Brothers and Sisters! Allah Ta'ala says in Surah Al-Anfal (8:20-24):
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him - the Messenger Muhammad, while you are hearing. And be not like those who say: We have heard but they hear not. Verily! The worst of moving living creatures in the Sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not - the disbelievers. Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen, even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse to the truth.
"O you who believe! Answer Allah by obeying Him and His Messenger, when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart - that is, he prevents an evil person to decide anything. And verily to Him you shall all be gathered."
In these noble verses Allah Almighty commands us to obey and respond to orders and forbid resembling the Disbelievers and Hypocrites who do not respond to Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
The Disbelievers refused to listen to Allah's Words as is stated in Surah Fussilat where it says:
"And those who disbelieve say: Listen not to this Quran, and make noise in the midst of its recitation that you may overcome."
The Jews also refused to listen to Allah's Words as is stated in Surah Al-Baqarah where it says:
"They said: 'We have heard and disobeyed.' "
The Hypocrites also refused by not listening to Allah's Words. This is reflected in Surah Al-Anfal where they say:
"We have heard but they hear not."
In this verse it appears as if they heard and responded, but in reality they did not, since they listened with their ears but not respond with their hearts. Allah Almighty explains in Surah al-Anfal that these types of humans are the worst of creatures:
"Verily! The worst of moving living creatures in the Sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not - the disbelievers."
In this verse Allah Almighty calls the person who do not respond to the truth as deaf, and the person who do not understand and utter the truth as dumb and refers to them as people who do not understand because they do not have sound minds that think about the outcome of their actions. Their minds are limited to thoughts about this world and its short-term pleasures. They are like cattle, who only think about what it eats, and does not think about the future and prepare for another life. They are not only like cattle but even worse, because cattle obey Allah in reasons of its creation. This is reflected in Surah al-Furqan where it says:
"They are only like cattle - nay, they are even further astray from the Path - even worse than cattle."
It is required of every Muslim that he listens to the Words of Allah when it is recited and to the ahadith of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, when it is narrated. The Muslim must understand when he listens and reflect upon what the orders require of him or her. He or she must then respond by carrying out the orders, otherwise it will be an argument against him or her on the Day of Judgment. Allah says in Surah al-Mu'minun where it states:
"Were not My Verses recited to you, and then you used to deny them?"
The Almighty also says in Surah Az-Zumar:
"Yes! Verily, there came to you My Ayat - the proofs, the evidences, the verses, the signs etc., and you denied them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers."
Brothers and Sisters! How many Verses and ahadith do we read or listen to without obeying their orders. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The Quran will either be a witness for you, or against you on the Day of Judgment."
Let us see how much we actively respond to Allah's calls. Allah calls upon us with His sayings, "O People!", "O Children of Adam!", "O you who believe!", "O Servants of Allah!"
Some predecessors said, "If you hear Allah calling, 'O you who believe!', then you should pay attention, because it is either a good thing you are ordered to carry out or a bad thing you are to be cautious of."
Allah Almighty explains that His commands give life to the hearts resulting in happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. In Surah Al-Anfal it states:
"O you who believe! Answer Allah by obeying Him and His Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life ... "
Now, regarding the phrase in the verse just mentioned, "that which will give you life ... ", although there are other interpretations, but some commentators interpret it as Jihad, because it gives honour after humiliation and power after weakness. Allah Almighty then threatens those people who do not respond to His call by saying, " ... And know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart, that is He prevents an evil person to decide anything ... "
He who does not respond to Allah and His Prophet, will be punished by dismissing his heart from the truth as is stated in Surah Al-An'am where Allah says:
"And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away from guidance, as they refused to believe therein for the first trespass to wander blindly."
In Surah As-Saff Allah also says:
"Our Rabb! Make us not a trail for the disbelievers, and forgive us, Our Rabb! Verily, You, only You are the All Mighty, the All-Wise."
Brothers and Sisters! Beware of refusing the orders of Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, because Allah can come in between a person and his heart and turn the heart as He wishes. That is why the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, often used to say:
"O Allah! O Controller of the hearts! Keep my Heart firm in Your religion, keep it contented with Your worship."
He also said:
"Yes, verily the hearts are between two Fingers from the Fingers of Allah and He turns them as He likes."
Brothers and Sisters! In Surah Az-Zumar (39:17-18) Allah says:
"Those who avoid at-Taghut - the false deities by not worshipping them and turn to Allah in repentance, for them are glad tidings: so announce the good news to My slaves."
