He Becomes a Worthy Memory

He Becomes a Worthy Memory

In every era, humans have harboured a deep-seated desire to leave behind a legacy, an enduring imprint on the world that outlasts their own fleeting existence. This drive to be remembered, to have one's actions and contributions persist through time, is heavily promoted by modern society. However, the paths modernity offers for achieving this legacy often fall short, directing individuals toward the ephemeral and transient rather than the eternal. Is it not ironic that man’s divinely inspired longing for an eternal Paradise is so often displaced and substituted by the illusion of crafting a lasting legacy in the fleeting mortal world, the one destined to perish?

In the Hadīth, the Prophet ﷺ informs:

“’Verily, the most admired ally of mine is a believer of little wealth, given to prayer, who has been excellent in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him in secret, who was obscure among people for they did not look to him for his fame, and whose sustenance was merely sufficient, yet he endured all of this patiently.’ The Prophet rapped his hands and he said, ‘Death will come early to him. His mourners and inheritors will be few.’”²⁵⁶

The spiritual man understands that a true legacy is concerned with the eternal. He does not seek recognition for the sake of vanity, nor does he pursue transient milestones. Instead, his life is a continuous journey of seeking truth and embodying virtue, knowing that true worth and eternal remembrance are bestowed by the Creator alone.

In his quest to reform a decaying world, the spiritual man often finds himself at odds with the norms of modern society, which may see him as an oddity, a stranger or even persecute him for his committed dedication to truth.

This perspective is beautifully captured in the Qur’ānic chapter of Maryam (Mary), which serves as a profound meditation on legacy, value, and divine mercy. The chapter chronicles the lives of some of the most revered figures in Islamic tradition, the prophets and righteous, whose legacies are not measured by their worldly success, for they were in the most part shunned and rejected by the crowd, but by their steadfast faith and commitment to God's commands.

The chapter is replete with heart-wrenching accounts of the greatest of God’s servants, with recurrent mention of His Mercy in a “tender and palpable way, alongside its gentle tempo in its words, expressions and shades.”²⁵⁷ Conversely, its reader senses “the shuddering and quaking of the universe impacted

by the words of idolatry (shirk) that (the readers’) natural disposition cannot endure.” 258

Outlining the forms of denial, the verses particularly expound on the particular gravity of those who claim that God has begotten a son – attributing a human characteristic, a deficiency to the All-Perfect. The verses accentuate the detrimental impact of this claim, providing for the devastation of religiosity, as outlined earlier in this book and even the destruction of the heavens, earth and the crumbling of mountains.

Amongst other things, this chapter is also characterised by its emphasis on God’s inimitable Mercy, manifest in the entire universe and radiated by each verse. Thus, Allāh’s name ‘al- Rahmān‘ (the All-Meriful) and His characteristic ‘Rahma‘ occur frequently, such that the believer imparts on a journey filled with images of Allāh’s Mercy and his heart is filled with it, his hope in His Lord is magnified and he rests reassured, increasing in love and closeness to Allāh.

Mercy is one of the Almighty’s perfect and all- encompassing Divine Attributes and, as such, the pinnacle and most complete of humanly traits is that of sincere worship to Him. This trait is exemplified in the pure, inspirational woman ‘Maryam’ (Mary ‘alayha al-salām), the mother of Jesus;

named Maryam -per Muslim exegetes- for having achieved that pinnacle of human excellence and servitude.²⁵⁹

The Chapter of Maryam was revealed whilst the companions lived as a ‘minority’ under the authority of Quraish. It is of the very first chapters to be revealed, becoming a foundational standard by which the foremost and greatest generation would form their social paradigm. Perhaps being surrounded by a tribe fixated on wealth, lineage and customs as the markers of status warranted an unambiguous definition of true ‘value’ and ‘human worth’ as encapsulated in Maryam.

It opens by highlighting a glimpse of Allāh’s special Mercy upon His devoted servant, Zakariyā (ʿalayhi al-salām). It presents his noble life, his sincere devotion, and his lofty status, qualities that will be eternally remembered through the recitation of the Qur’ān. His praise and virtues are thus preserved, continuously endorsed by the tongues of those who recite and heard by the ears of those who listen, across every time and place:

“Remembering your Lord’s mercy to His slave Zakariya, when he called on his Lord in secret…”²⁶⁰

Then, in the Qur’ān’s characteristic circular style, the chapter closes with the opposite group. These were devoid of lasting worth or legacy. Their names, once uttered with pomp, have faded into nothingness; their influence extinguished, their memory buried with their bones. They left no light behind, and are now silenced by death:

