At first glance, things are okay. That’s because the day always preludes the night. The calm before the storm is like a dusk; it is light leading to darkness. Similarly, the doubtful matters of life lead to evil. When you delve into doubtful matters regarding faith of people, it can lead to greater evil thus it is better to avoid them.
The Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam] said "Both legal and illegal things are obvious, and in between them are (suspicious) doubtful matters. So whoever forsakes those doubtful things lest he may commit a sin, will definitely avoid what is clearly illegal; and whoever indulges in these (suspicious) doubtful things bravely, is likely to commit what is clearly illegal. Sins are Allah's Hima (i.e. private pasture) and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment."
At the outset of evil is a line of uncertainty. Although it may feel peaceful at first, later on the chaos will arrive. Wading out in the doubtful matters gets one pulled into the gravitation of evil. One must avoid the doubtful matters for the sake of his soul.
Between sanity and insanity is a thin line. Although many interesting things may be found there, one should avoid that line altogether. One slip of the foot could cause him to fall into the mirror sanity and to lose himself.
As the Prophet Muhammad (SWS) advised, avoid the doubtful matters so that you can be free from sin. It might seem appealing at first, but what will come will be a storm. And you don’t want to be in that storm.
Similar to our own soul’s sake, is the sake of humanity. Humanity has been exponentially progressing; but the progress into sin has also taken its toll. It’s easier and easier to do evil as the technological singularity is tended to.
The best of the people were the people of the Prophet Muhammad’s (SWS) time, then the next generation, then the next.
Narrated ‘Abdullãh (raa) The Prophet (swt) said, “The best amongst the people are those living in my century (generation), and then those coming after them, and then those coming after the latter. Then there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths, and their oaths will precede their witness.”
When the darkest hours of mankind occurs, soon the breath-taking light of dawn will emerge. Soon after will the light of day bathe humanity, but soon after will the darkness of dusk emerge. That’s when the evils of night settle in humanity, after the good has occurred. The goodness in the Prophet Muhammad’s (SWS) generation was like a calm before the storm. Right now, it seems we are in the storm.
“Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn
As favor from us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.” (Qu’ran 54:34-35)
Like the city of Sodom, the world we live in may in fact be ready to experience such punishment. Some might say it’s cruel, while the truth is it’s deserved. The vast evil that occurs every day in this world goes unnoticed.
Al-Harith ibn Suwaid reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Verily, the believer views his sins as if they are a mountain over him he fears will crush him. The wicked views his sins as if they are a fly passing over his nose.”
Allah also delays the punishment for the disbelievers. He lets people enjoy themselves with their arrogance, extravagance, and lusts, until he uproots them like a cedar tree is uprooted, making all their folly fruitless. In the end, they lose.
So don’t think the calm before the storm is one prelude to peace. It is the opposite. And use this as a catalyst to be afraid of Allah, and not to be arrogant and bask in your own self-worship. It is Allah you must worship, and Him alone.