The Negative Qualities of Mankind in the Holy Qur’an

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Negative Qualities of Mankind in the Holy Qur’an (1/5)

Sheikh Abdullah Muhammad Al-Mo’taz




These are some general negative qualities of man which no-one can escape unless Allah enables him to be pious enough to, by following His orders and the Sunnah of the Prophet salla Allah alayhi wa sallam. One should *******, teach, and train himself to avoid these adverse qualities.
Weakness
Allah the Exalted says: “So let man see from what he is created! He is created from a water gushing forth. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. Verily, (Allah) is Able to bring him back (to life)! The Day when all the secrets (deeds, prayers, fasting) will be examined (as to their truth). Then he will have no power, nor any helper.” (Surah At-Tariq, 86:5-10)
The human being is a creature who cannot relieve himself or cause it any harm unless Allah wills. He cannot have any effect on his own life or death nor resurrection. Without the Mercy of Allah none could live upon earth, beside the great forces of different nature one may encounter, like; beasts, insects, germs and many others only Allah knows.
The human being is created from a drop of semen and when he grows, a thorn, a sting, or a wound can easily cause him sleeplessness. Any harm fated for him may put his end and a germ may cause his weakness or perhaps death. If a house fly takes something away from him he cannot get it back from this weak creature.
Allah the Exalted says: “…And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.” (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:73)
Despair, Prodigality, Exultance and Boastfulness
Allah the Exalted says: “And if We give man a taste of Mercy from Us, and then withdraw it from him, verily, He is despairing, ungrateful. But if We let him taste good (favour) after evil (poverty and harm) has touched him, he is sure to say: “Ills have departed from me.” Surely, he is exultant, and boastful (ungrateful to Allah).” (Surah Hud, 11:9-10)
And He the Exalted says: “And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed the harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a fair-seeming to the Musrifun (extravagants) that which they used to do.” (Surah Yunus, 10:12)
And says: “And when We bestow Our Grace on man (the disbeliever), he turns away and becomes arrogant (far away from the Right Path). And when evil touches him, he is in great despair.” (Surah Al-Isra', 17:83)
And says: “And when harm touches men, they cry sincerely only their Lord (Allah), turning to Him in repentance; but when He gives them a taste of His Mercy, behold, a party of them associates partners in worship with their Lord.” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:33)
And says: “And when We cause mankind to taste mercy, they rejoice therein; but when some evil afflicts them because of (evil deeds and sins) that their (own) hands have sent forth, behold, they are in despair!” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:36)
These qualities include that the human being sometimes denies the grace of Allah and feels hopeless and tries to live just the present time without thinking of the future and after-death. He soon feels exultant and boastful. He cannot tolerate hardships. He soon becomes hopeless. Allah does not like exultant people, except the ones who repent by the virtue of Allah’s guidance and become patient and do good deeds. People should also be grateful to Allah for the uncountable graces of Him. Such people are not very many, because the majority tends to lose hope soon over a disaster and they tend also to practise boastfulness, and exceed the limits ordained. Allah taught mankind to be patient and hopeful; He the Exalted says:
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz) before We bring it into existence Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not grieve at the things over that you fail to get, nor rejoice that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters.” (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:22-23)
Disbelief and Oppression
Allah the Exalted says: “Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allah’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad salla Allah alayhi wa sallam).” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:34)
And says: “Verily, man is indeed a manifest ingrate!” (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:15)
And says: “Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!” (Surah Abasa, 80:17)
Disbelief and oppression are some of the most common traits of mankind. Unless Allah’s Mercy is graced upon men they cannot fight these traits. First of all man becomes unfair to his own self by committing sins like association of others with Allah. Therefore we inherited this invocation to seek protection against such self-oppression:
“O Allah I have been unfair to myself so much, but none can forgive sins, but You can, so forgive me and be merciful on me as You are All-Forgiving All-Merciful.”
Allah the Exalted says: “And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.” (Surah Al-An'am, 6:116)
And says: “And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.” (Surah Yusuf, 12:103)
The forgiven believers if compared to the disbelievers look like a white hair in the skin of a black ox. It has been also been said that from every one hundred persons, ninety nine persons will go to Hell. May Allah keep us steadfast as believers and give us rightousness and guidance.

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