Surah Kahf Day: Saying InshaAllah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Many a times we forget to say InshaAllah ( إن شاء الله -- If Allah wills) before talking about doing something in future or expecting something to happen in future. And most of us mention this phrase as a mere ritual without reflecting upon the meaning, while many others abused it.

Despite it’s true meaning, in reality Inshallah is widely used to express something else altogether. InshaAllah is generally used to brush things off as unimportant or insignificant. When there are no intentions to actually perform a task, a plain ‘inshallah’ is the most common response. Inshallah is used as a sort ‘buffer’ to soften what the person really wants to say; “No” (very common in invitation when the person doesn't want accept). The saying can also be used when someone doesn’t take the person or question at hand seriously. Sometimes when people are just too busy, they say InshaAllah’ to take the responsibility off oneself. Sort of like saying, if they don’t have time to do the job, it was not their fault, because ‘God willed it” so to speak. Simply not knowing the answer to something is more often an inshallah than “I don’t know”. ‘Bukra inshallah’ is something you will hear every so often. In other words, ‘inshallah bukra’ means it’s not gonna happen. Inshallah has been abused to the point it has become something negative in some cultures.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Ummah has been taught to say 'InshaAllah' ( إن شاء الله ) along with the promise or affirmation of doing something in the future. Because, who knows if one does or does not live, and even if one does, will one be able to do or not to do that?

لَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَا۟ىْءٍ إِنِّى فَاعِلٌ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا ﴿٢٣﴾ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّـهُ ۚ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًا ﴿٢٤

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow," (23) Except [when adding], "If Allah wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct." (24)

[Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:23-24]

The background of the revelation of the first two verses has been reported in Lubab from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas in the following manner. When the people of Makkah acting as coached by the Jews, asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the story of Ashab al-Kahf etc., he promised to answer that next day without having said InshaAllah. The least shortcoming issuing forth from the close ones brings some or the other notice of caution. Therefore, no revelation came for the next fifteen days. Naturally, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was grieved and the Mushriks of Makkah had their opportunity to laugh and ridicule. After this interval of fifteen days, when the answer to the questions asked was revealed, these two verses were revealed along with it as a measure of guidance. They told him that, should he need to say something about what he was going to do the next day, he should invariably affirm it by saying InshaAllah, for everything depends on the intention and will of Allah Ta'ala.

No matter how carefully we plan something and how likely that plan may seem to materialize, ultimately it can only materialize if Allah wills. The final approval is always His for everything in life. Indeed, His approval may depend upon various aspects of our character, intent and behavior. But unless He ordains and permits a thing to happen for us, we cannot make it happen. A believer should be confident about it in his or her heart, and confess to it verbally as well that when making a commitment to do something next day, what will be said will be: 'If Allah Ta'ala wills, I shall do this thing tomorrow.' This is what the saying of InshaAllah means.

The purpose of saying this word is to invoke Divine blessing and to confess to one's slavehood and not to make a statement contingent or conditional or do something in the future that is haram or lead to one.

May Allah guide us and the Ummah. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Fear of Poverty and Alleviate Poverty

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Fear of poverty is considered one of the diseases of the heart. Scholars have said that nurturing this fear is tantamount to harboring a negative opinion about Allah Almighty.

Allah Almighty says,

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٦

And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register. (6)

[Qur'an Hud 11:6]

وَفِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ فَوَرَبِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُۥ لَحَقٌّ مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنَّكُمْ تَنطِقُونَ ﴿٢٣

And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised. (22) Then by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is truth - just as [sure as] it is that you are speaking. (23)

[Qur'am Adh-Dhariyat 51:22-23]

Fear of poverty is also doubting this guarantee from Allah.

Allah Almighty says,

ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ وَٱللَّـهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٦٨

Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (268)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:268]

One of shaytan's tricks is to keep people so occupied with the fear of losing their wealth that they end up desperately clinging to their money and depriving the needy and themselves of the goodness of giving for the sake of Allah.

A person under the spell of irrational fear is more vulnerable to transgress laws, even to the point of indulging in lewdness, for the purpose of gaining profit and wealth.

The cure for fear of poverty is to have a good opinion of Allah. Allah Almighty says,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦﴾ مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ ﴿٥٧﴾ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ ﴿٥٨

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56) I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. (57) Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength. (58)

[Qur'an Adh-Dhariyat 51:57]

People who harbor good thoughts about their Provider deflect insidious whisperings about Him and the subtle provocations that create irrational fear. His dominion is never diminished in the least when He gives to His creation all that they need. And if someone is given more than another, one should not harbor bad thoughts toward that person. Wholesome thoughts about Allah express themselves in one's contentment with what he/she has, and not stretching one's eyes toward the assets of others.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Contentment is a treasure that is never exhausted."

If one is to have fear, let it be of Allah.

Allah Almighty says,

وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّـهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا ﴿٢﴾ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا ﴿٣ ...

... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (2) And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (3)

[Qur'an 65:2-3]

Allah is the Provider and source of all wealth and comfort. He has promised that those who believe in Him and expend on behalf of the poor and needy shall receive a far more valuable return than the measure of what they spend.

Leave and avoid businesses/jobs and activities that are prohibited in Islam--such alcohol, film/music, tobacco, interest/usury, insurance.

Don't be a miser. Being Muslim we have a responsibility to alleviate poverty. Muslims in the world are some of the richest. If this wealth is used as per the direction of Allah we can alleviate poverty. Islam as system and way of life is based on collective responsibility of society, ethics and principles. If we follow it we will be able to remove the poverty from our society, starting with our family, friends and neighbors. Commitment, purity and taqwa (God Fearing) is what required for success.

Pay your zakat (obligatory charity). Every Muslim who has wealth that reach a certain minimum quantum of any good or wealth (nisab) must pay zakat. In the list of priority first is close relative who are poor and needy, then neighbor and then those in close vicinity, city and nation.

Give Sadaqa (Voluntary charity). Sadaqa is a very wide term and is used in the Qur'an to cover all kinds of charity. Its scope is so vast that even the poor who can have nothing tangible to give can offer sadaqa in the shape of a smile or a glass of water to a thirsty person, or they may even just utter a kindly word. Good conduct is frequently termed sadaqa in the hadith. Planting something from which a person, bird or animal later eats also counts as sadaqa. In this extended sense, acts of loving kindness, even greeting another with a cheerful face, is regarded as sadaqa. In short, every good deal is sadaqa. Giving of sadaqa serves a number of functions. Sadaqa first and foremost act as expiation for sins. The believers are asked to give sadaqa immediately following any transgression (Ihya-e-Ulumuddin, Al-Ghazzali, 1/298). Voluntary alms-giving can also compensate for any shortcoming in the past payment of zakat, Sadaqa also gives protection against all kinds of evil.

Sadaqa wards off affliction in this world, questioning in the grave and punishment on Judgment Day. It is therefore recommended to give sadaqa by night and by day, in secret and in public to seek Allah's pleasure.

Allah Almighty says,

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٢٧٤

Those who spend their wealth [in Allah 's way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. (274)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:274]

The constant giving of a little is better with Allah than occasional giving of much. Sadaqa is also a means of moral edification.

Take care of those who are not in position to take care of themselves. Every Muslim should know his responsibility towards other people and try to ease those who are in difficulties.

In some instances, it is better to help someone start a business than giving money outright. A man approached the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, seeking for his generosity. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, instead asked him to bring whatever he has from his home. The man returned with an old copper mug. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, then asked his companions seated with him if any of them would buy the mug. One of the companions offered to pay one dirham. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, then asked if anyone would offer two dirhams and one of them did. He then gave one dirham to the man to buy food for the day and asked him to buy an axe with the other dirham. When he came back with the axe, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, personally fixed a wooden handle to the axe and asked him to get firewood to sell at the market. A few days later, the man met the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him he has been getting some fifteen dirhams selling firewood within the last few days.

Adopt the Islamic inheritance law and tell others -- Islam being a complete religion gives rights to every living creature. When we adopt best practices of Islam we can surely reduce poverty. While we might not be in the position of changing the world to follow this Divine law, however, as an individual we can help reduce poverty by leaving a third of the gross inheritance (through our Will) to the poor relatives and other poor.

Be kind to your neighbor. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: Angel Jibril advised me persistently about (kind treatment) towards the neighbor (so much) that I thought he would confer upon him the (right) of inheritance. [Muslim]

May Allah make us among those who are truthful, protect us from poverty and aid us to alleviate poverty. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Every Creation Obey Allah Except Most Humans and Jinns

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Except for the humans and Jinns all other created things voluntarily and willingly submit to the Divine Authority. It is only the humans and Jinns who are divided into two factions, namely those who bow in submission to the Will of Allah, and those who deny His authority and refuse to submit to Him and are, therefore, despised.

Allah Almighty says,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّـهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩ ﴿١٨

Have you not seen that to Allah prostrate all those in the skies and all those on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many from mankind? And there are many on whom punishment has become due. And the one whom Allah puts to disgrace, there is none to give him respect. Surely Allah does what He wills. (18)

[Qur'an Al-Anbiya 22:18]

The entire universe and all created things therein are under the control and subject to the Will of their Creator by virtue of an inherently programmed guidance (guidance of Takwin) by Allah. The 'submission' in this sense is pre-determined, involuntary and instinctive. There is no created being which can escape this universal law of creation, be it a Muslim or a non-believer, a living thing or dead, mineral or plant. The smallest particle and the highest mountain cannot make the slightest movement without His Will. There is, however, another kind of submission to Allah, when a person offers homage to Him voluntarily and without constraint. This is what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. A believer is obedient and sincere in his submission to Allah, whereas a non-believer repudiates His existence.

Human beings and Jinns possess a perfect level of intelligence, which makes them liable to a strict adherence to the laws governing what is permissible and what is forbidden. As to other creatures, Allah has given them intelligence according to their needs. Animals possess the highest degree of intelligence after humans, then come plants and last of all are the minerals. The intelligence among the animals can easily be perceived, and that possessed by plants can also be observed if one applies one's mind to the task. However, the intelligence given to the minerals is so little and concealed that it is not easily discernible, though Allah has said clearly that they not only possess intelligence but also have the capacity to decide things.

The Qur'an says about the sky and the earth in Surah Fussilat verse 11:

ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَهِىَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ٱئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَآ أَتَيْنَا طَآئِعِينَ ﴿١١

Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly."

[Qur'an Fussilat 41:11]

When Allah commanded the sky and the earth that they must submit to His Will either by their free choice or by force, they both replied that they accepted His authority by their own voluntary choice.

In Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 74, Allah says about the stones:

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّـهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّـهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧٤

Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:74]

There are rocks, which fall down in fear of Allah Ta'ala. Similarly, there are numerous traditions which provide evidence of voluntary choice. At another place the Qur'an says the mountains conversing with one another, or other created things showing signs of intelligence.

Allah gives us intelligence, not to fly rocket to the space, not to build high rises, not to surf the internet, not to get strings of degrees or ijazahs, not to discern what's good for you between this drink and that drink or this restaurant and that restaurant, not to play ball or watch the ballgame and predict who will be the best team, not to eat, drink, jolly and fulfill your lower desires, etc. The Almighty gives us intelligence to know Him, have awareness of Him and to worship Him. You are not doing Him a favor by praying, paying zakat, fasting, performing hajj, giving charity, wearing hijab, etc. He does not need our prayers, fasting, zakat, charity, praises, dhikr nor us for that matter. He does not benefit from our worship and obedience nor harm by any disobedience. But we need our prayers, fasting, charity, and any good deed, and we need Allah to enable us to do these things that benefit us. We need His Mercy. We need His Love. We need Him in every moment of our lives--in this world and the Hereafter. Try a day without water or electricity or losing you car key for a day, see how helpless you become! If this does not make us humble to our Creator, that shows how hard the hearts are and we need major surgery so it can function according to our fitrah.

Allah Almighty says,

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُۥ خَـٰشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١

If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah . And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.

[Qur'an Al-Hashr 59:21]

إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ ﴿١٨﴾ وَٱلطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ ﴿١٩

Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise. (18) And the birds were assembled, all with him repeating [praises].

[Qur'an Sad 38:18-19]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said (not exact words): The heavens above you are moaning. On every space equivalent to the size of 4 fingers, there is an angel bowing or prostrating to Allah. The Baitul Makmur (a creation of Allah equivalent to the Ka'bah to us) is visited by 70,000 angels everyday and they never come back again. Imagine, this has been going on for millions or billions or whatever number of years (Allah knows best). There is such a vast creation up there that should humble us to the core, and every time we look up to the skies, it should remind us of this and should humble us.

As you can see Allah does not need us. So be a grateful servant. Be grateful that He showers you with so many blessings, if only you reflect. How do you show this gratitude?

"You must fill up your time with acts of worship, so that no period of time elapses, whether by night or by day, without being used in some act of goodness." (quoting from Imam Al-Haddad's Book of Assistance)

Learn the Qur'an. We should be grateful for this blessing of the Qur'an and that Allah gave it to us. Learn the religion of Allah (this is part of worship with sincere intention for His sake only) so you know what you should do, how to worship Him. Don't delay the learning. If you can learn from a learned person, that's good, if not find somebody who are more learned than you, and if none, pick up a book, but learn now. Procrastination is not an excuse. Procrastination is one of the shaytan tricks that have befallen you, if you keep procrastinate. Majority of the screaming people in the Hellfire is because of their procrastination on this earth.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٧
بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا۟ لَعَادُوا۟ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ ﴿٢٨

If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) of our Lord, and we would be of the believers! But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars. (28)

[Qur'an 6:27-28]

May Allah make us His best servants. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam







Allah knows best.

Achieving Success and Self Purification

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Creator of the universe did not create things and left them to their own mercy to perform their particular function as they like, but they are shown the way in which they should be performed. In fact, He guided the entire creation by equipping each member of it with suitable nature to function for which it was created, whether the member is the sky or celestial creation, or it is the earth or the earthly creation. They all possess a special type of sense, though it is of a lower than that of man.

Allah Almighty says,

قَالَ رَبُّنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلْقَهُۥ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ ﴿٥٠

He (Moses) said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]." (50)

[Qur'an Ta-Ha 20:50]

Consequently, since the inception of their creation, the skies, the earth, the stars and planets, mountains and oceans are all performing their functions accurately, without any failure or deviation. Humans and animals, in particular, whose intellect and sensibility can be observed easily, have been invested with capabilities of fulfilling their minute needs and repelling harmful things in a way that baffles the one who thinks about it.

Since human possesses sense and intelligence of a higher degree, his capabilities may not be so much surprising, but let us look into wild animals, ferocious animals or beasts of prey, birds and insects. Each and everyone of them is able to obtain its necessities of life. They are able to find their habitats. They have not acquired the skills of fulfilling their individual and communal needs through a teacher that may educate or train them, nor did they need any school or college to acquire this knowledge and skill. Their education and training comes directly from the Creator of the universe. It is this Divine guidance that has been referred to in the Qur'an by saying,

قَالَ رَبُّنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلْقَهُۥ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ ﴿٥٠

He (Moses) said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]." (50)

[Qur'an Ta-Ha 20:50]

وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ ﴿٣

And who determined a measure (for everything), then guided (it),n(3)

[Qur'an Al'Ala 87:3]

Allah has equipped humans with the higher order of intelligence and sense. The entire universe is made subservient to us -- the earth, mountains and oceans and everything created therein are made to serve us and created for our benefit. However, full advantage of them is not possible unless human acquires knowledge and skill to put various things together and produce a new item.

Nature has provided human with intelligence and understanding to excavate mountains and dive into the oceans to obtain minerals and marine objects. He composes certain items like wood, iron, steel, copper, brass and so on and makes new items of his need. This knowledge and technology is not dependent on scientific research and college or university education. Even illiterate people have been doing this since the inception of human existence. This is intrinsic science that Allah has endowed upon human as a natural gift. Later, people developed the capability of doing technical and scientific research. They thus made progress in various fields of science and technology. The capability to do this is also a Divine gift.

Obviously, science and technology does not create anything, but it merely shows the way to use the created things. The initial knowledge about their use is taught by Allah, but there is a wide scope to make progress in it by the capabilities Allah has bestowed to humans, the manifestation of which we are witnessing in this scientific and technological age day by day, and what further range of these abilities and talents will manifest in future is unknown. This is all the manifestation of Al-Hadi. Allah has placed in them potentials and capabilities to perform their natural functions. But the scientists are getting more and more negligent, and we, the consumers are getting blind with the realities day by day.

Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud says that people generally prefer the worldly blessings and comforts to the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter, because the former is visible and readily available, while the latter is invisible and unavailable readily. People unaware of reality preferred the visible to the invisible, which became the cause of eternal loss. In order to spare them the eternal loss, Allah, through His Messengers and Books, described to them the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter so clearly as if they can perceive them [through their sense organs].

Those who are heedless of the Message and busy with this life, preferring this life to the Hereafter, are warned that they should use their intelligence to find out what they have preferred and what they have abandoned. First, realize that the highest degree of comfort and pleasure in this life is not free from the mixture of grief and hardship. Second, it is not permanent. We experience in our daily life that a king (or the wealthy) of today becomes a pauper tomorrow. A vigorous youth of today becomes old tomorrow. In the Hereafter, there will be freedom from both these defects. All its blessings and comforts will be 'much better' and they cannot be compared to the blessings and comforts of this life. Most importantly, it is "much more durable" (abqa).

