The Merchandise of Satan: The Dangers of Cruelty, Oppression, Deception and Jealousy

Excellence of Durūd Sharīf

Sayyidunā Abul Qasim Qushairi رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ narrates that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ sent a revelation to Sayyidunā Musa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام saying, “I created 10,000 ears in you by which you heard my speech and 10,000 tongues by which you spoke to me. You will become beloved to me when you send Durūd upon Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.”

(Ar risalat-ul-Qushairiyyah baabus samaa', P377, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

What was on the Four Donkeys?

It is said that Sayyidunā Isa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام once saw Satan with four loaded donkeys. He عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام asked him what they were carrying. Satan replied, “They are carrying my merchandise, one of them is carrying cruelty, another is carrying dishonesty, the third is carrying treachery, and the last one is carrying jealousy.” He عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام asked, “Who will buy this merchandise?” Satan replied, “Rulers will buy cruelty, traders will buy dishonesty, women will buy my treachery, and as far as the jealousy is concerned, scholars will buy that.”

(Nuzha-tul-Majalis, V2, P53, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)

First Piece of Merchandise: Cruelty

My Dear Islamic brothers! We know now that cruelty, dishonesty, treachery and jealousy are all Satan’s merchandise. We have learnt that he sells cruelty to rulers. We know that when a person gains authority he usually deprives the poor and needy of their rights and inflicts oppression upon them instead of enforcing justice, he forgets the fact that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is watching his every move. The previous narration says that cruelty and oppression is committed commonly by rulers and officers of high posts, but remember, it does not mean that only they commit this crime, anyone causing grief or being cruel to a Muslim is a sinner and worthy of punishment in the fire.

It’s not too late

Those who hurt the feelings of Muslims! Those who cause the storms of oppression and cruelty! Those who open fire at Muslims! Those who rob Muslims’ shops, and homes! Those who distress and agonise the Muslims by threatening and terrorising them! Listen carefully! Sayyidunā Abu Musa رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ narrates that the greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Indeed, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ gives the oppressor respite, but when He عَزَّوَجَلَّ captures the oppressor, He عَزَّوَجَلَّ does not leave.”

(Bukhari, Hadith 4686, V5, P255, Dar-ul-Fikr Beirut)

Signs of an Evil Man

Sayyidatunā Asma Bint Umais رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا reports that she heard the Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saying, “One who is arrogant and forgets Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is very evil. So is the one who oppresses the weak and transgresses limits and forgets the Glorious Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, and the one who indulges in games and amusements and forgets rotting in his grave, and causes mischief and forgets his beginning and end (birth and death), and the one who deceives the world through his religion, and ruins religion by indulging in doubtful actions, and he who is dragged by greed, and is led astray from the straight path by his desires, and the one who is disgraced by his desires; all of them are evil.”

(Tirmizi, V3, P357, Hadith 2448, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Avoid the Curse of the Oppressed

Sayyidunā Ali رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ reports that the blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Avoid the curse of the oppressed because he asks Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ for his due right and Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ gives people their rights”.

(Jami’ Saghir, V1, P14, Hadith 119, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)

The helper of the oppressed is the most Powerful

My Dear Islamic Brothers! Though the oppressed is weak as compared to the oppressor, he is favoured by the Most Powerful Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the one who will ultimately take revenge. The oppressed is not alone, even though it may temporarily seem as if he is unaided and helpless. If an oppressed person is patient he will definitely benefit from it because he will be rewarded greatly for his patience, as far as the oppressor is concerned he is in great loss because he constantly piles up his sins due to his cruelty, and invites the wrath of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, whether the cruelty be on humans or animals.

Punishment because of a Cat

The Beloved of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, “I was shown Hell in which I saw a woman of Bani Israeel being tortured just because of her cat that she had in the world. She had tied up the cat and neither gave anything to her nor freed her so that she could eat any thing else. Eventually, the cat died of hunger”.

(Mishkat bisharhi Mirqat, Hadith 5341, V9, P198, Dar-ul-Fikr Beirut)

All Seven Earths

Those who illegally occupy other people’s properties through bribery, those landlords, tribe-leaders and farmers who unjustly occupy other people’s farmlands, listen! Imam Muslim mentions a warning of Our Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, “The One who unjustly occupies a hand span of someone’s land, will be forced to wear a necklace made of the seven earths on the day of judgement”.

(Muslim, Hadith 1610, V3, P56, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Beg for Forgiveness

My Dear Islamic Brothers! Fear Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, repent to Him and beg Him for His mercy and forgiveness before death lifts you up from the comfortable beds of your well-decorated rooms and throws you into a dark grave full of insects and spiders. Ask for forgiveness from all those people you have oppressed and please them, return all occupied possessions to their rightful owners and please them. No matter, how high ranking offer you are, bow in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and plead to the weak and poor people that you have oppressed, or else remember, on the day of judgement, you might have to give them your virtues and if you do not have virtues, then you might have to take the burden of their sins and enter the Hell fire.

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد