped in affection, innocence, youth, friendship, and loss. And yes, with a tear in my eye.

Rest well and easy, dear Sohail. Souls as noble and gentle as yours deserve nothing less than Allah’s mercy, pleasure, and eternal peace. May Allah bless you abundantly, elevate your ranks, shower His mercy upon you, and protect your beloved family, children, and spouse. Ameen.

And perhaps — by Allah’s grace — we shall meet one day again.

And when we do, my prayer is that we relive once more those immortal summers of Lawrence College Ghora Gali from 1976 to 1981.

— Aamir Yazdani

 

Enter My Paradise: A Son Remembers His Mother - “They don’t make ’em like her anymore.”

 Suggested Reading Time: 7–8 Minutes

Epigraph

“O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing. So enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.” — Qur’an 89:27–30

“Our Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the reckoning is established.” — Qur’an 14:41

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18th May 2022

Today, it has been four years since my dear Ammi passed away.

This happened before my eyes. She was lying in her room, upon her bed. With three long breaths, the fourth one was cut short. My mother was received by the angel of death. She remained blessed with a full life that extended into her mid‑eighties.

I stayed with her throughout most of my life, except for a few years when I left for education and greener pastures. Yet perhaps the most beautiful part of my life with her remains the bond she shared with my three children. Ammi was at her happiest with them. She thrived on exchanging humour, playful acts, and endless anecdotes with her grandchildren.

Ammi was a disciplinarian and a pre‑partition alumna of Pindi Convent. One incident from my childhood remains etched permanently in my memory. Back in 1975, when I was in Class 7, I returned home from school and became absorbed in outdoor play, ignoring Ammi’s repeated calls for lunch. Eventually, when I finally appeared and asked for food, she calmly replied: “The lunch is there, but you shall not have it.”

I can safely say that from that very day onward, I have never delayed my meals.

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Lawrence College and a Mother’s Determination

In 1976, Ammi placed me in boarding school at Lawrence College, Murree, when I entered Class 8. My academic performance at the time was not particularly impressive, and so Ammi regularly undertook a difficult journey from Jhelum along with my younger brother, Arif.

She would leave early in the morning on a private, non‑air‑conditioned bus to Rawalpindi, then walk quite a distance to another stop from where she boarded a Murree‑bound bus to Bansra Gali. From there, she walked nearly two kilometers uphill to the college gate, followed by another considerable downward walk toward the Senior School.

This was the rudimentary version of what today would be called a parent‑teacher meeting.

My Ammi walked that entire route repeatedly.

After meeting my teachers in the staff room, I would accompany her back to Bansra Gali, waving goodbye with tears in my eyes as she departed for Jhelum with Arif.

Years later, while I was studying engineering at university in Lahore, she would teasingly ask me with twinkling eyes: “Do I need to come and meet your university professor as well?”

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East Pakistan, Marriage, and the Loss of Asif

My mother married my father in the spring of 1957 and moved with him to East Pakistan — present‑day Bangladesh — where my father worked as an engineer for the British Steamer Company.

That was the beginning of a completely new chapter in her life.

Their first child, my eldest brother Asif, was born there. My father, being a young engineer at the time, lived aboard a steamer, and my mother lived there with him.

Tragically, Asif passed away from dehydration at only eight months old in 1958.

Neither my father nor my mother ever forgot him.

How could they?

The memory of Asif remained permanently etched within their hearts till their very last days.

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My Children and Their Dadi

I married a lovely, gentle woman, Hureen, and we continued living with our parents throughout. My parents thoroughly enjoyed the company of our children.

At times, my eldest son Waleed’s endless antics would exhaust his mother, who would naturally wish to discipline him. Waleed, however, would instantly rush into my parents’ room and hide between Dada and Dadi. My parents would protect him and reassure Hureen: “We will take care of the matter.”

When Waleed was admitted to Cadet College Hasanabdal in 2005, my Ammi travelled with us to settle him into his dormitory. She prepared his bed and cupboard exactly the way she had done for me nearly three decades earlier at Lawrence College.