"Those who listen to the word - the good advice - La ilaha illa Allah - None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and follow the best thereof, by worshipping Allah alone, repenting to Him and avoiding Taghut, those are the ones whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding."
It is required of us is to listen and follow, and the person who does not listen today would regret tomorrow. Listen to what the disbelievers say in Surah Al-Mulk:
"Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the Blazing Fire."
Therefore we must attend Khutbahs, Islamic Lectures, Mosques and Study Circles. It is unfortunate that many of us do not listen, and if they listen they do not understand. If the earth does not get any rain water, it will become dry and barren. Likewise, if the hearts do not receive any revelation or remembrance of Allah, then it will also become dry and barren. Whoever listens to Allah's Call should respond. In Surah Al-Ahqaf it states:
"And whosoever does not respond to Allah's Caller, he can not escape on earth, and there will be no Awliya - protectors, for him besides Allah from His punishment. Those are in manifest error."
My Dear Brothers and Sisters! Some people refuse totally to respond to Allah's Call. They are the Disbelievers and the Hypocrites, who say, We heard and we disobeyed. Other people only respond if it conforms with their desire and lust, and reject everything else. These people worship their lust and desire. In Surah Al-Qasas Allah says:
"But if they answer you not - that is they do not believe in your doctrine of Islamic Monotheism, nor follow you, then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? Verily! Allah guides not the people who are wrong-doers and disobedient to Allah - the Dhalimun."
This is similar to the people who believe in some parts of the Book and reject the other parts. If they are invited to attend Friday Prayers, they do not respond, and if they are asked to leave usury/interest and forbidden transactions, they do not even give it a thought. When they are asked to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, then they turn their backs and walk the other way, even though they call themselves Muslims. These people, if and when they do escape disbelief, they surely do not escape hypocrisy and leads a corrupt and immoral life. Allah's Call, reaches the believers in many ways and means, like reciting Qur'an and the Sunnah, making supplications, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong etc.
Brothers and Sisters! Some people prefer amusement centres to mosques, and hence listen to music and songs, rather than listening to the Words of the Merciful. They become like those described in Surah Luqman where Allah says:
"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks - such as music and singing etc., to mislead men from the Path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment in the Hell-Fire. And when Our Verses are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not, as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment."
Part II
Know that there are hindrances that will prevent the servant from responding to Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. These are usually in the form of:
Pride and Arrogance
In accepting the truth, like what happened to Iblis when Allah ordered him to bow to Adam, 'alayhis salam, and thus became conceited. In a hadith by Ibn Masud, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise."
Envy and Jealousy
Like what happened to the Jews, when the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, called them to believe in him, they disbelieved with envy even though they knew the truth.
Being fanatical about a certain opinion or a certain School of Thought, and following the traditions of their fathers, like what happened to the Jews and the Mushrikin. In Surah Al-Baqarah it states:
"And when it is said to them - the Jews, believe in what Allah has sent down. They say, We believe in what was sent down to us. And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the Truth what is with them."
In the same Surah it also states:
"When it is said to them: Follow what Allah has sent down. They say: Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following. Would they do that! Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?"
Following Lusts and Desires
In Surah Al-Qasas Allah says:
"But if they answer you not - that is they do not believe in your doctrine of Islamic Monotheism, nor follow you, then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? Verily! Allah guides not the people who are wrong-doers and disobedient to Allah - the Dhalimun."
In a hadith, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "No one of you will become a believer unless his desires agree with what was revealed to me."
Fear from people and not being patient when being hurt by people. Allah talks about the disbelievers of the Quraysh. In Surah Al-Qasas it states:
"And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land."
By making this statement they testified that what the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, brought was guidance, and that they were astray and erred, but they did not follow him because they feared their security and being hurt by people.
This is a corrupt picture and a deteriorated natural instinct of perceiving what is right and wrong since security and assurance can only be gained from following guidance and fear only comes from following a the wrong path. What the disbelievers said before is similar to what many contemporary people say, such as, We know that Islam is the true religion, but what prevents us from following it and being govern by it, is our fear of being attacked by other Non-Muslim countries and calling us ignorant fundamentalists. They forgot that this only increases their fear and makes them weaker in the eyes of the enemies. This is stated in Surah Al-'Imran:
"It is only Shaytan that suggests to you the fear of his supporters and friends, so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are true believers."
The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "He who requests a peoples acceptance with Allah's discontent, Allah will be angry with him and will also make people displeased with him."
So beware of those hindrances and hold tight to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.