Once upon time, there was this woman who confessed to have sinned. Since then she no longer wanted to pray and utter zikr. Because to her, she was already a dirty woman. No longer eligible to get the love of Allah. To the extent that she did not want to pray any more. The more she broke the commandments of Allah the more she dared toward Allah. She no longer wanted to hope for paradise. Naudzubillah min dzalik...

Have you ever had a friend like this? There may be many who have such life experiences. Despairing from the mercy and forgiveness of Allah, until their dark lives become increasingly darker.

Rasulullah SAW said: "None from amongst you, except that his/her place had been predetermined by Allah to be either in heaven or hell." So a Sahabah asked, “O Rasulullah SAW! Then, isn't it better to be just motionless, waiting for the twist of the taqdeer of our fates, without doing good deeds?” Hearing this statement Rasulullah SAW then straightened it out; "People have been determined to be happy by Allah because they are practising the practices of a happy people, and people have been ordained by Allah to be damned because they are practising the practices of a damned people."

Therefore, practice good deeds! All the mediums have been provided. As for the happy people, it had been made easy for them to practise the practices of the happy people. And as for the damned people, it had been made easy for them to practise the practices of the happy people. Then Rasulullah SAW recited the verse: “As for those who give (their properties in the cause of Allah) and are God-fearing, and believe the existence of the best reward (paradise). Then we will prepare for them an easy path. And as for those who are miserly, and feel themselves enough, as well as denying the best reward. Then later we will prepare for them a difficult path.” (QS. 92:5-10)” H.R.Muslim.

My Brothers, heaven is surely enveloped with all things boring and uncomfortable. While, hell is decorated with ease and pleasantness . Whereas, on other occasions Rasulullah SAW also likeed to give motivations to his Sahabahs to do good deeds. In fact, even many of them were guaranteed paradise.

My Brothers, I am sure you will not stand idly, resignedly, acceptingly and walk willingly on this earth like water flowing just like that. Without purpose, without vision and without determination. Remember when the Messenger of Allah said in the presence of the Companions. At that time the sun was still in the east of Madinah. There were Abu Jam’ah, Abu Ubaidah, and a number of other Sahabahs. While the one who asked the question was one of the Sahabahs who was guaranteed paradise. He was Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarroh; “O Rasulullah SAW is there a better people than we are, whereas we have converted to Islam with you and we have conducted jihad with you?” So what did he answer; “There is, they are the people who live long after you, they believe in me even though they had never seen me”. Imam Al-Hakim had been preserving this hadith.

And the ulama's agreed to its truth. The above hadith does not cancel the primacy of the earlier Sahabahs and Salafusolih. They are the generation of the best ummah, “khoirul qurun”. It's just that our precedence today, compared to the Sahabahs, is that we have never met Prophet Muhammad. But we believe in his prophethood. Whereas, the Sahabahs believed in his prophethood while they were personally seeing the Prophet, seeing his Mu’jizat (miracles).

Those Stars!

Among the ten companions of the Prophet whom had been promised paradise, was a man from a noble clan, respected and revered. Esteemed in the midst of the tribe of Quraysh because of his wiseness. A young man whom first declare 'I believe in you O messenger of Allah'. A young man who was willing to become the protector when the people wanted to chop off the neck of the Prophet. They both ran and took refuge in a cave. His leg was stung by a venomous animal as he used it to cover a snake pit. So that the Prophet was safe. His tears was flowing out profusely as he could not resist the pain. For the fear that the people would find the Prophet and finish him off. A young man who would become the shield of the Prophet in the battle of Badr. His body was pierced by the spears, sliced by the swords. But his love for the Prophet made him smile. That he obtained an honorable position with Prophet. “If I can take a beloved, I will make you as my beloved.” So Allah's Apostle said to his Sahabah, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq.

Among them was a former wrestler in the market of 'Ukaz. A busy market and most visited by the people of Makkah and its surroundings. No one could match his strength. His astuteness in attacking the enemies, made the people fear him. His body was towering tall, taller than an average human being. In the records of Islamic history, Rasulullah SAW had never specifically made do'a, begging, so that Allah opened the heart of one of those kafirs at that time, except the do'a that he specifically addressed to Umar bin Khattab and Amru Bin Hisam. “O Allah glorify the Islamic religion with the entry into Islam of Amru Bin Hisam or Umar Bin Khattab.” So Allah's Apostle prayed. Then, Allah SWT opened the heart of Umar bin Khattab. He converted to Islam at the hands of the Prophet after the Qur'anic verses of surah Tahaa came into his ears.

Umar's Islam changed the way of the Islamic da'wah. To the point that Islam spread over the city of Makkah. His Islam made the enemies of Islam frown, maddened. His Islam made the devils flee, like asses running out of fear.

Among them was Sa’adz bin Mu’adz. When martyrdom greeted him, the ‘dwellers of heaven’ were troubled, heaven was in an uproar.

There was Abdurahman bin Auf, a millionaire who was very generous. His face was like the morning sun. Soothing the souls of the Muslims who at that time were weak. The wealth for him was just like leaves. But the glory of Islam to him is the ruh. No less than 40,000 silver dirhams, 40,000 gold dirhams, 500 war horses and 1,500 camels were contributed by him for the struggle of upholding Islam.

Ubaidah bin al-Jaroh. A Sahabah who was given the title “aminu hadihil ummah” the trustworthy person among the ummah. His speech was in harmony with his heart. Keeping secrets. And could be trusted. Rasulullah SAW had given statement about Abu ‘Ubaidah. “Verily, every ummah has a trusted person, and verily the trusted person of this ummah is Abu Ubaidah,”

There was Utsman bin Affan, the owner of the two lights. Because he was married with two daughters of the Prophets, Ruqayyah and Ummu Kultsum (marrying Ummu Kultsum after the death of Ruqayyah). He was a wealthy merchant, philanthropist and handyman. A Sahabah who held out his hands when the battle of Tabuk was raging. Parts if his wealth which he gave for the sake of jihad at the time included 940 camels and 60 horses. So paradise is appropriate for him.

There was also Ali bin Abi Thalib, husband of the beloved daughter of the Prophet, Fatimah Az-Zahra. He was the first who converted to Islam from among the children. He was only 10 years old at that time. Ali was known as a handsome, brave, clever and a war tactician expert.

There was Thalhah bin Ubaidillah, a Sahabah who was known as Rasulullah SAW's consultant. When the battle of Uhud was raging, in a very precarious situation, news about Rasulullah being killed was spreading. The Muslims were weakened. Yet, it was a different story with Thalhah, he remained strong, he immediately seeked the Prophet. Though his whole body was covered in blood. When he found that the Prophet was still alive, he made himself a shield for Rasulullah SAW and deflected the arrow that would have pierced the Prophet with his hand until all his fingers were cut off.

Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas, a youth who embraced Islam at the age of 17, he was very skilled in riding and archery. He had charming and piercing eyes. If he were to shoot at the enemies with his arrows, it would surely be right on target. The moments he first converted to Islam, his mother threatened him with a hunger strike, with a hope that Sa’ad would return to the teachings of his ancestors. However, though the mother had almost died, he ignored the threat. He did not sell his conviction for anything, even his mother's life. What he did was to remain devoted to his mother.

And many of them were successful, achieving a high position with the Prophet. Let's follow them. Let us imitate them. Those who have gone. The chosen generation, the best generation. Rasulullah SAW said : “My Companions are like the stars; whoever among them you use for guidance, you will be rightly guided.”

This article was written by Burhan Sodiq and Khoirudin

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