My middle son, Khalid, loved listening to Winnie the Pooh before bedtime while drinking his nightly milk. His Dadi faithfully read the stories to him every evening. Since Khalid adored pets, Dadi ensured he always had one around — a pigeon, a parrot, a hen, a rabbit, a Labrador.

Later, when Khalid too entered boarding school, Dadi repeated the same ritual of helping him settle into his dormitory.

My youngest son, Ahmed, once remarked to his mother:

“Whenever I leave for school, I always see Dadi giving two biscuits to Dada with his tea.”

The next day, when my wife narrated this to Ammi, she smilingly replied to Ahmed:

“Whenever I give biscuits to Dada, you somehow seem to be passing by our room!”

It took Ahmed some time to fully appreciate the humour behind that response.

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After My Father’s Passing

My father passed away early in the morning on 29th April 2012.

After his passing, Ammi would sometimes call me “Zafar” while I sat beside her in the evening.

And why not?

She had never, even for a moment, allowed herself to emotionally detach from her husband.

At times she would quietly confide in me that she wished to be with Zafar again.

And why should she not?

God created the very first human pair upon earth as husband and wife. This bond remains among the deepest and most foundational of all human relationships.

During those years, my youngest son, Ahmed, began sleeping in Ammi’s room. He became a great source of comfort and strength for her.

After Fajr prayer, Ammi would recite the Qur’an and switch on the room light, while Ahmed would repeatedly switch it off, complaining that his sleep was being disturbed. Ammi thoroughly enjoyed this playful battle.

In the mornings, while seated upon her bedside sofa, she would gently tickle Ahmed’s feet with her walking stick to wake him up for school.

My children kept their grandmother emotionally engaged till the very end. All three of them frequently spent time in her room doing their activities around her.

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Her Final Years

Gradually, Ammi began fading away.

I could see the brightness in her eyes slowly dimming, and I realized the inevitable was approaching.

My wife cared for her devotedly. Whenever she accompanied Ammi to the hospital, doctors would often ask whether she was her daughter. My wife knew every detail of her medicines, treatment, and medical condition.

Ammi lovingly referred to her as:

“My Florence Nightingale.”

During her later years, Ammi wrote her memoirs titled Anwar Nama. Her name was Anwar.

As her memory weakened, my elder brother Jamshed Bhai helped her recollect and organize her memories while typing them onto a laptop.

The concluding lines of her memoirs, dedicated to my father, borrowed from a famous Indian song:

“Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin; teri meri kahani hai.”

Roughly translated:

“Life, in the end, is nothing but the story of you and me.”

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Death and the Hereafter

One thing about death is that it does not end a person’s existence.

It is a gateway to eternity.

A life promised by Allah to those servants who remain conscious of fulfilling the rights of God and fellow human beings.

The Qur’an says:

“I always thought that one day I shall have to face my reckoning.” — Qur’an 69:20

Ammi’s life reflected this awareness.

Her actions remained in harmony with her words. She never neglected her prayers or fasting, and she consistently cared for the poor and needy.

The Qur’an beautifully describes such people:

“…they used to feed the poor, the orphan and the captive even though they themselves were in need of it.” — Qur’an 76:8

My parents once helped free an elderly couple who worked in our home from the crushing burden of debt. They had become trapped in an endless cycle of compound interest.

My father personally met the lender and paid both the principal and the accumulated interest.

The Qur’an says: “Charity is only… for the freeing of necks.” — Qur’an 9:60

May Allah free the necks of my parents in the Hereafter, as they did so for this elderly couple in debt. Ameen

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What Parents Leave Behind

My parents continued striving till their very last days to instill goodness within me.

The Qur’an says: “A human being shall only receive in the Hereafter what he has earned in this world.” — Qur’an 53:39

I testify that whatever iota of goodness exists within me is the lifelong endeavour of my dear father and mother.

Whatever evil remains within me is from my own self.

May Allah reward our parents in the Hereafter for every goodness we exhibit in this life, for much of it is the direct consequence of their sacrifice, labour, prayers, discipline, and love.

Ameen.

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Prayer

Allahummaghfir lahuma warhamhuma. Allahumma adkhilhuma al‑jannata ma‘a al‑abrar.