Allah Almighty says,

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿١٦﴾ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ ﴿١٧

But you prefer the worldly life, (16) While the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (17)

[Qur'an Al-'ala 87:16]

It is unwise to put our heart into this life or faith in it, and waste our energy on it. If you are given the option to choose between a beautiful fully furnished mansion that you can only live in it for a month, and an ordinary, substandard house that you can live in it forever, which one would choose? Pretty sure we all will choose the second option. The fact is the bounties of the Hereafter is much more and much better than the beautiful fully furnished mansion. It is beyond our human comprehension and imagination. What we know of these great bounties, is nothing but only a glimpse. We just have to get there to know its realities. Only an unfortunate fool would prefer the blessings of this life to the bounties of the Hereafter.

Allah Almighty says,

فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ ﴿٩﴾ سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ ﴿١٠﴾ وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى ﴿١١﴾ ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ ﴿١٢﴾ ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ ﴿١٣

So remind, if the reminder should benefit; (9) He who fears [Allah] will be reminded. (10) But the wretched one will avoid it - (11) [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire, (12) Neither dying therein nor living. (13)

[Qur'an Al 'Ala 87:11-13]

Success is achieved by purifying ourselves through repentance and remembrance of Allah and worship, leaving acts of disobedience and increasing acts of obedience and supererogatory worship, and getting rid of blameworthy traits and acquiring praiseworthy traits.

Sayyidna Abi Dharr Al-Ghifari says that he inquired from the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Musa alayhissalaam. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied that they contained lessons of wisdom. Some of them are as follows:

I am surprised at the person who believes that he will certainly die, and yet he lives happily.

I am surprised at the person who believes in Divine destiny, and yet he is despondent and aggrieved.

I am surprised at the person who experiences the vicissitudes of life and rise and fall of nations, and yet he is content with the world.

I am surprised at the person who believes in the Reckoning of the Hereafter, and yet he abandons [good] deeds.

Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari says that he asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, whether anything from these scriptures was revealed to him, he replied in the affirmative and asked Sayyidna Abu Dharr Ghifari to recite verses 14-19 of Surah Al 'Ala. [Qurtubi]

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ﴿١٤﴾ وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ ﴿١٥
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿١٦﴾ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ ﴿١٧﴾ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿١٨﴾ صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ﴿١٩

He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself (14) And mentions the name of his Lord and prays. (15) But you prefer the worldly life, (16) While the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (17) Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, (18) The scriptures of Abraham and Moses. (19)

[Qur'an Al 'Ala 87:14-19]

May Allah guide us and purify us and save us from Hellfire. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Excellence of Poverty, Making Do with Little

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Ka'b ibn 'Iyad said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Every community has a trial, and the trial of my community is wealth.'" [at-Tirmidhi]

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "One day the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat on the minbar and we sat around him. He said, 'Part of what I fear for you after I have gone is the beauty and attraction of this world which will be opened up to you.'" [Agreed upon]

Allah Almighty says,

أَلْهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ ﴿١﴾ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ ﴿٢﴾ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣﴾ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ﴿٥﴾ لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ ﴿٦﴾ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ﴿٧﴾ ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ﴿٨

The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you, (1) Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die). (2) Nay! You shall come to know! (3) Again, Nay! You shall come to know! (4) Nay! If you knew with a sure knowledge (the end result of piling up, you would not have been occupied yourselves in worldly things) (5) Verily, You shall see the blazing Fire (Hell)! (6) And again, you shall see it with certainty of sight! (7) Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delights[] (you indulged in, in this world)! (8)

[Qur'an At-Takathur 102:1-8]

Ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took hold of my shoulders and said, 'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller on the road.' Ibn 'Umar used to say, 'In the evening, do not anticipate the morning, and in the morning do not anticipate the evening. Take from your health for your illness and from your life for your death."[al-Bukhari]

Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٤

The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought. (24)

(Qur'an Yunus 10:24)

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Three things follow a dead person: his family, his property and his actions. Two of them go back and one remains. His family and property go back and his actions remain." [Agreed upon]

Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went through the market with people on both sides of him. He passed the dead body of a deformed sheep, took it by its ear and then said, "Which of you would like to have this for a dirham?" They said, "We would not like to have it for anything. What would we do with it?" He said, "Would you like to have it?" They said, "By Allah, even if it was alive, it would be defective since it is deformed, and now it is dead." He said, "By Allah, this world has less value with Allah than this has with you." [Muslim]

Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sa'idi reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If this world had been worth as much as a gnat's wing in the eyes of Allah, no unbeliever would have had a single drink of water from it." [at-Tirmidhi]

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "That one among the people of the Fire who was wealthiest person in this world will be brought on the Day of the Fire, dipped once into it and then asked, 'Son of Adam! Did anything good ever happen to you? Did you ever experience any blessing?' He will say, 'By Allah, no, my Lord.' That one among the people of the Garden who was the most wretched person in this world will be brought and dipped once into it and then asked, 'Son of Adam! Did you ever experience any misery ? Did you ever undergo any hardship?' He will say, 'By Allah, no. I never experienced any misery and I never underwent any hardship.'" [Muslim]

'Amr ibn al-Harith, the brother of the Umm al-Mu'minin, Juwayriyya bint al-Harith, said, "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, he left neither dirham nor dinar nor slave nor slave girl nor anything other than his white mule which he used to ride, his weapons, and some land that he made sadaqa for travelers." [al-Bukhari]

'Abdullah ibn Mughaffal said, "A man said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I love you.' He said, 'Be careful of what you say.' He said, 'By Allah, I love you,' three times. He said, 'If you love me, then prepare yourself for poverty. Poverty comes swifter to the one who loves me than a flood to its destination.'" [at-Tirmidhi]

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ‌ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿٣١

"Say: 'If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you, and forgive you your sins; Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.'

[Qur'an AleImran 3:31]

A man asked the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), "When will the Hour be established O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "I haven't prepared for it much of prayers or fast or alms, but I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "You will be with those whom you love." [Bukhari]

You will be with the people you love on the Day of Judgement. If you love the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, you will be with him in the Day of Judgment and you will follow him to Paradise, inshaAllah. Look into your heart who or what it is that you really love. This will tell you where you will be on the Day of Judgement.

On the Day of Judgement “Allah will tell the people, ‘Follow the gods you used to worship.’ So whoever used to 'worship' other than Allah will follow that thing. What Allah is telling us is that if somebody didn’t worship Him, they shouldn't expect the Reward from Him either. They should go to the gods they worshipped for their reward, and when the false gods are thrown in Hell, the followers will have to follow them. That’s the justice of Allah. And there is no god besides Allah.

Abu Hurayra stated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The most truthful phrase ever said by a poet is the words of Labid: 'Everything except Allah is false.'" [Agreed upon]

May Allah forgive our sins and grant us steadfast. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

7. Nafs Al Kamila (The Complete Self)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

7. Nafs Al Kamila (The Complete Self)
Also known as the Self of Light (Nafs Al Nuraniyyah), the Muhammadan Self (Nafs Al Muhammadiyyah), and the Loving Self (Nafs Al Muhibbah).

"O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (54)" (Ma'idah 4:54)

"Then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is the Forgiving and Merciful."(AleImran 3:31)

This is the station of the completeness of servanthood to Allah through the completeness of following the teachings of His beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The one who reaches this station is blessed with knowing the complete love of Allah for him and for His Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

This is the Station of Beauty (Maqam Al Ihsan) and it is above all the stations of faith that preceded it. In this station the servant has completely attained the level of "…the most beautiful station." And so enters into the light of His beloved, the Chosen, in the station of "Two bow's lengths or nearer." in the footsteps of the beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It is the final level in the stations of the self. This station has no end to its ascension and refinement. The people of this station have nothing in their hearts but the love of Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and those who are loved by Allah and His Messenger.

The people of this station are the people of Divine Love and Passion. They are the people who follow the true footsteps of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. They are busy with their love and worship of the Truth and are not distracted by creation except to fulfill their obligations.

The likes of these folk are the servants of Allah who have been brought near (Muqarrabun) and have been selected and have gained certainty that their first obligation, after servanthood, is to love Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is while keeping the Law, and upholding its tenets. They are leaders of religious knowledge and they are lights of gnosis in Truth. Through the lights of their hearts the hearts of those around them are illuminated, and through their remembrance mercy descends. They have all they desire and they only desire love of Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. They do not seek this world, nor are they occupied by the next world. All their concern is intimacy with Allah, to hear from Him, to be near Him for they regard even a moment of separation as torment greater than Hell.

Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers, (54) In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability. (55) (Qamar 54:54-55)

Source: www.faizaneraza.org

6. Nafs Al Mardhiyah (The Gratified Self)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

6. Nafs Al Mardhiya (The Gratified Self)

"Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]," (Fajr-28)

At this stage the self is not only content with its Lord it is also gratified by Him.

"...Allah being pleased with them and they with Him." (Bayyinah 98:8)

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked "When shall we attain Allah's contentment with us?" he replied, "When you are content with your Lord."

