Fruitful Living
Reunion with loved ones (final)
For many, one of the most comforting promises is the possibility of reunion with loved ones in the Hereafter. Allah says:
“And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith — We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds.”
(Qur’an, 52:21).
This verse means that families who shared faith and righteousness will be reunited in Paradise, even if their levels of good deeds differed. The Prophet Mohammed s.a.w. also said that a person will be with those they love (Bukhari, Muslim) — meaning love for the righteous is itself a cause for closeness in the Hereafter.
Reward for the Righteous
The Qur’an paints vivid and hopeful images of Paradise:
“Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and pleasure.”(Qur’an, 82:13)
“No soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.”(Qur’an, 32:17).
The Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.) described the believer’s soul after death:
“The soul of the believer is a bird that eats from the trees of Paradise until Allah returns it to his body on the Day of Resurrection.” (Muslim).
This imagery reassures believers that after life’s trials, eternal peace, joy, and honour await them.
Protection in the Grave
The journey of the afterlife begins in the grave, and Islam offers guidance on protection during this stage. The Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.) taught that Surah Al-Mulk intercedes for its reciter until they are forgiven (Tirmidhi).
He also mentioned that acts like sincere prayer, charity, and Qur’an recitation during life become a shield against the grave’s trials. For the believer, the grave is described as: “Either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of Hell.”(Tirmidhi).
Hope in Allah’s Mercy
Above all, the believer’s greatest comfort lies in Allah’s infinite mercy. The Prophet narrated that Allah says: “My mercy prevails over My wrath.”(Bukhari, Muslim).
Even for those who fell short, sincere repentance before death is met with forgiveness, and even minor good deeds can tip the scales toward salvation.
The Islamic view of the afterlife is not meant to instill fear alone, but to inspire hope, patience, and perseverance. For the believer, death is the moment the doors to eternal mercy open. The Hereafter is where justice is fulfilled, wrongs are set right, loved ones are reunited, and the righteous enjoy the eternal presence of Allah — the ultimate reward.
Burial in line with the Sharia
Islam commands that the deceased be honoured with a swift, respectful, and Sharia-compliant burial.
Hastening the funeral:
The Prophet Mohammed s.a.w. said: “Hasten the funeral, and if the deceased was righteous, you are sending them to goodness; and if they were otherwise, you are removing evil from your shoulders.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
Avoiding Unnecessary Delay:
Delay is permitted only for valid reasons, such as conducting investigations into a suspicious circumstances leading to the death of the diseased to unravel the truth, awaiting close relatives or fulfilling other legal obligations.
Sharia Burial Rites:
In Islam, the deceased is honoured through dignified and simple rites that reflect humility before Allah. The body is ritually washed (ghusl al-mayyit), as practised by the Prophet Mohammed s.a.w (Bukhari), and then wrapped in plain white cloth (kafan) to symbolise equality and purity (Abu Dawud). A communal funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) follows, offered without bowing or prostration, seeking Allah’s mercy for the deceased (Muslim). Finally, the body is laid in the grave facing the Qiblah, with simplicity and no extravagance, fulfilling the Prophet’s command: “Hasten the funeral.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
Reflection
Death is the gateway to the eternal meeting with Allah. The wise Muslim lives every day with the awareness of this reality. The Prophet Mohammed s.a.w. advised:
“When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Muslim).
Let us strive to prepare our hearts, rectify our deeds, and meet death with faith and peace, trusting in Allah’s mercy and justice.
- Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author
Fruitful Living
Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Morality of Public Space: Reclaiming Ghana’s Civic Virtue through Faith and Policy (Final Part)
A. The Role of Religious Leaders and Counsellors
Religious leaders wield immense influence in shaping public values. Every mosque, church, and shrine should integrate environmental stewardship into its doctrine. Islam views the earth as a masjid—a place of prostration (Sahih Bukhari, 335). Polluting it is akin to defiling a sacred space. Monthly khutbahs should focus on amanah and tahārah, connecting spiritual purity to environmental discipline.
As a counsellor, I affirm that behavioural reform requires both moral teaching and psychological reinforcement. When believers internalise that cleaning a drain is an act of ʿibādah (worship), they transform routine labour into sacred service. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Removing harmful things from the path is a branch of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 35). This hadith perfectly captures the theology of civic virtue.
B. Individual and Community Pledge
Moral renewal begins with personal accountability. Every household must adopt responsible waste practices—segregating recyclables, composting, and cooperating with collection services. Citizens must also exercise al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wan-nahy ʿani-l-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil) by correcting neighbours who litter or misuse public spaces, with gentleness and wisdom (Qur’an 16:125).
Communities should establish local sanitation committees under mosque and church leadership, creating faith-driven accountability structures. Supporting local enforcement, rather than resisting it, must be seen as a contribution to maslahah—the public interest that the Sharia seeks to protect.