“O Allah, forgive my mother and father and shower them with Your mercy. O Allah, admit them into Paradise among the righteous.”

Ameen.

The Qur’an says:

“Those whose souls are taken by the angels while they are pure — the angels will say: ‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do.’” — Qur’an 16:32

May the angels have greeted my Ammi with these words.

Ameen.

And may the final divine call awaiting her be:

“O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well‑pleased and pleasing. So enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.” — Qur’an 89:27–30

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“They don’t make ’em like her anymore.”

Aamir Yazdani

 

“Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone”: Understanding Depression, Despair & Hope Through Faith and Reality

Epigraph: Jesus profoundly declared: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” — Matthew 4:4. 

Human beings do not suffer merely from lack of material comfort, wealth, stimulation, or worldly success. The human soul also yearns for meaning, purpose, truth, moral guidance, hope, and a spiritual connection with Allah. A person may appear outwardly comfortable yet remain inwardly restless, emotionally exhausted, and spiritually empty.

This is why both the Qur’an and the Bible repeatedly direct human beings back toward the remembrance of Allah during periods of darkness, despair, grief, and emotional struggle.

Depression Is Not Always the Same Thing. Broadly speaking, emotional suffering may be understood in two overlapping but distinct ways.

1. Depression as a Medical or Clinical Condition

There are forms of depression that are genuine medical conditions involving brain chemistry, trauma, genetics, hormonal imbalance, neurological illness, chronic stress, sleep disorders, or psychological injury. Such suffering is not merely “negative thinking” or “weak faith.” Even deeply religious people may experience clinical depression.

In many cases, therapy, emotional support, proper rest, healthy relationships, medical treatment, nutrition, and lifestyle changes become necessary parts of healing. Faith should never be used to shame people who are genuinely struggling psychologically.

2. Depression as a Spiritual and Existential State

There is, however, another dimension of emotional darkness repeatedly discussed in divine revelation: despair, hopelessness, emptiness, loss of meaning, guilt, pessimism, spiritual disconnection, and emotional exhaustion caused by life itself.

This form of inner suffering often emerges when a person loses purpose, loses hope in Allah, becomes spiritually disconnected, or feels crushed beneath the burdens of existence. It is this dimension that both the Qur’an and the Bible address extensively.

The Qur’an gives one of the most powerful declarations against hopelessness: “Do not despair of the mercy of Allah.” — Surah Az-Zumar (39:53).

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Life and Its Eternal Pair: Understanding This World Correctly

A profoundly important Qur’anic principle sets the foundation for understanding human suffering. Allah says: “And of everything We created pairs so that you may take heed.”
— Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:49).

At one level, this verse points toward the pairs visible throughout creation: light and darkness, night and day, male and female, life and death. But the verse also points toward a deeper reality. This worldly life itself has a “pair”: the Hereafter.

The Qur’an repeatedly teaches that this world is not complete in itself. It is temporary, partial, and preparatory. This life is a test — not the final destination. The Hereafter is the completion of the story. Once this paired reality is understood, life begins to appear very different. The hardships, disappointments, delays, griefs, and inequalities of this world no longer appear meaningless. They become part of a larger divine wisdom unfolding toward an eternal reality.

The Qur’an consistently describes worldly life as a place of examination where human patience, gratitude, morality, sincerity, and faith are tested and refined. When a believer understands life together with the Hereafter, the vagaries of existence no longer strike the heart with the same force. Pain remains painful — but it is no longer meaningless.

This is where the remembrance of Allah gains its deepest meaning. To remember Allah is not merely to repeat words mechanically. It is also to remember reality as Allah has described it: that this world is temporary, that hardship is part of life, and that an eternal Kingdom awaits beyond this fleeting existence.

That understanding itself creates resilience.

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Even Prophets Experienced Emotional Pain

One of the remarkable features of both the Qur’an and the Bible is that they never portray righteous people as emotionally invincible.

In the Qur’an, Prophet Ya‘qub (Jacob) grieved so intensely over Yusuf that: “His eyes turned white with grief.” — Surah Yusuf (12:84). Yet despite his immense sorrow, he still declared: “I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah.” — Surah Yusuf 12:86.

