JEDDAH: The bliss in the Hereafter is incomparable to any other feeling, said Dr. Osama Bin Abdullah Khayyat, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah in his Friday sermon. Al-Khayyat said this bliss can be sought by doing good deeds, by implementing what Allah Almighty has ordained, carrying out the obligations, keeping away from sinful acts, and seeking to please Allah by performing the Nawafil (non-obligatory prayers). People should realize that what they sow today in their short lives in this world, they will reap tomorrow in the Hereafter, he added. Al-Khayyat criticized those whose main concern is to accrue fleeting wealth and indulge in short-lived happiness in this world, forgetting about the Hereafter. He said Allah Almighty has warned people about such acts. He said contentment raises the soul to lofty levels and a person can lead a life characterized by peace of mind and a tranquil soul. He said the Prophet (peace be upon him) has ordered everyone to be content. Meanwhile, Sheikh Salah Al-Budair, Imam and Khateeb of the Prophet's Mosque in Madina, said the Islamic Shariah has forbidden pointing a weapon or piece of iron, whether seriously or in jest, at a brother Muslim. He quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbidding a Muslim from pointing a weapon at his brother Muslim because Satan might drive him to hurt or kill him, resulting in punishment in the Hellfire. Al-Budair said killing another human being without a right to do so is a grave crime and mistake whether the victim is a Muslim or non-Muslim. He said Allah considers the world coming to an end less serious than to kill a believer without a right to do so. Al-Budair quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying that whoever kills a believer of another religion (other than Islam), will not smell the fragrance of heaven, which can be smelled from a walking distance of forty years. Al-Budair said the people of other religions have rights, duties and obligations. If any of them contravenes their duties and obligations, necessitating punishment, then nobody has the right to mete out the punishment himself, which is the case with a Muslim. But deciding such punishment is the right of Muslim rulers, if it is in the interest of Islam. He pointed out that the attack on the Coptic church in Egypt was a criminal act, an injustice and aggression prohibited by Islam. The act was the unjustified killing of inviolable souls and an act of terrorism that contravenes the spirit and principles of Islam, which are based on justice, mercy, and compliance with treaties.