At this stage the light of the heart is completed. The heart advances from wholesomeness (Qalb Saleem) to a heart that is in total awe (Khashiyah) of Allah, constantly inclined (Muneeb) toward Him, imbued with modesty (Hayaa') toward Him in every condition.

"Who feared the Most Merciful unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance]. (33) Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity." (34) They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more. (35)" (Qaf 50:33-35)

The folk of this station are the people of witnessing of the manifestations of the actions of the Attributes/Names of Allah. Their witnessing in their hearts to the manifestations of Allah's power results in their awe in the face of Allah's greatness and majesty in all of His actions that are essentially the manifestations of His names. When Allah loves one of His servants He seeks Him and calls him to Him. If once called the servant responds then he is brought near otherwise Allah seeks him through trials, or through miracles. For Allah's command must come to be and is utterly irresistible.

This station is the last of the stations of faith (Iman) and through it the self enters the presence of the station of "…the most beautiful station" (Ihsan) which is the goal and desire of the heart of every servant.

5. Nafs Al Radhiyah (The Content Self)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

5. Nafs Al Radhiyah (The Content Self)

"Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]," (Fajr 89:28)

As the Secure Self ascends to its Lord the lights of the heart increase and fill the entire body transforming the sensual desires of the ego to the desire for what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought in the Qur'an and Traditions. Its desires are now solely for these things and it is totally content with its Lord. Now hardship and ease are the same to it as are harm and benefit, and withholding and giving because it has become certain after becoming secure that every action and deed is from Allah alone; He is its Master, Sovereign, and Creator. He is the one who grants it Mercy and Compassion. He is the one who is Tender and Benevolent toward it. Everything that is from its Beloved is accepted by it and it is content with it. It is content with whatever Allah wishes to do with it.

At this level the self's creed is that if it is tried it is patient, and if it is given it is thankful, and if it is deprived it is accepting, and if it is wronged it is forgiving. It has now become the self with a wholesome and sound heart. It fluctuates in all its states between trust (Tawwakul) and relegation (Tafweed), and contentment (Ridah) and surrender (Tassleem) to Allah. The characteristic of this self is constant cheerfulness, gratitude, and thankfulness no matter what happens.

This is the second stage of the Complete Self (Nafs Al Kamilah), which is the station of servanthood. By ascending to this level the Content Self has entered into the first stage of "…the most beautiful station." This station is connected to the station above it.

4. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

4. Nafs al-Mutma'inna (The Soul at Peace)
It is the self that has ascended to the first station of development and the ladders of light toward intimacy, contentment and love for Allah. Its refinement is attained through increasing commitment and honest and sincere fulfillment of its obligations with respect to the true way in all its aspects particularly with respect to human relationships and conduct before acts of worship as the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Way (Deen) is in conduct," and, "The best of you in character is the best in faith."

The Secure Self has entered the pathways, methods and means of protection and healing through self-accounting, resistance, striving, and devotion. These efforts bear the fruit of certainty in the truth that Allah alone is the Actor. He is the cause and motivator of everything for there is no god but Him and no Lord but Him. And that Allah in all of his actions is merciful and generous. He knows the best interests of the self. This certainty leads to confidence in Allah. It leads to confidence in His mercy and generosity. The self becomes confident that what is with Allah is better and more enduring than whatever is in its possession or in the possession of others. In this way it reaches complete confidence in its Lord; He is the one who knows what is best for it and He is the best of Sustainers (Rabb) and the best of Trustees (Wakeel). So the self becomes secure and ceases to occupy itself with anything other than what it has reached confidence in, that is its Lord Allah.

The self in this station expands in its capacity beyond efforts and devotions toward repentance. Once it is secure with Allah it occupies itself with additional stations such as hope (Rajaa') and fear (Khawf) and trust in Him (Tawwakul). In this station the Secure Self is in constant remembrance of Allah both on the tongue and in the heart.

"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (28)" (Ra'd 13:28)

This is the first level of completion (Kamal) of the self. The heart begins to shine with the light of consciousness. The ego's power begins to shrink so that purity, refinement, clarity, and light dominate the heart so that it becomes the Secure Self. In this station the desires of immortality and sovereignty become completely veiled and they are returned to their true owner who is Allah. Now the self begins to show its true attributes that were previously hidden; these are the attributes of servanthood (Ubudiyyah), helplessness ('Ajz), humility (Zhull), poverty (Faqr), need (Ihtiyaj), and annihilation (Fana').

Allah refers to this Nafs,

يَ!ـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧

"O Self, in complete rest and satisfaction" (Al-Fajr 89:27)

This Nafs is tranquil as it rests on the certitude of Allah.

Ibn Abbas (r) said, "It is the tranquil and believing soul".

Al-Qatadah (r) said, "It is the soul of the believer, made calm by what Allah has promised. Its owner is at rest and content with his knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes, and with what He has said about Himself and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم), and with what He has said about what awaits the soul after death: about the departure of the soul, the life in the Barzakh, and the events of the Day of Qiyamah which will follow. So much so that a believer such as this can almost see them with his own eyes. So he submits to the will of Allah and surrenders to Him contentedly, never dissatisfied or complaining, and with his faith never wavering. He does not rejoice at his gains, nor do his afflictions make him despair - for he knows that they were decreed long before they happened to him, even before he was created…."….

(Al-Tabari: Jami' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 13, Bulaq 1323)

3. Nafs Al Malhamah (The Inspired Self)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

3. Nafs Al Malhamah (The Inspired Self)
This is the self that has ascended through effort and commitment to its true way from the station of the Blaming Self to the station of the self that is constantly seeking forgiveness and repentance regardless of its guilt or innocence. This is due to its certainty that the root of its attributes is imperfection, fault, weakness and incompletion.

At this level the self is inspired with the early stages of love for good wholesome deeds (Amal Saleh), and for the Qur'an and Traditions of the Prophet. It is also inspired with love of remembrance (Zhikr) and to seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) and to correcting its intentions (Niyyah) and renewing its repentance (Tawbah).

This is the last level of danger for the self for it is still vulnerable to descending to the lower stages of Blame and Commanding. At this stage the two desires for immortality and sovereignty are dormant except in passing thoughts.

2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames, the Reproaching soul)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(2) Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames, the Reproaching soul)
This is the self in its original state of birth into the world as Allah says,

"And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it (7) And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, (8)" (Shams 91:7-8)

Allah refers to this Nafs,

وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا ﴿٧﴾ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا ﴿٨

"And I swear by the reproaching soul [to the certainty of resurrection]. (2)" (Al-Qiyamah 75:2)

This Nafs is conscious of its own imperfections.

Hasan al-Basri said, "You always see the believer blaming himself and saying things like 'Did I want this? Why did I do that? Was this better than that?"….

This is the self that has been touched by Allah's Mercy so that when it commits a sin or falls into disobedience, it blames itself and turns to forgiveness and repents to its Sustainer. Then it holds on to obedience until it slips back into sin then it turns to forgiveness and repentance and so on.

It has grasped what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "All humans are prone to sin and the best sinners are those who repent."

It is a self that is in constant fluctuation between obedience and disobedience. One time it is heedless and falls and another it is aware and resists.

This is the natural station which we start from at birth and from there we descend or ascend. Its sign is the fluctuation between the characteristics of the people of this world and the people of the next world. It is not in the same evil condition as the Commanding Self but the two desires of immortality and sovereignty are still active in it although in a much reduced or weakened condition. This is the first stage of salvation for the self and the first step toward its purification and success.

1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(1) Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands)
This is the Nafs that brings punishment itself. By its very nature it directs its owner towards every wrong action. No one can get rid of its evil without the help from Allah. As Allah refers to this Nafs in the story of the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) and Prophet Yusuf (as):

"...Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy." (Yusuf 12:53)

Allah also says:

"And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure; but Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." (An-Nur 24:21)

This Nafs resides in the world of the senses and is dominated by earthly desires (Shahwat) and passions. It is the lowest level of the self and the worst. In it is found extreme desire and lust for immortality and sovereignty. Thus it is attached to the worst of characteristics from which we have been warned by Allah and His Prophet. For example self-admiration, arrogance and pride, hardness of the heart, oppression of creatures, love for exposing the faults of others, lying, gossip, back-biting, envy, jealousy, criticism, undeserved self-praise, bitterness, attachment to what belongs to others even if it possesses what is better, lack of contentment, constant complaining, lack of gratitude, blindness to its blessings, wishing for increase without effort, extreme selfishness, greed and covetousness that knows no limit, love of control, and love of self and its desires, hatred for those who criticize it even if it is for its own good and love for those who praise it even if it is in hypocrisy, rejection of advice and counsel, and only talking about itself.

