The Losers (الخاسرون) in the Quran and the Sunnah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

6-6-1438

Allah revealed the Quran as a guidance and light. If you study the meaning of each word from the Quran, you will think correctly, you will know what is right and wrong, you will know how to live your life.

The word خسر and its derivations are mentioned in 65 verses in the Qur'an, and in at least 2 Hadiths. Everytime it is mentioned in the Qur'an it is related to your Religion. When you lose your Religion, you will lose your Hereafter. Real loss is not related to losing money, houses, but when you lose your Religion. Real loss is when five or ten years pass by, and you discover that your faith is decreasing instead of increasing. That is why one of the invocations of the Prophet ﷺ is:

"و لا تجعل مصيبتنا في ديننا" - (Let us not suffer a calamity with regards to our Religion) [At-Tirmithi #3502]

The calamities of wealth, religion, or of this life are bearable and replaceable. But not calamities which afflict your Religion.

Who are the Losers?

1) All People are in Loss; except those who believe, perform righteous deeds, advise one another to the truth and with patience.

In Surah Al-'Asr [103:1-3]:

What are people losing? They are losing their lifetime. With every day that passes, the time you have left is less. But Allah made an exception: Except those who believe, perform righteous deeds, advise one another with the truth and with patience.

You can sum up the deeds of المفلحون (The Successful) in two things: Faith + Good Deeds

The deeds of الخاسرون are the opposite; they do not have faith, they do not care about their faith, and they do not perform good deeds.

You have to prove your belief by performing good deeds. If you do not perform good deeds, it means the faith in your heart is weak. Faith and performance of good deeds are connected to one another, which is why you find Allah mentioning them together profusely in the Qur'an. And the road is not short, which is why you require patience.

You need to make this rule very clear in front of your children: I can accept any mistake you do, except a mistake in your Religion. I can accept negligence from you, except negligence of your prayer. Because your Religion is your real wealth. You will survive in the Hereafter with your Religion. Don't lose your Religion; don't take it lightly.

2) Those who Will Lose Themselves and Their Families on the Day of Judgement

The verse regarding this is mentioned twice in the Qur'an. Once in Surah az-Zumar:

And once in Surah Ash-Shura:

You are living safe and secure with your Religion and children. Even if they may be studying abroad, you can pick up the phone and talk to them whenever you want. On the Day of Judgement, the family of the Losers will be taken away from them, they will not talk to them nor will they ever see them again. Even if you lose someone in this world, you have hope that you will reunite in Paradise.

3) Those whose Scale will be Light

In Surah Al-A'raaf:

And in Surah Al-Mu'minoon:

We should focus on the deeds that will make our Scale heavy. The Prophet ﷺ said:

كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن‏:‏ سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم

There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: 'Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection]'. [Agreed Upon]

And he ﷺ said:

ما من شئ أثقل في ميزان المؤمن يوم القيامة من حسن الخلق

Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good manners. [At-Tirmithi]

Good manners are a provision from Allah, so ask Allah to grant you good manners. The Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقَكُمْ، كَمَا قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَرْزَاقَكُمْ

Allah Almighty shared out your character between you as He divided your provision between you" [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

And he ﷺ used to say as a supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي لأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاقِ ، فَإِنَّهُ لا يَهْدِي لأَحْسَنِهَا إِلا أَنْتَ ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا لا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا إِلا أَنْتَ

(O Allah guide me to the best of manners, for no one can guide me to the best of them except you, and turn me away from evil manners, for no one can turn them away from it except you)

There are people who will have heavy scales, but it will become light, due to them transgressing against the rights of people. The Prophet ﷺ said:

أتدرون من المفلس‏؟‏‏"‏ قالوا ‏:‏ المفلس فينا من لا درهم له ولا متاع فقال‏:‏ ‏"‏إن المفلس من أمتي يأتي يوم القيامة بصلاة وصيام وزكاة، ويأتي قد شتم هذا، وقذف هذا وأكل مال هذا، وسفك دم هذا، وضرب هذا، فيعطى هذا من حسناته، وهذا من حسناته، فإن فنيت حسناته قبل أن يقضي ما عليه، أخذ من خطاياهم فطرحت عليه، ثم طرح في النار

Do you know who is the bankrupt?" They said: "The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property". He said, "The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire". [Muslim]

The Attributes of the Losers

1) Disbelief in Allah and Committing Shirk

The first attribute of the successful was correct faith and sound creed. We should take care of our Aqeedah, and beware of committing Shirk and falling into it - by seeking knowledge, invoking Allah, staying away from everything that leads to Shirk. And Bid'ah (Innovation) is a means to Shirk.

Even if you have 100 good deeds, and just 1 Shirk - this 1 Shirk will nullify all the 100 good deeds. And Allah is addressing the Prophet ﷺ in this verse, so what about us? Do not think that Shirk is something far from us. Showing Off (Riyaa) is Shirk. Beware of doing good deeds whilst your heart is turning towards the people, you are putting people in the rank of Allah; you are doing good deeds for them. Our deeds should be purely for Allah.