The message is profound. Emotional pain itself is not weakness. The danger lies in complete disconnection from Allah.

The Bible similarly presents emotional struggle with remarkable honesty. One of its repeated themes is: “Fear not, for I am with you.” — Isaiah 41:10. Divine companionship is presented as the antidote to fear.

Prophet David repeatedly expressed anguish, loneliness, fear, and emotional pain throughout the Psalms: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God…” — Psalm 42:11. The Bible does not conceal human vulnerability.

Jesus himself spoke directly to the brokenhearted: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4. Mourning is not condemned. Comfort is promised.

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The Human Heart Needs Meaning

One of the greatest causes of modern hopelessness is not merely pain — but meaninglessness. Human beings can endure enormous hardship when they believe their suffering has purpose.

The Qur’an states: “Surely, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” — Surah Ar-Ra‘d (13:28). This does not mean believers never experience sadness, anxiety, or emotional struggle. Rather, it means the human heart was not designed to remain spiritually empty.

The Bible similarly says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” — Deuteronomy 6:5. And in the Gospel of Mark: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” — Mark 12:30.

Both scriptures repeatedly direct the human being back toward Allah during emotional darkness.

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This World Was Never Meant to Be Perfect

Modern culture often creates the illusion that life should constantly feel pleasurable, successful, exciting, and emotionally fulfilling. But divine revelation presents a very different picture. The Qur’an says: “We have certainly created man into hardship.” — Surah Al-Balad (90:4).

Struggle is not abnormal. Loss is not abnormal. Emotional pain is not abnormal. Similarly, the Bible says: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” — Psalm 30:5.

Darkness is acknowledged — but not treated as final.

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Understanding the Scheme of Allah

The Qur’an repeatedly calls human beings to reflect deeply upon existence itself: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day are signs for people of understanding — those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth…”— Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:190–191).

This remembrance is not merely ritualistic. It is intellectual, spiritual, and reflective. The heart begins settling when a person understands that existence is not random, purposeless, or chaotic. Life starts making sense.

The believer begins understanding what the Qur’an repeatedly calls Sunnatullah — the divine patterns governing human existence:

• Life is based upon tests and trials. Hardship and ease coexist.
• Guidance comes through sincere seeking.
• Repentance always remains open till signs of death appear.
• Beyond capacity directives relating to matters of religion.

 Once these realities are internalized, suffering no longer automatically produces spiritual collapse.

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Allah as As-Samad — The Ultimate Refuge

The Qur’an introduces Allah as: “Allah, the Eternal Refuge.” — Surah Al-Ikhlas (112:2). The word As-Samad carries the meaning of the One upon whom all creation depends — the ultimate support, refuge, and stability. The Bible uses remarkably similar imagery: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” — Psalm 18:2.

The heart settles when it realizes it is not abandoned in a seemingly chaotic universe.

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The Danger of Hopelessness

The Qur’an repeatedly warns against hopelessness because hopelessness paralyzes the soul. When people lose hope completely, they stop trying. They stop rebuilding. They stop praying. They stop repenting. They stop believing improvement is possible.

Satan is described as one who spreads fear, insecurity, negativity, and despair: “Satan threatens you with poverty…” — Surah Al-Baqarah (2:268). Hence, Allah describes him as our open sworn enemy: “Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy.” — Surah Fatir (35:6).

The Qur’an refers to Satan as Iblis — a name deeply associated with despair and hopelessness regarding Allah’s mercy. Hopelessness therefore becomes not merely emotional — but spiritual. One of the main weapons Satan unleashes upon us is planting the seed of hopelessness in us. That is why he is called the slinking devil, Qur’an (114:4): “From the evil of the whisperings of the slinking (Shaitan).”

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The Restless Modern Mind

Another major contributor to emotional emptiness today is overstimulation through digital life. Many young people spend enormous amounts of time immersed in multimedia and social media. The mind becomes constantly stimulated through scrolling, entertainment, comparison, dopamine-driven content, and endless distraction. Then suddenly, when the screen turns off, an inner emptiness emerges: “There is nothing to do.”