Evil lies hidden in the Nafs and it is this that leads it on to do wrong. If Allah were to leave the servant alone with his self, the servant would be destroyed between its evil and the evil that it craves; but if Allah grants him success and help, then he will survive. We seek refuge in Allah the Almighty, both from the evil in ourselves and from the evil of our actions.

This Commanding Self is generally divided into two levels:

The Animal Self (Nafs Al Hayawaniyyah); this is the self that runs after sensual desires and material possessions without regard for right or wrong, justice or inequity, lawful or unlawful. It is drowned in the pleasures of possessions, sex, and adornments. It is characterized by lewdness, evil, and lack of humanity. It abhors religion and loves itself selfishly. It knows neither fullness, nor humility, nor thankfulness, nor honor, nor manners.

The Satanic Self (Nafs Al Iblissiyyah); is even lower than the Animal Self because its love for itself has taken it to the stage where it competes with Allah in His divinity and lordship. "I am your lord supreme…" as Fir'aun proclaimed, and "I am better than him…" as Iblis contended.

The Commanding Self is the one with the ill heart. If the heart is not healed, the nafs continues in its ways until the heart is blinded and then it is finally sealed.

The root of this level of the self is that it's convinced that it is perfect and that others are flawed and that everyone will die but it will remain immortal. It got its name because of its constant demands and its numerous calls to satisfy its desires. So it demands a thing and before it attains it, it demands another thing and so on without end. The human in this state is the friend and beloved of Shaytan and the enemy of the Merciful. "Except those upon whom Allah shows mercy."

Conquering Your Nafs: Let Go Of Your Thoughts

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Much has been written about the nafs by Muslim scholars throughout the ages, and much has been discovered more recently in Western psychology, and by leaders of the ‘human potential’ movement. Indeed, it’s no coincidence that the Arabic term for ‘psychology’ is ‘ilm an-Nafs’ – knowledge of the ‘self’. Nafs (pl. Anfus or Nufus) lexically means soul, the psyche, the ego, self, life, person, heart or mind. (Mu'jam, Kassis)

There are two kinds of people, one are those whose nafs have overcome them and led them to ruin because they yielded to them and obeyed their impulses. The other kinds are those who have overcome their nafs and made them obey their commands.

1. The Nafs as the ‘Lower Self’

Think of the human being as having a ‘heart’ – a psycho-spiritual heart – the essence of what makes us human. According to the Islamic tradition, this ‘Qalb’ or ‘heart’ contains 2 parts of us. The ‘nafs’ – the lower self and the ‘ruh’ – the higher self. We avoid over-questioning what the ‘ruh’ is because by essence its true nature cannot be understood by the human mind. It suffices to say that it makes up the best part of us.

2. The Nafs as the ‘Level’ of your soul.

Throughout the Quran, references are made to the nafs and from these scholars have deduced that there are 7 distinct ‘levels’ of the nafs.

We can think of the nafs as something to describe our thinking mind. This includes every thought you have or are having right now of the past and the future, and the emotional patterns triggered by your thoughts. If you want to conquer your ‘nafs’, the most effective way to do this (as is done automatically by all the pious people who have mastered their nafs) is to let go of your thoughts.

Often your thoughts rush through your mind so thick and quick that you can go for an entire day without ever having peace of mind – a peace which can only come by quieting your thoughts. And sometimes, perhaps during Salah, or the few moments after a Salah, you will have been in a state where there was silence, not just around you, but inside you. Silence inside your mind. You were free from thought. Free from your nafs.

When your thoughts are completely quiet, you are fully conscious. When a thought enters your mind, just notice that the thought entered. Observe the thought. By doing this, you do not identify with it. You realize that you are the consciousness that observes the thought, not the thought itself. You might think you are your thoughts. You are not. You are much more than your thoughts. You are the consciousness, the space, within which the thoughts exist.

Notice your thoughts right now, and realize that you are not your thoughts. The moment a thought comes up, observe it, and you are outside of it. You realize that you are more than it.

When a thought came up, ask these questions: “What’s happening in my body right now?” “Is my body at ease right now?” “Am I at ease right now?”

…and notice what is happening inside your body. By asking yourself these questions, you will interrupt the thought/emotion pattern and for a moment you become present and fully conscious (free from your nafsy-thoughts).

Ask yourself this right now. “I wonder what my next thought will be…” Read that question again, close your eyes and pause before continuing.

What happened? Did you have millions of thoughts rushing through your mind right away, or did you experience a few moments where no thoughts came up? Most people, myself included experience the latter.

Now that you’ve experienced the state of no-mind for a few moments, commit yourself to doing it for a few seconds before the ‘Allahu Akbar’ at the start of every Salah you pray today. Insha’Allah, it will bring you much closer to Allah Mighty and Majestic, improve the power of your Salah.

Remember, if you want to conquer your ‘nafs’, let go of your thoughts.

May Allah grant us tawfiq to overcome our lower self. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

7 Levels of Nafs

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The human being has 3 primary enemies and causes of destruction and misguidance: your nafs (lower self) and hawa (desires), the dunya (this temporary material world) and shaytan (satan).

1. The desires of the ego (Hawa Al Nafs). Also known as the hidden lust. This is the first and most dangerous of the enemies for through its existence the other two enemies exist and without it there is no existence to the inner enemies of the Nafs. This enemy is inside the very essence of the human being, i.e. in his nafs, in the left half and is inspired to transgression (Fujur). It is the opposite of the right side of the soul that is inspired to consciousness (Taqwah).

The transgression of the nafs is contained in its desires and its desires mean its lust for immortality (Me!) and sovereignty (boundless greed and covetousness). This enemy is the main cause of the self-oppression of humanity. This oppression leads to either denial and polytheism or to misguidance, disobedience, and sins. There is no remedy for these two desires except through constantly reminding the nafs of its mortality and the certainty of death.

"...Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy." (Yusuf 12:53)

2. The desire for the ornaments of the world (Shahwat Al Dunia). This is the second enemy but it is outside of the human being's essence. It is the weapon of Iblis that he displays before the lustful eyes of the ego's desire. Thus he makes it like a mirror that attracts the nafs and seduces it so that it stirs and moves toward inequity and attachment to its desires and the love of the material world that leads it to drown in the world's false and perishing ocean.

The only remedy for this desire is to become aware and certain of the fleeting nature of this world and of the necessity of losing one's attachment to it. It is to know the world for the temporary abode and place of trial and test that it is. It is to understand that this world is part of a continuum.

The desires of the world are five as explained in the Quran:

"Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. (14)" (AleImran 3:14)

If we truly understand the reality of dunya and how cheap and little the dunya is, we can start living a life of indifference towards it.

3. Shaytan is the third enemy (Shaytan Ar-Rajeem). He is also external to the human being's essence. His role is to seduce, mislead, and make beautiful all that is false and forbidden and repugnant in this world in order to cause the nafs to become attached to these things through its desires.

Shaytan has no means other than to embellish and tempt the ego and no weapon except to energize and stir the two inner desires of the ego, the "Me" and "Greed" so that the human being will inflate himself and in turn increase his separation. In this way shaytan leads the human being to either denial and polytheism or to disobedience and sins. If we understand the tricks of shaytan, we can start closing the doors on him through constant remembrance and seeking refuge in Allah and in putting one's trust in Him.

"Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze." (6) (Fatir 22:6)

The ascent or descent of the Nafs depends on the degree of remedy and protection from these three enemies. So the Nafs either ascends to the station of "…the most beautiful station." Or it may descend to the station of "…the lowest of the low."

The Qur'an mentions five levels for the human soul. The basic level is the one in which we are born which is called the Blaming Self (Nafs Al Lawwama). If it is neglected and left to its whims and desires it will descend to the station of the Commanding Self (Nafs Al Ammara). And if it is developed and cared for through effort and resistance to its desires it will, InshaAllah, ascend to the highest levels of closeness, contentment, and love for Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The higher levels are three, the first one above the Blaming Self is the Secure Self (Nafs Al Muttma'ina), followed by the Content Self (Nafs Al Radiyah), and finally to the Gratified Self (Nafs Al Mardiyyah) and that is the self that reaches its natural place and station which is "…the most beautiful station."

Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned the states of nafs: "The Nafs is a single entity, although its state may change: from the Nafs al-Ammara, to the Nafs al-Lawwama, to the Nafs al-Mutma'inna, which is the final aim of perfection.

Imam Baghawi says: "The Nafs al-Mutma'inna has an angel to help it, who assists and guides it. The angel casts good into the Nafs so that it desires what is good and is aware of the excellence of good actions. The angel also keeps the self away from wrong action and shows it the ugliness of bad deeds. All in all, whatever is for Allah and by him, always comes from the Soul which is at Peace. The Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' has Shaytan as its ally. He promises it great rewards and gains, but casts falsehood into it. He invites it and entices the soul to do evil. He leads it on with hope after hope and presents falsehood to the soul in a form that it will accept and admire."

