Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in the Quraan by Mufti Menk – Sheet AS

This Ramadan 2011 Tafseer series is originally posted by Du’aa a Day on Facebook. – A transcript of Mufti Ismail Menk’s post Taraweeh Series in Cape Town, South Africa

Shared on 6 August 2011 – See original

Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in the Noble Qur’aan:

Sheeth AS

الحمد لله و كفى و صلى الله و سلّم و بارك على عباده الذين اصطفى و بعد 

All praise is due to Allah Subhana Wa ta’aala, Blessings and salutations upon Muhammad SAW

Thereafter,

This prophet has not been made mention of in the Qur’aan but he is mentioned in an authentic narration wherein the Prophet PBUH said that 104 chronicles were revealed, 50 of which were sent to Sheeth AS.

Sheeth AS, who was a son of Adam AS, was born soon after the murder of Habeel. He lived with his father in a mountainous region. Qabil, who was the first human being to commit an act of murder, was taught how to commit this act by Iblees. As a result he was aggressive and harsh in his behaviour. Qabil then left the mountains and found a new flat piece of land very far from the rest of the family.

It is reported that the men of the mountains were good looking whereas the women were not. In the family of Qabil it was the other way round. It is further reported that after the death of Adam AS, shaitaan came in the form of a human being to the offspring of Qabil seeking employment. Remember Shaitaans promise to Allah. He promised to deviate the progeny of Aadam AS. In Surah Israa’ Allah says He said to him, “ ‘And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (meaning songs, music and any other call for Allah’s disobedience), makw assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantr, share with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways- or by usury and by illegal and illicti sexual relations), and make promises to them.’ But Shaitan promises nothing but deceit!”

All these temptations we are tried with. Allah sent us as a test. Allah says in another verse, “O you who believe, we will test you with the hunting animals.” Meaning in the state of Ihraam when you are not allowed to hunt then Allah says He will test us by bringing those hunting animals sooo close to us. Reminds me of the Jews when they were prohibited from fishing on Saturdays, the fish use to come a lot and so close to them, looking at them as if to see ‘come fish! Come fish! We know you cant!” lol So thereafter the Jews began casting their nets in on Fridays and taking them out on Sundays. So a sin is committable but whether we commit it or not depends on our level of Taqwa.

Shaitan needed to teach man how to sin. Man is happy for as long as he doesn’t know theres something else that can make him happier. If we have the iPhone 4 we will be happy and satisfied with it for as long as we don’t know that the iPhone 6 is out! Everyone looks like they wondering “Now when did that come out!” loool It didn’t and I don’t know about it either lol  😛

So the people of Qabil thought Shaitan was a deserter from Sheeth AS group. This is because it was haraam according to the Shariah given to Sheeth AS for his followers to mix with the family of Qabil.

Once they employed him and he began to serve them and in the process he also began teaching them all sorts of evil. He made a bugle and blew into it. He used to beat different drums and attract so much attention. People used to gather around him to hear the new sounds that they had never heard before. They thought that the people of Sheeth AS had really advanced more then them. They partied and celebrated every week. Shaitaan made them forget their Creator though they knew that He existed and that He was One and Alone. Very soon they gave little importance to the acts of worship they had been taught.

They set aside a Saturday evening to party and till today we find that Saturday night is the ‘night out’. It started from that time. During these parties Shaitaan taught man how to dance to the sound of different instruments to the extent that man would forget everything else. Women and girls were taught to dress up and beautify themselves to impress the men. All this happened slowly in stages over a period of time. Meanwhile Sheeth AS continued warning his people and reminding them of their duties towards Allah Almighty.

The people of the mountains were saved from the trap of Shaitaan because they were prohibited from mixing with the others. Then shaitaan placed thoughts in the minds of some of the weaker followers of Sheeth AS. He encouraged them to find out why restrictions had been placed regarding the mixing of the two groups. He made them question others and some people began to question the Law of Allah. They were told that it was because Qabil was contaminated by Shaitaan and had committed the first murder and was therefore cursed. A small group of young men, who were not satisfied with the reason decided to go to Qabil’s group and spy on them from a distance. They witnessed one of the parties where the music and dancing was going on and the women of the other group were good looking and dressed up.

The great Mufassir Abdullah ibn Abbaas RA has mentioned this incident in the commentary of the verse of Suratul Ahzaab wherein Allah Almighty warns the women to abstain from dressing like the women of the first period of ignorance – meaning Qabil’s people.

They decided to join the party and found that the women were attracted to them because they too were good looking. Shaitaan then encouraged man to disobey Allah’s Commands further by teaching them to commit zina. After the party the youngsters returned to inform the other youth of the mountain about how they enjoyed themselves and how good looking the women were and what they had done.

This teaches us the importance of good company and the need to fight evil thoughts in the initial stages.Not everything that glitters is gold.  It also teaches us that at times we may not see the sense of certain rules of the Shariah, but Allah’s decision is best for us.

So Shaytaan uses sound to control man. Remember the one who can make your finger tap on your steering wheel can definitely control you. You do one thing and continue, he will lead you to another ten other wrongs. But there are always chances for us to change. The month of Ramadhaan is an ideal time for us to turn and mend our ways. Give up that music. Give up that cigarette. Some of us 1should at least show some respect to the house of Allah, we are barely out the door and we are already lighting a cigarette. If we show some respect at least theres a chance that Allah will create a day when we will give it up totally inshaAllah. When a doctor tells you after you have suffered an engina attack that you need to give up cigarettes completely them we give it up immediately. But whyyyy wait for that day to come! Allah is telling you that give it up now, while you are healthy, don’t wait for something to afflict you in order for you to realise.

Some people don’t want to worship Allah, not in Ramadan and not out of Ramadan. Allah makes them sooo sick so they can raise their hands. Be grateful, be thankful and recognize the devil!Ask those who have sinned , what have they achieved?! Nothing but momentary joy! On the death bed they will think and then say, ‘Return me to the world’ Allah says tht Nay, You will never do good even if you returned coz you were given the chances but failed to change.

Allah is so merciful, He has told us stories of so many Prophets and the melodies of their people. Shu’aib AS’s people engaged in wrong business dealings. Lut AS’s people engeaged in homosexuality.  They had one or two sins. Allah told us about them because in this Ummah we find pockets of people engaged in all these types of sins.

If fuel with a match created an inferno 1000 years ago then why wouldn’t it create one today? We see the big warning saying “Beware: Highly flammable” but we think, ‘aaaah! That was a 1000 years ago let me light this match now and see what happens! Allahu Akbar! That’s exxxactly what we do! We have heard their sins and the punishments they receive but we still want to engage in those same evils.

Let us seize this beautiful month of Ramadan and leave all sin. What will soften our hearts if this month won’t? How many reminders do we need? 50? 100? And then what! Who knows, you might die before those reminders even get to you. Some people even if the angels came down to them they wouldn’t change. Allah says, are they waiting for Allah Himself to come down! Allahu Akbar May Allah forgive us and grant us the understanding…

و صلّى الله و سلّم و بارك على نبيّنا محمّد و آله و أصحابه أجمعين ، سبحان الله و بحمده سبحانك اللهم و بحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت أستغفرك و أتوب إليك! والسلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته