Why do you escape from Allah? 
By Tarek Abo AbdAllah
Revised by Magdy Abd Al-shafy
Translated by: Amira Sha’rawy
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(Hatem al-ta’ay), one of the generous Arabs in pre-Islam time , had a Christian son whose name was (Oday). (Oday) .
He had a beautiful story. Let's listen to him tell the story himself .
He said “No Arab hated the prophet, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him, more than I did when I first heard about him. I was an honourable devoted Christian and a leader among my natives. I told a servant of mine who was the shepherd of my camels: “prepare some humbled, fat camels for me, so that ,if Muhammad’s army invades this country, i would take them on escape .” One morning he came to me and said: “what you were to do if Muhammad’s horses came, do itnow as I have seen flags and when I asked about them , I was informed that these are Muhammad’s army.”
I said: “get me my camels.” I took my wife and son on it and intended to join my fellow Christians in Damascus, but I left one of Hatem’s daughters ( his sister ) behind in the city. When I reached Damascus, I stayed there. The horses of the prophet, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him, reached Hatem’s daughter and she was introduced to the prophet, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him, among the captives of (tay’a).
The prophet was informed of my escape to Damascus . when he passed by my sister , she said: “O messenger of Allah, the father is dead and bother is absent and I am an old woman and incapable of any service. Bestow your favor upon me, may Allah bestow His upon you.” He asked: “who is your brother?” she said: “Oday, the son of Hatem.” He said: “this who escaped from Allah and His messenger??” she repeated this petition for three days. She said: he eventually vouchsafed .” She asked to be carried; he ordered that for her and gave her clothing and money.
She came to me and said: “you did something that your father would not do; anyway go to him whether you are desirous or afraid, as “so many people” came to him and took much from him Oday said: “so, I went to him while he was sitting in the mosque.” People said: “this is Oday the son of Hatem.” I went there with his companion helpless without any warrant to help me , the prophet took me by hand , the prophet was quoted saying " I implore God to guide O'day ": “I hope that Allah will put his hand in mine.” He stood and came to me then I met a woman carrying a child . They said to him: we need something from you. He went with them till he fulfilled their need then took me by my hand to his house. There, a pillow was given to him. He sat down on it and I sat in front of him. He thanked Allah and praised Him then said: “what makes you escape? Is it " that there is no god but Allah? Do you know any other god?” I said: No. He talked for a while then said: “is it saying that Allah is the greatest (Allahu Akbar)? Do you know anything greater than Allah?” I said: No" . he said: “then, the Jews have earned anger and the Christians are astray.” I said: “then, I am an orthodox Muslim.” So, I saw a smile of happiness on his face.
And now imagine, man, that you are sitting in Oday’s place in front of the prophet, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him, and he asked you the same question : why do you escape from Allah….what will be your situation? Do you escape saying that there is no god but Allah…..then, do you know another god?
Does saying that Allah is the greatest makes you escape…then, do you know anything that is greater than Allah?
Do you escape from saying that all praise is to Allah, the Lord of all that exists, or saying glorified is my God the most high and glorified is my God the most great….then, do you know anyone who is absolutely praised except Allah and do you know anyone greater or higher?
Does saying that Allah is the one, the self-sufficient whom all creatures need, and that He did not beget nor was He begotten and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him, make you escape? Do you know a father, a mother, a son or a wife for Allah? And do you know anyone who people may resort to in order to fulfill their needs except Allah? Is it believing that nothing is like Allah, that
He is the Irresistible (Supreme) above His slaves and He is able to do all things that make you escape? Then do you know anyone who is equal or similar to Allah? Do you know anyone whose power exceeds that of Allah? And can human beings hurt Allah the Almighty, while He is encompassing and dominating them?
Does believing that Allah saved the Christ from the Jews’ plot and raised him to heaven, after you used to believe that He let him dieon the cross, humble and insulted, annoy you?
Or, do you escape from believing that the Christ healed the blind and the lepers and brought forth the dead all by Allah’s permission and not his own power….did the Christ have anything to do for himself when he was just an embryo in his mother’s uterus? Do you escape believing that the Christ came with the bible, that Allah revealed to him instead of believing in various bibles written by anonymous people who did not see the Christ, while none of these bibles is attributed to the Christ??
Does believing that the Christ is Allah’s word and a spirit created by Him and that he is one of the messengers of strong will and his mother is a believer in Allah’s words and books that Allah has chosen over all the women of mankind and jinn, make you escape? Then, were the Christ and his mother different from this? Does saying that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah make you escape ?..So, who was Muhammad if he was not the messenger of Allah??
Does knowing that Allah forgave Adam’s sin when he regretted it and turned in repentance and that Allah forgives all sins, make you escape? Then, do you know anyone who forgives sins except Allah? Is it asking Allah for forgiveness after you used to ask the pastor for it on the chair of recognition that make you escape? Does belonging to a religion that makes no mediators between you and Allah and does not allow the dominance of anyone on your spiritual life so that he forgives you if he wants or deprives you from entering Heaven if he wants -as the church does- make you escape? Do you think that Allah created you by Himself to make the determination of your fate and the forgiveness of your sins in the hands of anyone else but Him? Does believing that children are born free (acquitted) from any sin, instead of thinking that they are born disgraced in the sin of their father, Adam (peace be upon him), make you escape? Do you escape from a religion that honored woman and gave her the right to worship, to receive education, to ask questions and use her own money and the right to choose her husband and to decide to get divorced if she did not bear him and became afraid of disobeying Allah’s orders concerning him. A religion that ordered the husband to treat his wife well and considered the best one among people, the best in treating his wife and promised this who have a daughter to enter the Heaven if he honored her and treated her well? Do you escape this religion to another religion that considers woman the source of every sin and asserts that she was created for man’s sake? Do you escape to a religion that deprived her from divorce and from speaking in the church, as Paul stated in his message to Corinthians? A religion that considers everything that she touches during menses impure, as stated in the chapter of Leviticus?
Does following the religion of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Al-Assbat (the offspring of Jacob’s sons), Moses and Jesus make you escape? Does saying that Noah, David, Lot and Jacob were infallible prophets that Allah chose over all His creatures and that they reached the highest ethical level make you escape? Does saying that they are not as they are said to be in the Old Testament where we read that Noah took off his clothes and drank wine, David had sex with the wife of one of his leaders then he sent this leader to war so that he might die and give him the chance to marry her , Lot had sex with his two daughters and they became pregnant and Jacob fought with God and beat him, make you escape?
Don’t you like to belong to a religion that sanctifies chastity , purity and loyalty and orders its adherents to be honest even with children and to treat everyone well even animals?
Do you hate to espouse a religion that makes shyness one of its virtues and cleanness one of its rituals?
Doesn’t it make you happy that you belong to a religion that meets the needs of the body as well as the needs of the soul?
Don’t you want to belong to a religion that makes every person responsible in front of Allah and makes all human beings equal? To a religion, that gives the prophet and his family more orders than it gives to others?
Doesn’t it make you happy to direct your heart to Heaven in your prayer after you used to look at a picture hanged on the wall of your house?
Don’t you like to make your prayer direction to the Ka’bah (Al-bait Al-haram) in Mecca, which Arabs and westerners agree that Abraham, peace be upon him, built, and to sanctify Jerusalem where the Christ arose and called for Allah?
Don’t you like to say in your prayer (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help Guide us to the Straight Way* The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger nor of those who went astray ) then read Surat Mariam (the mother of the Christ) or Surat Al’Imran ( the grandfather of the Christ) or Surat Al-Ma’idah which Allah sent down to the Christ?
Don’t you like to kneel and prostrate to Allah who has created you?
Don’t you long to read in a book that deals with all aspects of life and addresses both your heart and mind?
Don’t you long for a book that answers all your questions? Don’t you like to have all your sins forgiven, as Islam erases all the past sins?
Don’t you like to gain Muhammad and the Christ instead of losing them both in addition to yourself?