“How many generations We have destroyed before them! Do you see a trace of any one of them or hear even a whisper of them?”²⁶¹

It thus tells of how the whispers of the old and aged spiritual man were heard attentively by His Creator, while the shouts and cries of the destroyed generations of those who forgot their Creator, despite their abundant affluence were left unheeded. The chapter continues eulogising their mention, their ‘dhikr‘; that sought after, lasting reputation, with conciseness and beauty. It then moves onto his son Yahyā (John ʿalayhi al-salām) making mention of him and his story:

“‘Yahyā, take hold of the Book with vigour.’ We gave him judgement while still a child, and tenderness and purity from Us. He

had Taqwa, and devotion to his parents. He was not insolent or disobedient.” 262

Before transitioning to the mention of the pillar of society, the righteous woman and remarkable mother, the female exemplary, Maryam (ʿalayha al-salām) and something of her extraordinary characteristics and life:

“Mention Maryam in the Book how she withdrew from her people to an eastern place, and veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Rūh to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man.”²⁶³

She then bore her son, the Word of Allāh, the mighty Prophet and Messenger, Īsā (ʿalayhi al-salām). She would proceed to be accused of wrongdoing, having birthed a child without a man. And yet, the Creator would defend her honour and virtue against accusations, without her needing to utter a single word in her own defence. Thereafter, it mentions the lofty virtue of her son who would be that nation’s deliverer of Allāh’s message and the penultimate Messenger of God:

“He said, ‘I am the slave of Allāh, He has given me the Book and made me a

Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and directed me to do Salāt and give Zakāt as long as I live…’”²⁶⁴

A man whose life was replete with persecution, accusation and challenge by the Roman authorities and the powerful Pharisees alike, for his legacy to reshape the course of the earth for millennia. The chapter then turns to mentioning the intimate friend of God, an extraordinary man who was, at one point, the only Muslim on earth, ostracised, belied and interrogated, providing something of his magnificent story, lofty virtue and earnest call to the path of truth:

“And mention Ibrāhīm (Abraham) in the Book. He was a true man and a Prophet. Remember when he said to his father, ‘Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see and is not of any use to you at all?” 265

When he parted with that company for the sake of the Almighty, preferring his solitude, even if it meant he would embark on the mission of a nation all alone, God made every prophet thereafter emerge from his progeny. Allāh then brings to light the virtue of his son and grandson:

“When he had separated himself from them, and what they worshipped besides Allāh, We gave him Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb, making each of them a Prophet. We endowed them with Our mercy and made them highly honoured.”²⁶⁶

Then the chapter expounds upon Mūsā and his brother Hārūn (Moses and Aaron ʿalayhimā al-salām), their virtue and story. Again, there is a specific command in this to ‘mention’ them, for they ought to be remembered, followed by their praise and virtue:

“Mention Mūsā in the Book. He was truly sincere and was a Messenger and a Prophet.”²⁶⁷

Time after time the chapter illustrates the striking traits of these mighty men, with none but God commanding that they be mentioned, so that they are extolled persistently with God’s words.

“Mention Ismā‘īl in the Book. He was true to his promise and was a Messenger and a Prophet. And he used to command his people

to do Salāt and give Zakāh and he was pleasing to his Lord.”²⁶⁸

“Mention Idris in the Book. He was a true man and a Prophet. We raised him up to a high place.”²⁶⁹

Only thirteen individuals have now been mentioned specifically by name; twelve prophets and a remarkable woman as the section concludes:

“Those are some of the prophets Allāh has blessed, from the descendants of Ādam and from those We carried with Nūḥ, and from the descendants of Ibrāhīm and Isrā’īl and from those We guided and chose. When the Signs of the All-Merciful were recited to them they fell on their faces, weeping, in prostration.”²⁷⁰

Their recollection encompasses more than half of this great chapter. At almost the central point comes the pivotal separation between this outstanding group from its counterpart. Unlike the former, the latter comprise the majority

of humankind. They are not thirteen, but swathes of people; intellectuals; academics; directors; entrepreneurs; kings and presidents with heaving autobiographies, overflowing CVs; books; titles and countless followings. How will God present their biographies?

“But there came after them an evil generation…”²⁷¹

That is all. No names, no autobiographies, no material achievements. For it was nothing and has returned to oblivion. In Arabic, they are simply referred to as a ‘khalf‘, meaning ‘an evil following’. Not a ‘qawm‘ (a nation), nor ‘nās‘ (a group of people), nor their nationality, their connections or their status.