Gradually, many people begin losing attachment to reality itself because the virtual world overstimulates the mind while weakening genuine engagement with life. Ordinary existence begins feeling emotionally dull in comparison to digital stimulation. This creates a dangerous psychological condition where the human being becomes detached from meaningful reality.

That is why people must remain pleasantly and meaningfully engaged in constructive activity. I once reflected upon how Winston Churchill painted regularly to remain mentally occupied and emotionally balanced. The insight is deeply important. Human beings are not designed merely to consume stimulation endlessly.

We are designed to build, create, strive, reflect, move, learn, repair, and contribute. There is wisdom in the old saying: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” People should engage themselves meaningfully through writing, reading, gardening, painting, craftsmanship, exercise, building things, learning skills, reflective study etc. Such creative activities have our hands and mind work together.

Activities involving both physical and mental engagement often stabilize the human being psychologically. Sometimes even simple acts — painting, fixing something, building something with one’s hands — reconnect a person with reality itself.

This is especially important for younger generations living in an age of overstimulation, comparison, distraction, and digital exhaustion.

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Desires, Expectations, and Emotional Collapse

Another important reality must also be understood. Human beings naturally possess desires, ambitions, and aspirations. We all wish to achieve something, become something, or attain something. This striving is deeply embedded within human nature.

But when desires remain unfulfilled, emotional pain naturally follows. That is why our desires themselves must remain realistic, practical, and connected to sincere effort and struggle. A person should work, strive, and make practical attempts toward what he or she seeks. It cannot be that someone clings to entirely unrealistic fantasies and then collapses emotionally when those fantasies fail to materialize.

Modern culture offer instant results and gratification. People expect extraordinary outcomes without proportionate effort, patience, sacrifice, or realism. This creates deep frustration.

Faith restores balance by teaching patience, realism, gratitude, perseverance, and trust in Allah’s wisdom.

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The Flip Side of Guilt: A Hidden Blessing

Regarding guilt, an important spiritual distinction must be made. Healthy guilt is not always negative. The self-reproaching soul (nafs al-lawwamah) is deeply connected to conscience and guilt. When a person feels genuine guilt, he reflects, “What I did was wrong. I should repent before Allah.” That feeling can become the very force that brings the person back toward Allah.

Satan works in the opposite direction. He encourages moral numbness - “Do not feel bad. Do whatever you want.” But when wrongdoing becomes habitual, the conscience gradually weakens.

Healthy guilt, therefore, is not always destructive. Sometimes it is the very mechanism through which Allah awakens the conscience and redirects the soul toward repentance, humility, and moral correction.

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A Believer May Break — But Must Not Permanently Despair

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons from both the Qur’an and the Bible is this:

A believer may experience grief. A believer may experience emotional exhaustion.
A believer may cry. A believer may feel broken. But a believer must never permanently surrender to hopelessness. As long as life remains, the possibility of healing, forgiveness, renewal, repentance, and inner peace remains alive.

That is why one of the most extraordinary declarations in the Qur’an remains: “Do not despair of the mercy of Allah.” — Surah Az-Zumar (39:53).

Not because life is always easy. But because Allah’s mercy is always greater than human darkness.

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Aamir I. Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization (Pakistan)
MSc Irrigation Engineering (UK)

 

My Age: Just Under 63 – Exactly the Age of Muhammad (pbuh) on his Passing Away: What Does (Should) it Mean to Me?

Epigraph: 

“I stand today just beneath the age at which Prophet Muhammad departed from this world. At such an age, a person no longer counts years merely as time lived — but as time remaining.”

 At this moment, I am just under sixty-three years old: I am sixty-two and some months. And it suddenly occurred to me that I have now arrived at almost the exact age at which Prophet Muhammad left this world. He did not live beyond sixty-three. I stand now near that same horizon. And this realization stirred many thoughts within me — thoughts I felt compelled to share.

 The first thing that entered my heart was gratitude. Those of us who have crossed sixty years of age have been given an extraordinary extension of time by Allah. It is a tremendous grace. If Allah grants someone life until sixty-three — and beyond that as well — it is not something ordinary. It is a divine allowance, a sacred postponement, a mercy.