Don’t you see what Christianity did to the European people in the middle ages? Until they cast it off and hated everything related to religion because of the dominance of the church. It was only then that they started their industrial revolution!!
Don’t you see that many of the churchmen have reached the highest degree of ethical decadence so that they may rape and devour people’s money in falsehood?
Don’t you know the deteriorating social problems that the church faces because of the application of the false laws, which are attributed to Christianity out of ignorance and dishonesty?
Don’t you feel the intellectual and doctrinal weakness that the church suffers from, to the extent that it cannot acquire more followers except through offering money to those living in the poorest regions of the world?
Haven’t you heard that pastors use magic inside the church? Haven’t you got bored of the pagan ceremonies, which the Christian religion is full of, and which are somehow similar to those of the pagan religions found before the Christ, peace be upon him?
Haven’t you got bored of the mystification and complicity of the Christian doctrine?
Haven’t you got desperate of the multitude confusing questions that you do not find a decisive answer to, until now?
Haven’t you heard about the scientific and historical mistakes that were discovered in the so-called Holy Bible?
Haven’t you read the ethical shames that fill it? Don’t you long for a doctrine that addresses your heart and soul and does not contradict with your instinct and mind?
Why do you escape from the right way and hide the light of truth from your heart? Though, you see everyday the evidences of the oneness of Allah and the honesty of Muhammad’s message, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him.
Why don’t you give yourself a chance to read the Qura’n and think if this can be the words of any human being?
Why don’t you give yourself a chance to search for the truth freely, away from the stress of your family and the observation of the society?
Don’t you see how the stories of the newly guided people have become widespread, as they have searched seriously for Allah until He guided them? (As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths and verily, Allah is with the good doers)…do you know any reasonable person who chose to espouse Islam then he apostatized?
Why don’t you read the biography of Muhammad, May Allah send His peace and blessings on him, with contemplation in order to see if Muhammad could be a liar?
Don’t you see how the divine care has accompanied Islam, guarded and strengthened it since Muhammad, may Allah send His peace and blessings on him, appeared and up till now, although Islam has always been exposed to numerous attempts to perish or distort it?
Don’t’ you feel jealous that even children search for the truth, while you are sitting in your place?
Isn’t it enough that non-Muslims themselves are witnesses in the favour of Islam?
Don’t you see how Islam has spread all over the world in spite of the few available capabilities? This is just a result of its strong proofs and its compatibility with mind and instinct.
Haven’t you been informed of the pastors and missionaries who convert to Islam?
Haven’t you read and heard about their stories that they recount by themselves and publish on the internet?
Can’t you browse the internet for a few minutes to see how many facts have been hidden from you for many years?
Why do you escape from Allah and not to Him?( So flee to Allah. Verily, I am a plain Warner to you from Him.)
If you were on the false way, will anybody bear your sin on the day of resurrection?
They do not bear your mistakes in this life though their judgment is easy, so, will they bear them in the hereafter when man will flee from his brother, his mother and his father?
Will you wait until everybody flees from you on the day of resurrection?
Then, you become alone and Allah asks you: “how did you answer the messenger?”
Why do you escape from Allah?
Do you fear the future?
Don’t you know that the future is in Allah’s hand? If you seek the truth, with all your effort, until you reach it, do you think that Allah will turn you down?
Will He guard you when you are on the false way and leave you when you follow the right one He created you for? Haven’t you heard about many people who espoused Islam all over the world and are leading now a safe and stable life?
Do you escape from Allah or from yourself?
The reasonable person is the one who knows the way to his true happiness and seeks it. Allah has granted you a mind in order to think and know Him and granted you an instinct to long for Him and a heart that rests in the right, as right gives the heart the rest and peace it does not find in anything else. You, alone, are responsible in front of Allah. This is a matter of your eternal life and your happiness in life and in the hereafter.
Don’t you ever sacrifice them for the sake of any passing enjoyment, because of fearing an imaginative punishment or following guess and illusions as guess is no substitute for the truth…….
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