It has been said that the Nafs al-Lawwama is the one, which cannot rest in any one state. It often changes, remembers and forgets, submits and evades, loves and hates, rejoices and become sad, accepts and rejects, obeys and rebels.

Nafs al-Lawwama is also the Nafs of the believer….It has also been mentioned that the Nafs blames itself on the Day of Qiyamah - for every one blames himself for his actions, either his bad deeds, if he was one who had many wrong actions, or for his shortcomings, if he was one who did good deeds.

The Gnostics (Arifun) have detailed and explained this matter and made it easy for the Muslim to know it and act upon it thus making immunity and remedy easy. They made the levels seven in number within the scope of the five mentioned in the Qur'an.

7 Levels of Nafs

1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands)
2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames, the Reproaching soul)
3. Nafs Al Malhamah (The Inspired Self)
4. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace)
5. Nafs Al Radhiyah (The Content Self)
6. Nafs Al Mardhiyah (The Gratified Self)
7. Nafs Al Kamila (The Complete Self)

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿٣٨﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٤١

So as for he who transgressed (37) And preferred the life of the world, (38) Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge. (39) But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, (40) Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge. (41)

[Qur'an An-Nazi'at 79:37-41]

May Allah grant us tawfiq to the highest station. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

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Surah Kahf Day: Wealth and Children

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah Almighty says,

الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾ وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧﴾ وَعُرِضُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۚ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًا ﴿٤٨﴾ وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٩

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. (47) And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment." (48) And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one. (49)

[Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:46-49]

No matter what a person attains of this world, it will be reduced to 3 or 5 pieces of cloth that will cover his/her body. So the idiots are the ones who spend their aspiration, energy, intellect, time, and lifespan to accumulate wealth of this world and to enjoy in this short time span.

The wealth and enjoyment of this world is nothing even if a person has delusions that it is great. No matter how many trendy and expensive clothing someone might have in his closet, even if each one has a value of $100 or $1000, the furthest extent that he would attain with it is a rag that cover his body. No matter how delicious, varied and expensive the food, when it enters the body, no matter what it is, its real value, if it is not connected to the religion, is manifested when it exits the body. All food, no matter how and what it is, its exit is the same. Some people take enjoyment of this world with the automobile they ride. If it is $500000, $150000, $30000 or $1000, its real value does not go beyond getting where they want to go. Most people aspire to own a big house. But no matter how big the house, the furthest extent that you would attain with it is the length and width of your body when you lie down to sleep. This is the reality of what we benefit from the worldly things that are cut off from the Hereafter, no matter how valuable they are.

Feeling pride and conceit with what we have -- garment on our body, car we drive, house we live in, or beautiful, accomplished or pious children; these are mere delusions that they are sources of our pleasure or enjoyment. In reality these are not pleasure nor enjoyment. The reality of this pleasure or enjoyment does not return to those things but the pleasure that a person takes from these things goes back in something in the person, not in the clothing, in the car, in the house, or in the children themselves. What it shows is that the person has taken, accepted and satisfied to live in him those attributes that are not pleasing to Allah. So a person who is satisfied with the attribute of arrogance, takes joy with luxurious garment in order to be arrogant or to feel proud because he is wearing it. He is satisfied with the attribute of loving to have a station among people and have people praising him and looking towards him. It makes him feel the pleasure by having the garment to be such and such value or such and such brand. But the pleasure is not in the garment. The pleasure or benefit that we receive in a garment is that it covers the body. The manifestation of delusion returns to the state of illnesses of the people. This would be even worse if people are seeking pleasure from things that Allah has forbidden--this indeed is the manifestation of their nafs (lower self) and the shaytan joining forces against them.

One of the knowers of Allah was asked as to why he turned away from the world. He said, "because of its nature of being rapidly fleeting, its many difficulties and great hardships engaging with it, and the lowliness of the partners that partake along with you. It is very little and not wealthy even if we imagined that it is wealthy. Because of its little wealth and its being rapidly perishing, it will very quickly leave me and I leave it. Many times it made me swallow or face difficulties and pains, and its calamities that are enumerable. Because of the lowliness of the fellow partakers in it, I did not enter a door of the doors of the dunya except that I found a non believer, a corrupt or someone who had fallen from the eye of Allah had beat me to that door and he was partaking along with me from the dunya. I ponder this meaning I despise the world and I become bored of it and I look down upon it and I felt disgust with it."

There is no enjoyment or pleasure from this enjoyments of the dunya that surround us except others partake in this thing of the dunya along with us and maybe they take more than we do and most of them are non believers and the corrupt.

If your soul is about to be seized, would you be thinking about this material world anymore? Will any of it remain with you as the earth starts pouring down onto your new home to separate you from this world? Decide now what you are going to do for the rest of your life.

The castles of this world and all the manifestations of material wealth and affairs of this world are just a mirage without reality. If we understand this, then this is an opportunity to express our weakness and inability to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

This world is the path we travel along and not a place of abode. If you visit a place for 3 days and stay in a hotel apartment but you like certain fixtures and lighting, hardwood or marble floors, a jet tub in the bathroom, certain brand name mattress, and wallpapered walls, are you going to hire someone to change the fixtures, floors, mattress and the walls? No, you would say, "I would be foolish and being extravagant!" This world we are living in could be less than 3 days. The one who spend his concerns and thoughts in preparing his worldly affairs is like someone who spends his concerns in a hotel apartment that he would be spending for 3 days.

May Allah grant us tawfiq and aid us to draw near to Him. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Key to All Relationships

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, made clear that the key to all relationships is upholding good character and maintaining it, even when tested.

He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Deal with people on the basis of good character,” [Tirmidhi] and he also said that, “Forbearance is the very best of character.”

Have we made forbearance a part of our character? We often think we are forbearing, and we may not be.

Forbearance is a kind of behavior superior to the suppression of anger. When an adverse situation seems to violate our well-being, it creates a nervous upheaval. Great effort is required for us not to manifest this upheaval in anger, and it takes time for us to calm down. Forbearance is a condition that prevents such upheaval altogether: it keeps the nervous sys­tem in balance at all times. People who possess forbearance have patience and gentleness of character. These are signs of faith and wisdom, which enable such people to use their minds to govern their emotions.

Allah Almighty says.

وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ ﴿٣٤

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. (34)

[Qur'an Fussilat 41:34]

There was some non-Muslims greeted the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with an insult. His wife, Aisha, insulted them back. But the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not. Rather, he simply replied, “And upon you,” which is the standard reply to the greeting of, “Peace be upon you.” Then, he said to his dear wife, "Aisha, Allah is gentle and loves gentleness in all matters.” [Bukhari, from Aisha]

The gentle in character hope for Allah’s love in response to their forbear­ance. Forbearance beautifies its owner and attracts Allah's love to him. Aisha related that the Messenger of Allah said: “Gentleness is not found in anything except that it makes it beautiful; and gentleness is not taken out of anything except that it makes it ugly.” [Muslim]

Forbearance is one of Allah's beautiful Attributes. Allah is Al-Halim (The Forbearing One). Al-Halim is the the One who is kind, gracious and serene in all situations; the One who is calm and deliberate, never hasty, even with the rebellious and wrongdoers; the One whose manner is lenient and mild; the One who gives us the opportunity and situations to learn to be kind, gracious and patient. He is the One who witnesses the sins of sinners and He sees those who are opposing His commands, yet it does not move Him to anger, such that it doesn’t cause Him to hasten to punish or destroy them, despite having complete ability to do so. Allah is the One who sustains us in every moment and He could just punish or destroy them, if He so wishes, but He is forbearing with them.

Allah Almighty says,

وَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَعَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿٥٩ ...

... and indeed, Allah is Knowing and Forbearing. (59)

[Qur'an Al-Hajj 22:59]

أَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٣٥...

... And know that Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing. (235)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:235]

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ بَصِيرًۢا ﴿٤٥

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing. (45)

[Qur'an Faatir 35:45]

This noble characteristic of forbearance is one that the Prophet ﷺ perfectly embodied with his wives, children, close friends, neighbors and even enemies from among the disbelievers.

A bedouin once came to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, seeking some money. Without introduction or greetings, he said, “Muhammad! Give me, for you’re not giving me from your money or your father’s money.” Despite the man’s rudeness, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him, and asked, “Have I pleased you?” The bedouin replied, “No, and you haven’t done me good.”

The Muslims who were standing around them were angered and surrounded the bedouin. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, signaled for them to restrain, and he entered his house. He asked for the bedouin to be invited in. When he entered, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him some money, and asked, “Are you pleased?” He replied, “No.” The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him more, and asked, “Are you pleased?” The bedouin responded, “Yes, we are pleased.”

