Two types of people exist so which one are you?

Two Types of People — Which One Are You?

In the beginning of the Islamic year, a new beginning took place — a change, a transformation. It was the migration of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his companions from Mecca to Medina. There were people who had to leave behind their families, their wealth, their loved ones, their properties, their tribes, their neighbors.

They had to leave everything behind in order to make this new change and go to this unknown land where they had never lived. They knew nobody. Why? Because there was a promise of a future where Islam can flourish.

The Night of the Hijrah

As the Prophet journeys in the darkness of the night, in the mounds of the desert, as he finds a cave in the middle of the desert between Mecca and Medina and he stays there with Abu Bakr for a few days. During this stay there is one moment — the entire history of Islam could have changed in this one moment. As the Prophet peace be upon him is in this cave and Abu Bakr is by his side, a search party from Mecca who are coming to take the head of Rasulullah peace be upon him back to Mecca as a prize.

They come upon this cave following the footsteps. They climb to the top of the cave, and in this moment the whole history of Islam and the future of Islam hangs in the balance. If they look down, it's finished.

And it is at this point even the Prophet's closest companion Abu Bakr looks at him and he says, "O Messenger of Allah, if these men look down for one second, we are finished." And the Prophet peace be upon him responds to Abu Bakr: "Ya Abu Bakr, you seem to have forgotten that we are two, but Allah is with us. He is the third."

And in this moment Allah sends him a strange sense of calmness, a strange sense of contentment and peace, as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Quran:

"O Muslims, if you do not stand up to support the cause of Allah, Allah is going to look after His people anyway. Remember the day when the disbelievers kicked the Prophet peace be upon him out of Mecca. Remember when there were only two lonely men in a dark cave — in that moment of fear, that moment of giving up, the Prophet turned to his companion and said صلى الله عليه وسلم: 'Don't worry, Allah is always with us.'"

Two Types of Believers

You see, one of the fascinating things about the believers is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala divides the believers into two categories. There are only two types of people — no third.

There are people who stand up to do something for the sake of Allah — to serve Allah, to build institutions, to help the needy, to build the masajid, to build the schools, to support in every which way possible. They want to do something for Allah's sake.

And there is another category — the couch potatoes, the people who are sleeping, who are lazy, who are sitting, who want nothing to do, nothing to serve.

Did you know there were many people that refused to migrate to Medina because they were too comfortable, because they were not willing to sacrifice, they were not willing to sweat, they were not willing to give up for the sake of Allah?

So Allah says: "Believers, what is wrong with you that when I'm asking you to step up for My sake, you decide to be lazy and stay on the ground? Are you just happy with this — the comforts of this life more than the afterlife? Remember that the comforts of this life are only temporary."