This collective moral reawakening must integrate faith, governance, and citizenship into one moral project: cleanliness as worship, sanitation as patriotism.
C. Conclusion: Cleanliness, Dignity, and the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
Ghana’s destiny as a great nation is inseparable from the cleanliness of its environment and the conscience of its citizens. The choked gutters, polluted rivers, and scattered waste are not only environmental failures but spiritual wounds upon our collective soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Sahih Muslim, 1015). A nation that aspires to divine favour must first reflect divine purity in its public spaces.
To achieve this, we must view sanitation through the lens of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah—the higher objectives of Islamic law—which aim to preserve life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn), intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql), wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl), and posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl). Clean environments are essential for all five objectives:
- Preservation of Life (ḥifẓ al-nafs): Proper sanitation prevents disease and death. Protecting human health is a divine imperative. Allah says, “And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction.” (Qur’an 2:195).
- Preservation of Faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn): Islam equates purity with faith. An unclean environment obstructs worship and spiritual growth, violating the believer’s covenant of cleanliness.
- Preservation of Intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql): Healthy surroundings promote clarity of thought, while pollution and disease diminish cognitive vitality and learning.
- Preservation of Wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl): Waste management safeguards public funds, prevents costly health crises, and preserves natural resources.
- Preservation of Posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl): Environmental care ensures a habitable planet for future generations, fulfilling our amanah to the unborn.
By aligning sanitation with these higher objectives, we transform a civic duty into a sacred mission. Achieving the Maqāṣid requires cooperation between policy and piety—laws enforced justly, education grounded in values, and citizens inspired by faith.
Let every believer remember that a clean street is a silent dhikr (remembrance of Allah), a purified drain is a fulfilled amanah, and a healthy neighbour is a protected trust. When our gutters run clear and our air smells fresh, it will signify not merely progress but piety—proof that Ghana has reclaimed its moral and civic virtue under the gaze of the Almighty Allah.
Thank you.
- By Imam Alhaji SaeedBAbdulai, the Author
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B. Instead, walk in righteousness and true holiness … (20–24)
1. This is how you learned Christ
- As you heard Him and were taught by Him (through His apostles, of course – Matt. 28:19-20)
- In Whom is the truth – John 8:31; 14:6
2. For you were taught to “put off” the “old man”
- That is, your “former conduct,” how you behaved before you were saved – Col. 3:5-9
- Putting off the old man is needed because it is never content, but grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (like addictive drugs, you always need more).
3. And to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
- Which is the key to true “transformation” – Rom. 12:1-2
- You “renew your mind” only as you “set your mind on things above” – Col. 3:1-2
4. And to “put on the new man”
- A new man “which was created according to God” – Col. 3:10
- A new man, “in righteousness and true holiness” – Col. 3:12-17
In giving the admonition “No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles,” Paul has made it clear that it involves both a “putting off” and a “putting on.” That is, our “Walking in Truth and Holiness” is not just a bunch of “Thou Shalt Not’s,” there are also some “Thou Shalt’s.”
To illustrate further the difference between the “old man” (how the rest of the Gentiles walk) and the “new man” (how Christians are to walk), we find Paul making…
II. The Application – (25–32)
Case in point: lying (25)
- The “old man” thinks nothing of lying
- The “new man” puts away lying, and in its place speaks truth with his neighbor (especially to those who are members of the same body)
Case in point: anger (26–27)
- The “old man” gets angry and lets it linger, or get out of control
- The “new man” may get angry, but does not…
- Let it linger (“do not let the sun go down on your wrath”)
- Allow it to prompt sinful behavior (“nor give place to the devil”)
Case in point: stealing (28)
- The “old man” is willing to steal
- The “new man” not only stops stealing, but works so he can help others in need!
Case in point: corrupt communication (29)
- The “old man” doesn’t worry or care what comes out of his mouth
- The “new man” not only avoids “corrupt communication,” but seeks to speak that which is uplifting to those who hear
Summary (30–32)
Why be concerned about putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man?”
When Christians act like the “old man,” it grieves the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit we were sealed for the day of redemption – Eph. 1:13-14.
Therefore, we ought to put away those things befitting the “old man” (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice). And in its place, we need to put on those things befitting the “new man” (being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God forgives us in Christ).
Conclusion
What a contrast there would be if all those in the church truly carried out the admonition to “Walk in Truth and Holiness!” The church would stand out like “a city that is set on a hill” – Matt. 5:14-16.
And the world, though it now has “their understanding darkened,” would be more likely to come to see the truth that is in Jesus. But what hope is there if the church is more like the world than the “holy temple” it is to be?
Brethren, are we “grieving the Holy Spirit of God?” – Ephesians 4:30. While the increasing worldliness in our society naturally concerns us, let us be careful not to react with attitudes that reveal our old characteristic when we were in the world.
BY Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
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