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him, “You came to us and asked us. We gave you, and then you said what you said. As a result, there is something in the hearts of the Muslims regarding that. If you were to say in front of them what you said to me, that might remove those feelings from their hearts.” The man agreed, and mentioned the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with praise and thanked him in front of the Prophet’s Companions. [Salihi, Subul al-Huda wa’l Rashad]

The Prophet was unaffected by the man’s words. His concern was for the good of the man himself and the feelings of his Companions. Why? This returns to the understanding why the Prophet's character was described as being “tremendous” in the Qur’an.

In the Qur’an, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is addressed directly,

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٤

Truly, you are of tremendous character.

[Qur’an Al-Qalam 68.4]

Imam Junayd al-Baghdadi, one of the foremost authorities of Islamic spirituality (tasawwuf) and others have explained that, “The Prophet’s character was termed tremendous because his concern was for Allah alone.” [Qurtubi, Jami Ahkam al-Qur’an] What moved the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the pursuit of His Lord’s pleasure, both in acting and in responding.

It was said that the worldly reward for one who shows forbearance is that people become his supporters. There is no doubt that disciplining oneself toward this noble characteristic is one of the most valuable achievements. Our Prophet ﷺ said, “There was not something swallowed more great to Allah than swallowing one’s anger for the sake of God.” (Al-Targheeb, 3/386).

Forbearance is, ultimately, intelligence, as it is the capacity to respond in the best of ways to each situation. This restraint and concern for excellence and the greater good that underly excellence of character are virtues each of us would do well to strive for in our own lives and relationships, both as individuals and communities.

Forbearance is not a characteristic easy to assume. It becomes perma­nent through long efforts in enduring controversy, injustice, tyranny, and all other conditions that weigh heavily upon one’s ego, and through cur­tailing anger and the desire to retaliate. Many a pious man has declared that he achieved forbearance by purposefully seeking the company of obnoxious men and suffering their impudence, anger, and violence, prac­ticing patience with them.

Abu Darda’ reports that the Prophet said: Knowledge is acquired by learning. Forbearance is acquired by suffering the impudence of others without reacting. Whoever makes an effort to obtain that which is good, God gives him good. Whoever is able to stand controversy is saved from suffering. (Tabarani)

Every aspect of good character, such as generosity, humbleness, and valor, is obtained by long practice in fighting corresponding faults, such as stinginess, arrogance, and fear. The worst handicap to acquiring forbear­ance is harboring doubts about the goodness in other people, especially the other faithful, and imagining bad things about them. This suspicion of one’s associates leads to the terribly sinful state of doubting the goodness in Allh.

Allah Most High says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful. (12)

[Qur'an Hujurat 49:12]

May Allah grant us success. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Piety and Judging Others

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Before we point fingers and judge, take a look in the mirror. If we are true to ourselves, we will see the true us--lots of faults. The thought that, "I am better than them" is ridiculous and definitely not a character of the people of knowledge and piety. This is the standard of Iblis, who said to the Lord, "I am better than him (Adam)."

However, if we follow the standard of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, as we reach a level of knowledge and attachment to this religion (by knowledge or understanding of certain ruling or by attachment to waking up and stand in prayer at night and fasting during the day), we increase in tranquility, humbleness, mercy and kindness to creation.

There is a big difference between Divine knowledge taught by His beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the knowledge of the devil.

The sign of truth of a person's attachment to the religion is not just the image of the person itself, rather it is by the character and interactions of this person with the creatures of Allah. And a sign of falsehood is that the person has no character. The more he worships and attaches himself to the Deen, the more angry, more impatient, more harsh he becomes to people around him and the more despising he becomes with his community. Why? The reason is that the lack of connection between the image of performing a religious act or seeking knowledge and the sincerity in doing so. The truth is in realizing the interaction with Allah and realizing Allah's bounties.

Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) himself emphasized that, “I was only sent to perfect noble character,” [Ahmad] and said, “The believers most perfect in faith are those best in character.” [Tirmidhi]

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali and others relate that the sum of Prophetic teachings is that good character is manifest in five matters:

(1) Fulfilling the rights of others
(2) Avoiding hurting or harming others
(3) Being cheerful and positive in one’s dealing with others
(4) Recognizing the good of others and reciprocating
(5) Responding to the wrong of others with nothing but the good.

These five manifestations of good character don’t only summarize the Prophetic teachings on good character, but they also summarize the Prophet Muhammad’s own character and conduct.

If we are seeking piety, we should gaze at ourselves and try to find the truthfulness in our hearts. If you passed by someone or group of people in a bad state of behavior, how will you perceive them? Will you look at them with compassion and mercy? Or are you going to look down upon them and yell at them? You make du'a for Allah to guide them. Say, "O Allah as you have provided for us to hear such, provide for them to hear as well and give them success." If they look at you, you smile and give them the greeting of peace, assalaamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, and you continue along calmly. Kindness and compassion give a more positive impact on people's hearts? If on the other hand, you look at people with a harsh look, it will not help them nor you. Smiling is a charity. It applies here too. And people respond better to goodness than harshness.

If you enter somewhere, do not think of yourself as better than the others because you may be an accomplished, well respected person but the poor, don't know anything person you thought of, to Allah he might be greater by weight of earth than you. All people are to be respected. This is our adab with Allah.

Let us judge ourselves, and not judge others, so we can rectify and correct ourselves for what is between us and Allah.

Islam is a religion of good manners with our Lord. And with this we should renew the way we look at our piety and religiosity. Because if we renew and reflect how we look at our piety, we will feel the need for the connection with good character.

There is no way there can be knowledge or piety without good character. Knowledge or religiosity that does not affect the person with good character shows a defect in the person's knowledge and religiosity. This defect is due to disconnection from understanding the part of religion about good character and dealing with others.

لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّـهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ﴿١٧٧

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. (177)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:177]

May Allah grant you and me the most complete of success. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Say No to Shaytan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When shaytan was expelled from Paradise because he refused to prostrate to Adam, shaytan hated and envy humanity. He becomes an enemy to humanity and it is very difficult for him to see human worship Allah and turning to Allah. He whispers to the humans and embellishes to them the disobedience of Allah and try to turn them away from Allah.

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ ﴿٤٠

Iblîs (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. (39) "Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them." (40)

[Qur'an Al-Hijr 15:39]

The Qur'an assures us that shaytan has no power over us.

إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ ﴿٤٢

"Certainly, you (Iblis) shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghâwun (Mushrikûn and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers) (42) "And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all. (43)

[Qur'an Al-Hijr 15:42-43]

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُۥ شَيْطَـٰنًا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينٌ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ﴿٣٧

And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion. (36) And indeed, the devils avert them from the way [of guidance] while they think that they are [rightly] guided (37)

[Qur'an Az-Zumar 43:36-37]

It is problematic that most people blame the majority of their sins on the shaytan. This makes shaytan puff up even more. The shaytan is not able to affect us unless there is a weakness in our nafs (lower self) and our traveling to Allah. The shaytan, even though its effect of evil is very widespread in the world, it is the weakest obstacle that comes in between a person and Allah.

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an,

إِنَّ كَيْدَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ﴿٧٦...

... Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak. (76)

[Qur'an An-Nisa 4:76]

Allah called shaytan's plotting as weak and someone who is weak is only able to overcome someone else who is weak.

The origin of the strength of the shaytan in us or against us is the actually our nafs (lower self). Were it not for the existence of the darkness in the self, the shaytan will not be able to affect us because the shaytan does not take someone by the hand and make them disobey Allah or fall into inappropriateness. Shaytan whispers to them a notion which is thrown into the heart of the human being. If the self is clean and pure with Allah it would not accept this notion. However, with the wretchedness and filth in our self and darkness in our nafs, the whispers of the shaytan affect our actions.

To protect us from the presence of shaytan himself or whispers of shaytan is seeking refuge in Allah. If a person seek refuge in Allah much and seek Allah's protection then the shaytan will shrink away and become like a fly. If a person is sincere and truthful in seeking refuge in Allah from the shaytan, Allah will suffice them from shaytan.

إِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّـهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ﴿٩٨﴾ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ سُلْطَـٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾ إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ ﴿١٠٠

So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. (98) Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord. (99) His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah. (100)

[Qur'an An-Nahl 16:98-100]

We seek refuge with Allah from the shaytan from among the jinn and mankind. May Allah purify our hearts, make us steadfast and guide us on the straight path. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The 7 Entrances For Shaytan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that shaytan flows in the son of Adam like blood flows. [Bukhari]

Shaytan has many schemes and tricks to turn us away from Allah Almighty and become his companion in Hell. They come in various types, shades and colors. They can be summarized in seven doors from which shaytan enters the heart of the human being and affect them. If we ponder upon the entrances, we will correctly close or avoid them.

1) Steering the human being away from pious works. For example, a person might have a desire to wake up at night and stand in prayer. Shaytan comes and says "You are tired, just don't pray." If Allah protect the person and give him tawfiq, the person will say, "I must do this, I need it."

Then shaytan will then try the second entrance.