Allah repeated this in the Qur'an, which shows us its importance.

If your child comes to you upset because of any loss in this life, tell him that this loss is nothing - the most important thing is your Religion, Faith, Belief - because these are the means of your survival in the Hereafter. There is no means of salvation except through your Religion.

There was a mother whose son was in High School and said he did not have enough time to go the Masjid to pray. She let him pray at home. When he went to Unversity, he studied in a non-Muslim country and neglected his prayer completely, because of no Athan, no Muslims around him. After he finished studying, he came back home happy with a certificate, and three days after he arrived he got into a car accident and died. Which is more important - your certificate or your Religion?

As long as you are alive and breathing, however old your children may be, it is your duty to remind them of their Religion, prayer, the correct, Aqeedah. How can you see your child falling into a hole of fire and not do anything about it?

2) Denying the Meeting with Allah

They do not believe in the Hereafter, or forgot about it. Allah said in Surah Al-An'am:

After Allah talked about the Prophets, He said in Surah Sad [38:46]:

"Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of the Hereafter]."

They always remembered and worked for the Hereafter.

When you look back at your life, it went by so fast. But how much have you filled of good deeds in it? The Prophet ﷺ taught us to begin our day saying:

Their deeds are based upon Shirk, or there is no sincerity in it, or they are not following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, so Allah did not accept any of their deeds.

3) Taking the Shaytan as a Wali instead of Allah

In Surah An-Nisa:

Nowadays it is so easy to do these actions. - a few operations and the lady becomes another person. You find ads in the street advertising for "Long Lasting Youth". But for how long will you live? It is a calamity that the old want to be like the young, they do not have the wisdom the old used to have in the past. In the past the old would remind you of the hereafter, tell you not to waste this life, to prepare yourself for the real life, but nowadays everyone wants to be young, slim and run from one clinic to another to do so.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو، فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا

"Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing or destroying it" [Muslim]

Those who set themselves free prepare for the hereafter, and those who destroy themselves are busy with the Dunya, beautifying themselves and their houses. They have lost their lives.

"فقد خسر خسرانا مبينا"

This is مفعول مطلق in Arabic and is done for stressing. They suffer a loss which can never be repaired.

E.g. You are listening to a lecture and your friend reminds you of a sale at the mall. You listen to the caller of the Shaytan over what you were doing of remembrance of Allah.

If you listen to the Shaytan, you will not remember Allah, and one of the attributes of the مفلحين is that they always remember Allah. In Surah Al-Mujadalah:

Ibn Abbas said that the Shaytan sits in the heart of the slave, if the slave remembers Allah he will go, if he ceases he comes back.

The Scholars used to advise themselves saying, "If someone competes with you in the Dunya, then throw it at their face."

Competing for the Dunya is a race without an end.

4) Feeling Secure from the Plan of Allah

This is one of the Major Sins. Allah said in Surah Al-A'raaf:

You think your faith is as huge and firm as a mountain. The believer should be afraid that he would be afflicted with a calamity and this calamity would be a cause of him decreasing in faith or losing it. That is why the Prophet ﷺ would say, "اللهم يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك"

Allah said regarding what those who have knowledge say in Surah Aal-Imran [3:8]:

"(They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower."

We should have both hope and fear equally, like the wings of a bird.

5) Not Accepting Guidance

In Surah Al-A'raaf:

The loser is the one who is misguided. You are not guided by yourself, you are guided by Allah. This is why we repeat "اهدنا الصراط المستقيم" in every Rak'ah we pray. If Allah misguides you, no one can guide you. This is why we should perpetually feel poor and in need to the guidance of Allah.

Allah said in a Hadith Qudsi:

كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إِلاَّ مَنْ هَدَيْتُ فَسَلُونِي الْهُدَى أَهْدِكُم

'All of you are astray except those whom I guide. Ask Me for guidance and I will guide you.' [Ibn Majah]

When you recite Surah Al-Fatihah, when you reach 'اهدنا الصراط المستقيم' collect your heart, and say it with a present heart. This is the aim of Surah Al-Fatihah - Allah's guidance.

6) Hypocrisy / Weak Faith

In Surah Al-Hajj:

Allah mentions a type of people who have weak faith. If good happens to them they praise the religion and Allah. If their sustenance is good they feel good and worship Allah. If Allah afflicts them with a calamity they say things against Allah and the Religion. Calamities show you if you are a believer or hypocrite.

If you are a believer you know that during good times, the worship required from you is gratitude. And during bad times, the worship that is required from you is patience. You are a slave of Allah. Allah is All-Wise in decreeing calamities, your duty is to accept.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us to say in the Morning and Evening Supplications:

Do you say it with your tongue and then when a calamity occurs you blame everyone and everything? Who is running your affairs and sustaining you and the creatures around you? You should accept what He writes upon you whether good or bad. You should perform the worship depending on the time you are in. If you are in a calamity you should have patience and wait for good from Allah.