Billions of people are captured in a three-letter word, used not for any type of following but a denigrated, evil one: a ‘khalf‘. But to further emphasise this meaning, even the statement ‘fakhalafa min ba’dihim khalf’ that introduces this latter group, still contains the words ‘after them’ to reminisce on the departure of the righteous,²⁷² and to emphasise the aberration of the denier – that the only value in mentioning the denier is that he once lived among the spiritual man.

“… who neglected the Salāh and followed their appetites. So they will plunge into Hell.” 273

True Value is not in Others’ Perceptions

How much others are valued never escapes the subjectivity of others’ perceptions and understandings. The great companion ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd (radiy Allāhu ʿanhu) was a slight man of short stature. On one occasion he climbed a tree and as he did so, the wind blew against him and exposed his thin legs. On seeing this, some of the companions laughed. At this the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ asked, “Why are you laughing?” They replied, “Because of how thin his legs are.” Thereupon the Prophet ﷺ said:

“By the one who possesses my soul, they are heavier in the scales (on the Day of Judgement) than the Mountain of Uhud.”²⁷⁴

What made those legs, once mocked for their thinness, so weighty in reality? Were they not the limbs of a man who bore the Book of Allāh, the Qur’ān? Was he not among the four whom the Prophet ﷺ singled out for the nation of truth to learn the Qur’ān from?275 Did those very legs not carry him with unshaken

resolve to the polytheists of Quraysh, where he became the first to recite the Qur’ān aloud, proclaiming the truth in the face of tyranny?276

Consider the notable companion Bilāl b. Rabāh (radiy Allāhu ʿanhu) who was an Abyssinian slave and the son of two slaves, bought and sold in the Bazārs of Makkah. Many years after the advent of Islām and Bilāl’s acceptance of Islām, the Prophet ﷺ would ask Bilāl:

“Tell me about the most hopeful act you have done since your acceptance of Islām because I heard the sound of your footsteps in front of me in Jannah.”

Bilāl replied:

“I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I purify myself in an hour of night or day, I immediately perform Salāh (prayer) for as long as was destined for me to perform.” 277

According to the social status contrived by the notables of Makkah, he was commoditised and abused, but to the Creator of the heavens and earth, his distinct footsteps were firmly in

the Highest Abode. The Abyssinian would later be the first to call out the nation of truth to prayer from the roof of the Sacred House in Makkah.

Another companion by the name of Zāhir b. Hirām (radiy Allāhu ʿanhu) is known for little, besides the fact that he used to live in the desert, was not physically striking and habitually brought gifts to the Prophet ﷺ . On one occasion the Prophet ﷺ spotted him selling some goods in the market so he embraced him from behind, covered his eyes and light-heartedly asked: “Who will buy this slave?” On realising it was the Prophet of Allāh, Zāhir relaxed and said, “Messenger of Allāh, you will find that I am unsellable,” so the Prophet ﷺ replied:

“But you are not in the sight of Allāh unsellable, but very valuable.” 278

This qualification “in the Sight of Allāh” candidly declares that no other verdict matters. If one’s Muslim identity and values, one’s hijāb and modesty, one’s upright conduct and one’s ‘strangeness’ makes one unsellable to the wanton, decayed and blemished modern society, then so be it, if what matters is one’s value in the Sight of Allāh. The Prophet ﷺ says:

“It may be that one has scruffy hair and is driven away from doors (but they are so

pious) that if they are to swear in the name of Allāh (that something is done), He would definitely fulfil it.” 279

None but God knows one’s true merit. Irrespective of one’s followers, social media friendships, the likes, the shares, the bells and the whistles and irrespective of praise, criticism or perceptions. Consider that Zakariya, with whom the chapter opens, was killed for firmly speaking truth to power, as was his son Yahya for refusing to capitulate to decadence and falsehood.²⁸⁰ Maryam was slandered and accused, ʿĪsā was persecuted with the intent of execution, Ibrāhīm was thrown into a fire with the intent of execution and Mūsā was tyrannized with the intent of execution and ultimately disobeyed.

Through the narrative of these prophetic figures, the chapter of Maryam illustrates how true legacy is established through divine remembrance, not human accolades. It is a reminder that what truly endures is not what we achieve in the eyes of the world, but what we achieve in the sight of God.

The spiritual man, therefore, remains steadfast in his pursuit of divine approval, even if it means standing alone against the currents of society. He is estranged from the fleeting fashions of men, but anchored in the eternal gaze of his Creator. His legacy is not found in the brittle tablets of worldly acclaim, but

inscribed in the unseen records of the Almighty where permanence is real, and where every step taken in truth is eternally preserved.