2) Procrastination. For example, the person might say, "I'll start learning Qur'an when I finished college," or "when I am 50, I will pray at night," or "I will put on the hijab when I get married," or "I'll get back to my studies to after my wife have the baby or when I am settled." There is always some excuse that prevent you to do something you are supposed to do right now.

The remedy for this is remembering death. We might not live even till the next breadth. Even if you do, if you postpone today's good works till tomorrow, when will you do good works of tomorrow and the ones after that? Remember, wasting time without acts of obedience to Allah is wasting something that can never be compensated for.

3) Riya' (ostentation, showing off in worship)

This is wanting other than Allah for doing pious works. This is a subtle shirk (polytheism) and it is more illusive than the creeping of a black ant on a gray stone on a dark night.

Shaytan will say to the person, "Do your pious work, let people see you." "If you gave charity, do it publicly or inform others so people mention you." "If you help build a masjid, make sure your name is mentioned." "If you contribute to a charitable foundation, make sure they write your name down."

If Allah wants to protect a servant from this subtle shirk, He fills the person's heart with the magnificent of Allah so that the person will refuse to do anything for other than Allah. Remember that Allah is free of need of any partner.

Riya' ruins our good deeds and Allah will not accept the works if we have riya'. A person should search for and try to fill his hearts with awareness of Allah’s magnificence. If his relationship with Allah is correct, he is clear of need of other people.

If shaytan is unsuccessful to enter your hearts from the above entrances, he will try the fourth.

4) Haste

For example, when you recite the Qur'an, shaytan will rush you to finish one juz and then second juz, without reflection/contemplation, without proper tajweed, without alertness. Shaytan will rush you through your obligatory prayer quickly so you can go to your sunnah prayer.

Hastiness prevent a person from the light of an act of worship, the fruit of an act of worship, and taste of an act of worship.

The remedy for this is patience, deliberation and thoughtfulness. Remind ourselves that Allah does not want from us a lot of commotion but Allah wants us to benefit from our works and develop a taste for it.

If shaytan cannot come from this entrance, then it tries a fifth entrance.

5) 'Ujb (pride, self glory}

The shaytan will try to make you fall into pride. Shaytan comes and says, "Ma sha Allah you are good," "you are upright, no one is like you.” So the person looks at his pious work as though it is emanating from himself. He forgets that in reality the action was from tawfiq of Allah.

Self glory is believing that Allah benefits from your act of worship, and believing that the act originates purely from the your will, the result of the person's effort. Self glory becomes the reason for nullifying the act of worship.

The remedy for this is for the person to remember that he is incapable and for him to ascribe the whole thing to Allah. He says, "Were it not for Allah’s honor and generosity, I would have been insignificant. Were I of no significance, He would have cast me away and left me in a state of disobedience. It is Allah's will to honor me and made me ready for obedience."

When shaytan despairs with regard to this entrance, he comes from the sixth entrance, subtle ostentation, unique to shaytan.

6) Subtle riya' (ostentation) and 'ujb (self glory).

After passing the previous entrances--obedience, riya', procrastination, haste, 'ujb/self-glory, shaytan comes to a subtle effect that still might ruin one's work.

The shaytan says, "You be sincere with Allah, worship Allah alone, do not seek the countenance of people, and after that Allah will manifest your works. Allah will show light on your face. Allah will make people love you and make them favor you and approach you."

Remember we seek sincerity to attain Allah's favor and good pleasure, not to attain the pleasure of people.

Also self glory has many subtleties as it has obvious manifestations. One of the subtle illusive aspect of pride is that when one feels that other people have an obligation towards him because of favors or goodness extended to them. So, if two people did something wrong to us, most people are affected or more offended or hurt by the one to whom the favor has been done. Remember, wealth is Allah's wealth, and the servant is Allah's servant. Our goodness is none of our doing; it is from Allah. Were it not for Allah's tawfiq, we won't be able to do anything good. The good that we do, Allah will reward us by manifolds. So how do our goodness compare to what we receive in recompense? So the favor is upon us when people accept our goodness, not upon them.

It is important to learn the knowledge of purification of the hearts. This knowledge is important because it can make people aware of the calamity that would fall upon them from places that they are not aware of.

7) No need of good deeds.

The seventh entrance is when the shaytan comes and says, "Why do you tire yourself like this. Were you with Allah dammed even if you were to worship Allah, in the end you will be damned. And if you were with Allah as one of those saved, even if you are negligent, in the end you say la illaha illallah, you will enter the Garden. The matter is decided on the basis of pre-ordainments."

This is the most dangerous entrance.

The remedy for this is for the person to say, "Allah did not create me to ask if I am dammed or saved. He created me and ordered me to obey Him and leave disobedience of Him and worship Him, that I travel to Him. I am going to Him and I am eager to meet Him. The matter if I am dammed or saved that knowledge goes back to Him. This is the responsibility of the Lord, not the slave, whether I am dammed or I am saved."

Our mission as slaves of Allah is to expend our effort in obedience to Allah and to constantly and excellently do our utmost for Allah's sake as we travel to Him. The fruits of all this lies with Allah and not with us.

It was told that one of righteous servants among the People of the Book worshipped Allah with great vigor as a hermit, very diligent at night and during the day in worship. Jibril looked and saw that he was among those who are dammed. He was surprised by this and sought Allah's permission to inform this to the man. He said to the man, "Indeed, I am Jibril and I found your name in the guarded tablet that so-and-so the son of so-and-so is dammed. I want to inform you as long as you are among the dammed, and you are going to the hellfire, so enjoy a little of this world, instead of wasting your life. The worshipper said, alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, (to Allah we belong and to Him we are returning), la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (there is no will and power except by Allah). Then he returned to his worship and did not decrease any at all. Then Jibril was even more amazed and Jibril came down and said to the worshipper, "I told you that you were dammed." He said, "inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un and Allah has a will. Allah created me and ordered me to worship Him and He did not consign the knowledge to me whether I am going to be dammed or to be saved. My responsibility is that I worship Him and after that the affair is to Him. Jibril's astonishments increased and he ascended to Heaven and foundin the guarded tablet, that so-and-so is saved, saved, saved. "Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book." [Qur'an Ar-Ra'd 13:39]

The essence is for a person to be aware. The shaytan is weak, but then the weakness that lies in us allow for the possibility that at any moment shaytan could enter. Not a moment should pass that a person feels that his security against shaytan is guaranteed. Indeed shaytan has stratagems here and there that lead humans astray.

It has been related that when Imam Ahmad Hanbal was in the throes of death, those who were around him were saying "la illaha illa Allah" and his students wanted him to say it during the throes of death. But he said, "No, not yet." People were anxious--"Is Ahmad ibn Hanbal being denied la illaha illa Allah at time of death? This is an evil ending, how can this be?" He regained consciousness in throes of death and asked the people what they were saying. So they informed him what he said when they asked him to say la illaha illa Allah. He said, "Indeed, I did not hear you and was not able to speak to you. But in my throes of death the devil was standing next to me biting his fingers and saying: 'O Ahmad, you have escaped from me'; and I was telling him: not yet, no, not until I die. This filthy devil want me to finish my life with pride. If I were to say 'Yes, I escaped you,' I will be in the state of pride and I would die in pride and my works would be ruined. So then when I said to him 'No, not yet as long as my soul is in my body,' Iblis cried and he said 'I misguided by this trick 70 scholars. I made them die in a bad state.'"

It was mentioned in another story that one of the virtuous servants was dying and he was told: “Say: la ilaha illa Allah”, and he was saying: “No, no”, and when he became conscious the people told him what happened, then he said: “Two devils came to me, one on my right and one on my left: one says to me: “Die as a Jew as it is the best religion, and the other says: “Die as a Christian as it is the best religion”, and I was telling them: “No, no.”

It has been related a pious person was dying and people were telling him to say la illaha illa Allah and he was saying it in his heart because he could not speak. Iblis came to him and say, "Raise your finger, so that people around you know that you are pronouncing la illaha illa Allah. And he said in his heart,'Be gone O Accursed. You want me to finish my life with riya’, I say la illaha illa Allah so I can face Allah with it not for people to say that I die in la illaha illa Allah. Iblis cried, 'With this deception I have led astray 70 scholars. I made them die with ostentation in their acts of worship.'

We should be aware of these subtleties of riya'.

We must constantly seek refuge with Allah from shaytan. Among the fortification from shaytan is persisting to stay in a state of of ablution (wudu'), persisting in a lot of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), reciting the Prophetic invocations for the morning and night and reciting the al-mu'awidhataan (such as Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Naas, Ayatul Kursi, the final 2 verses of Surah Al-Baqarah).

May Allah make us of those who hear His word and follow it. May Allah show us the Truth as Truth and grant us to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us to avoid it. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Source: Wayfarers to God (Ma'alim As-Suluk) by Habib Ali Al Jifri