 Dear Readers, this extension of life must have a purpose. It cannot be that our years continue increasing while our lives remain empty of meaning. Allah calls Prophet Muhammad “Rahmatan lil-‘Alamin” — a mercy for all worlds. What does this truly mean? It means that whoever sincerely seeks the true guidance of Allah will continue to find that guidance, until the Day of Judgment, through Prophet Muhammad — through the light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

 I do not say this merely because I am a Muslim. I say it because this is an observable truth. Allah spoke to humanity, but He did not leave humanity alone with abstract words. He established a living chain of guidance through prophets chosen from among human beings themselves — from Adam to all the prophets who came after him, culminating in Prophet Muhammad.

 And because he is the Final Prophet, no prophet or messenger will come after him in any form. He is the Seal of the Prophets. So, where is the guidance now? Guidance remains with the one whom Allah called Rahmatan lil-‘Alamin. Through his teachings, through the Qur’an, through his example, guidance remains accessible.

 I wish to emphasize something here. Usually, once we pass sixty, society begins to prepare us for retirement. We slow down. We relax. And yes, a person deserves rest. A person deserves relief after years of struggle. But often we drift into routines without purpose. Today, it may be endless entertainment, one streaming series after another. One ends, another begins. There is nothing inherently wrong with leisure. But even leisure must not erase purpose.

 Life must remain meaningful.

 And because I now stand at this age myself, I feel certain truths must be spoken openly. These reminders apply to every age — to boys and girls, teenagers, those in their twenties, thirties, and forties. But when one reaches this stage of life, the awareness becomes sharper.

 At this age, one word echoes inside me: Time. Or perhaps more accurately: Grace-period. Allah has still given me time. So what should I do with it? 

 The first decision I have made is this: I must pray the five daily prayers consistently and on time. This is not optional advice; it is an explicit command in the Qur’an. Allah says that prayer has been prescribed upon believers at appointed times. So if someone among us is praying only three prayers, or four, or perhaps none at all, then now is the time to restore all five.

 Allah says in Surah Al-Muddaththir (74:42-43) that when the people of Hellfire are asked what brought them there, they will answer: “ They will ask them: "What has brought you into Hell?”  They will reply: “[To our misfortune,] we were not among those who prayed”

 Understand this clearly: Allah has warned us sincerely. Pray while there is still time. And consider the other side of this truth: Allah also says in the Qur’an that those who guard their prayers will be honoured in Paradise. This matter is immensely important.

 The second matter is Zakah. Many people spend their lives accumulating wealth while neglecting the rights due upon that wealth. But now — now there is still time. The Qur’an warns that the wealth hoarded selfishly will be heated on the Day of Judgment, and with it, foreheads and bodies will be branded. Why? Because the wealth was never truly ours to begin with. Qur’an (104:2-4): “He who amassed wealth and has counted it over. He thinks that his wealth has rendered him immortal. By no means! He shall surely be flung into that which crushes into pieces.”

 Allah says that what exceeds our needs contains the rights of others within it. Surah Bani Israel (17:26-27): “Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the destitute and the traveller. And do not squander your wealth wastefully,  for the wasteful are brothers of the devils; and the devil is extremely ungrateful to his Lord.”

 Then comes fasting. Allah says fasting develops taqwa — consciousness and fear of Allah. A life lived in taqwa leaves only one barrier between a believer and Paradise. Death itself. Fasting is especially for God. The reason why fasting has been mentioned to be specifically for God is that while there is a natural inclination in us for doing all other good deeds, fasting is unnatural. We do it only for the sake of God.

 We have a natural inclination to thank God, and we pray to thank Him. We feel for the poor, and we pay Zakat. We want to meet God spiritually, and we do Hajj. It is only in fasting that we do something that is against our nature, simply to please God. It is natural for us to eat and drink when we are hungry and thirsty, but we curb our natural instincts for the sake of God. That is why He promises a special reward distinct from rewards for other deeds for those who fast. From Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1151: “Every good deed of the son of Adam is multiplied from ten to seven hundred times. Allah, the Exalted, said: ‘Except fasting, for it is done for Me and I shall reward for it…’” — Narrated by Abu Hurairah, (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1151)

 There are two pieces of good news for the one who fasts. The Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah says: “For the fasting person, there are two joys: one when he breaks his fast, and the other when he meets his Lord.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1904; Sahih Muslim, 1151)

 And then Hajj. Hajj is, in many ways, a declaration of war against Satan and a journey toward nearness to Allah. These are the rights of Allah upon us. We must prepare ourselves to fulfill this right of Allah on us if we have the resources.

 But now I want to give glad tidings. To those who are my age. To those younger than me.

To the teenager, the young man, the woman in her forties, the person in their twenties — if realization has finally entered our heart, if we now recognize that we neglected prayer, or withheld zakah, or abandoned fasting, or delayed Hajj despite being able — then know this, Allah says in the Qur’an that He forgives all sins. What He asks from us is sincere remorse and true repentance. And if repentance is genuine, then Allah promises something astonishing. He can transform sins themselves into good deeds. Imagine that! A sin committed… forgiven… and then transformed into a source of reward. So while there is still time — use this grace-period well, Qur’an (25:70-71): “Except he who repented, professed faith and did good deeds, then it is such people whose bad deeds God shall transform into good ones. In reality, God is very Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.  And he who repents and does good deeds should rest assured because he returns only to God with full success.”

 Return to Allah. Listen to what He is telling you. He expects us to do good deeds henceforth. Read the above verse again.

 Faith is not only prayer, fasting, zakah, and Hajj. These are the rights of Allah (Haqooq Allah). Inside our homes our wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Allah asks us to fulfill the rights of fellow human beings (Haqooq ul Ibad). The Qur’an says that on the Day of Judgment, the scales will be established in truth.

 The weight on that Day will be the weight of truth itself. Qur’an (7:8-9): “And the measure shall be absolutely correct on that day. Then those whose scales are heavy shall only succeed, and those whose scales are light are the ones who put themselves in loss because they would deny Our revelations and would be unjust to their souls.”

 A person may have prayed, fasted, performed Hajj, and given charity — yet if he oppressed the people closest to him, what then? What if he neglected the rights of his wife? Ignored his children? Spoke harshly to his parents? Slandered people? Spread suspicion and false accusations? Committed fraud, corruption, or injustice?

 Then the rights of those people will be taken from their good deeds. His worship may remain, but its reward will be transferred to those he harmed. That is why I wish to say this with urgency:

 A Personal Reckoning: Let us begin living with deeper consciousness from today onward. We must endeavour to fulfill the rights of Allah and the rights of fellow human beings, on His terms (very important). If we have hurt someone, let us apologize. If we humiliate someone publicly, let us seek forgiveness publicly. If we wrongfully took someone’s money, let us return it.

 Seeking forgiveness here, in this world, is still easy. On the Day of Judgment, it will be unimaginably difficult — because the only currency there will be good deeds. Allah has still given us time. Let us use it before it disappears.

 I want to leave you with one of the most beautiful passages in the Qur’an. Please bear in mind the verse has two sides of the picture that Allah presents, Qur’an (39:53-54): “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Turn back to your Lord. Surrender to Him before the punishment comes upon you, after which you will not be helped.”

 What an astonishing declaration. But there is another side to this verse. That means the opportunity exists only while life remains. Because once death arrives, the time for return ends.

And lately I have begun to feel this reality deeply. One day, the Angel of Death will come for me. Keep this realization very close to your heart and mind. And if my life has been purified — if I have sincerely returned to Allah — then what a beautiful promise Allah gives. Allah describes those whom the angels take in a state of purity, Qur’an (16:32): “Those whose souls are claimed by the angels such that they are pure. The angels will say: “Peace be to you. Go and live in Paradise as a reward for your deeds.”

What an extraordinary moment that will be. Imagine: the soul departing… and the first announcement it hears is peace.

 I end with this reflection, standing so near the age at which Prophet (pbuh) departed, made me realize that I must do something with the time that remains.

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Aamir I. Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization (PAKISTAN)
MSc Irrigation Engineering (UK)