In Surah At-Tawbah:

7) Thinking Bad of Allah

In Surah Fussilat:

In the previous verses [41:20-22]:

"Till, when they reach it (Hell-fire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes, and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do."

"And they will say to their skins, "Why do you testify against us?" They will say: "Allah has caused us to speak, as He causes all things to speak, and He created you the first time, and to Him you are made to return."

"And you have not been hiding against yourselves, lest your ears, and your eyes, and your skins testify against you, but you thought that Allah knew not much of what you were doing."

They thought that Allah does not hear them, see them, know their intentions. They thought that they could go to a place where Allah could not see them and commit sin. This is bad thinking about Allah.

The Scholars said that the greatest thing that will prevent you from sin is knowing that Allah knows you, hears you, sees you all the time'

It is good to remind your children that Allah is with them all the time. Even if they are in their homes in total darkness, Allah is with them. We all know Allah is the All-Hearer and the All-Seer, but how much do we act upon this knowledge?

The servant of Abdullaah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما, Naaf’e reports, “We were with Abdullaah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما outside of Madeenah and some people prepared some food for us to eat and whilst we were eating a shepherd was walked past with a flock of sheep. The shepherd gave Salaam and Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما returned it and asked him to join them in the meal. The shepherd replied he was fasting. Abdullaah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما was shocked as it was extremely hot and that the shepherd was also working hard. The Shepherd said he found these days to be extremely beneficial. Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما wanted to test the man so he said to him, “Sell me one of the sheep, we will also give you some of its meat and you can open your fast with it.” The Shepherd replied, “They are not my sheep but rather my masters.” Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما said, “Your master will not care if one sheep goes missing just saying a wolf ate it.” So the Shepherd replied, “Where is Allaah?” and he would say this loudly and he himself would point towards the sky. When Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما returned to Madeenah he met the shepherds master and freed the slave and gifted the sheep to him.” (Tabaraanee, Baihaqee in Shu’ab, Siyaar 3/216) from Allaamah Irshaad ul-Haqq al-Atharee ‘s book ‘Paths of Salvation’ pg.158

8) Disbelief in the Ayaat of Allah

This is disbelief in the Ayaat of Allah whether Quranic Ayaat or Universal Signs. In Surah Az-Zumar:

Everything around you is an evidence that there is no Creator except Allah and that He alone deserves to be worshipped. In Surah Yunus:

And in Surah Al-Baqarah:

Allah revealed the Quran as a guidance for people, but for some, it will be a cause of their loss, as Allah said in Surah Al-Isra'a:

The believers will benefit from the Quran, it will heal the sickness of their heart and body, and it will be a mercy for them. But it will increase the wrongdoers in nothing but loss. Every time he hears it he will respond to it with a joke, mocking, etc.

Deeds done by the Losers

1) Unlawful Bloodshed

In Surah Al-Maa'idah:

The Prophet ﷺ said in the Farewell Sermon:

فَإِنَّ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ وَأَعْرَاضَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ حَرَامٌ كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَ

"Your blood and your wealth and your honor are sacred to one another, as sacred as this day of yours, in this land of yours" [Ibn Majah]

It is not allowed for you to even cause a wound in the skin of your brother or sister.

We talk and talk, and one word may be a cause of getting one man killed, and all the people that encouraged his murder with their tongues will be accountable.

Abu Hurayrah used to make Tawaf around the Ka'bah and seek refuge with Allah from killing people, committing adultery, and stealing. A man said, "You are the Companion of the Prophet ﷺ and you are asking Allah to protect you from major sins?" He said "Yes, if Allah doesn't protect me how will I protect myself?"

2) Killing ones children out of Shame or fear of Poverty

In Surah Al-An'am:

3) Obeying the Disbelievers

In Surah Aal-Imran:

Do not think that the disbelievers want any good for you. Do not obey them at all, especially with regards to your Religion.

E.g. Calling for the Religions to unite, remove the verses which talk about Jihad, don't wear Hijab,etc

They want you to disbelieve like them.

4) Negligent with their Prayers

5) Their Money and Children could be a cause of their Loss

Allah gave you children and money as a test. Will you use them to please Allah or in sin?

In Surah Nuh:

Their children make them take them to places with sin, encourage them to enjoy life, and this causes them to decrease in faith.

And Allah said in Surah Al-Munafiqun:

Beware of obeying your children with regards to sin. Tell them you have a red line, the Haraam, and you will never go beyond that. If they said, "only this time" you are opening the gates of sin and you do not know what will happen after that.

6) Breaking the Covenant of Allah, Severing what Allah ordered to be Joined, and Making Mischief on the Earth