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: There is no good in one whose wealth has not gone and whose body is not diseased. When Allah loves a servant, He examines him with calamity. When he falls into it, he keeps patience.
Calamities are just like bitter lessons to a person walking in the path of Allah. They show path towards the next world. It is like a bitter medicine but a bliss for the sick. When the person sees the reward of calamities in the next world he will be grateful to his Creator.
The rewards of disasters and calamities are more than them. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah said, When I give calamity to the body of a servant or to his wealth or children and he proceeds forward keeping patience, I shall feel ashamed in setting up Balance for him on the Day of Resurrection. He also said, When a person is falls into calamity and says, 'We are for Allah and to Him we shall return, O Allah, give me protection in my calamity and leave for me good therefrom,' Allah does for him accordingly.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When Allah wishes good of a man and establishes love with him, He sends down upon him troubles and calamities and afflicts him with mishaps. When he prays to Allah, angels say: This voice is acquainted with us. When he prays to Him a second time and says, O Lord, Allah says: O My servant, I am present, fortune for you. I have given you what is good for you and I have kept deposited with Me what is better for you. When there will be Resurrection, the pious will be brought and their actions will be weighed in the Balance -- the actions of those who prayed, those who paid zakat, those who fasted and those who made hajj. Then those who were afflicted with calamities will be brought but their book of deeds will not be opened in their presence. Reward will be rained over them as calamities were thrown over them. Those who were happy and safe in the world will see the high rank of those who suffered troubles and calamities and say: "Alas! How good it would have been if the flesh of our bodies were severed by scissors." For this reason, Allah says: "Surely the patient will be given full rewards without account."
May Allah make us of those who are patient. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, March 31, 2014
Making True Friendships
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
You all probably have heard these ancient proverbs, “We can live without a brother, but not without a friend.” “A life without a friend is a life without a sun”. Indeed, everyone need a good companion. That's one of the reasons why people get married, but unfortunately more and more couples end up becoming enemies.
The object of friendship is to get benefit in the next world.
Maintaining friendliness to all human beings is vital for all. A Muslim should be a good friend to Allah's creatures. But we should choose close friends (Qur’anic term awliya) on the basis of their personal integrity, trustworthiness, and other good human traits. We should keep away from making those our close friends who are not well mannered and who do not give attention to what pleases or displeases Allah. A close friend will always behave like a mirror who gives an honest undistorted image of a friend. They forgive mistakes, but do not hide or exaggerate strengths and weaknesses.
The Prophet, Allah bless and him and grant him peace, said, “The believer is like a mirror to other believers.”
Friendship based upon belief and taqwa (God-consciousness, God-Fearingness, piety) is the true and lasting one. On the other hand, friendship based on materialistic reasons is transient and a losing concern for this world and the Hereafter. Kindness to and love for one another are the pillars of a long lasting friendship. A good friend is someone whose company brings blessings, reminds practice of Islam, increases knowledge, enhances spirituality, and encourages dutifulness to the Muslim community and motivates to work for all.
True friendship inspires one’s devotion to Allah and His Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and loyalty to one’s parents and family, as they are aware that their own children would inherit their qualities.
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radhiAllahu anhu narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
The best example of true friendship can be found in the one between the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radhiAllahu anhu. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was migrating (hijrah) from Makkah to Madinah he would not leave until he had chosen a companion to accompany him on his way. Abu Bakr offered himself to accompany him, and he accepted it after Allah approved it. Abu Bakr, the most trusted friend and companion of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah and to the service of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was given the title As-Siddiq (the trustworthy.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that seven persons will get shade under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection. There are two persons out of them who love each other for the sake of Allah.
Make friendship having a look to one's character, conduct and qualities. The person with whom companionship is to be kept should have five qualities in the person -- intellect, good conduct, not to be a sinner, not to be an innovator, not to be a worldly addicted person.
Allah Almighty says,
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave us a clear message in regard to friendship.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, urges us to “Mix with the noble people, you become one of them; and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, shows us between a good friendship and a bad friendship in the following hadith:
Friendship is about reciprocating good manners, good and sincere advice and being a role model to one another overlooking small mistakes but not abdicating the task of reminding each other of goodness, righteousness and patience.
Friendship is about cheerfulness of the face, softness of the tongue and largeness of the heart. Agreement on everything is not the condition of friendship, but dignified disagreement is essential. Maintaining and spreading of modesty (haya) and practicing of cleanliness and purity (taharah) are vital.
Choosing friends maybe simple but finding true friends needs some intuition and simple testing. Ancient proverbs say:
Ali ibn Abi Talib radhiAllahu anhu mentioned the types of friends for a Muslim,
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you whether you are alive or dead’, and this is his deed.
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you unto the threshold of your grave and then I will leave you’, and this is his children.
• The friend who says: ‘I will be with you until when you die’, and this is his wealth which will belong to the inheritors when he dies’.
Wise sayings:
• Be not friend with a fool, for he will harm you while meaning to do good to you.
• It is better to listen to a wise enemy than to seek counsel from a foolish friend.
• If a friend envies you, then he is not a true friend.
Being happy with a friend’s success, and not being envious, is essential. Allah censures the envious one, "Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them from His bounty." [Qur’an 4:94]
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not envy one another." [Muslim]
Keeping promise of one another is vital. Sufyan ath-Thawri (d.164H) said, "Do not make a promise to your companion and then break it, so that love turns to hate."
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: One Muslim is brother to another Muslim. The tie of friendship and brotherhood is like that of husband and wife. He does not treat him bad, he does not spoil his honor and does not surrender him to the hands of his enemy.
Allah Almighty says,
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim: Neither he wrongs him, nor hands him over (to another). And whoso comes in need of his brother, Allah comes in his need; and whoso removes a calamity of a Muslim, Allah will remove a calamity from the calamities of the Resurrection Day, and whoso conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his sins on the Resurrection Day'. (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Two friends are like two hands, one of which washes the other. Friendship is completed when one of them keeps the other, as if they are one and the same and they share the enjoyments of each other.
A wise man said, when a man does four works in the house of his friend his friendship becomes perfect: 1) when he eats with him, 2) when he does necessary works with him, 3) when he prays with him, 4) and when he sleeps over.
Among the characteristics of good friendship are as follows:
• They leave each other’s company with a higher level of faith (in Allah).
• They always meet each other or start talk with the Islamic greeting ‘Assalamu Alaykum’ with reciprocal response.
• They exchange useful and mature ideas and thoughts.
• They do not shun in reforming each other’s mistakes or bad habits, but do this with politeness and humility.
• The do not waste each other’s time in vain talk or useless activities.
• They never encourage each other to do wrong and invite to a place or gathering of sin.
• They stand firm on each other’s side when needed – ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’
Be true to your friends.
Accord your friend with good treatment in words and deeds. Tell such words which your friend loves, Use words of love and share his sorrows and happiness. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When one of you love his brother, he should inform him of his love. It increases love. If he knows that you love him, he will surely love you. When you come to know that he also loves you, your love for him will increase. Love will increase from both sides. The existence of love among the believers is the object of Shari'a and religion.
Forgive the faults of your friend. If he commit sin and continues, advise him with tender and sweet words. Don't backbite your friend as Allah likened backbiting to eating the flesh of a dead brother. Do not disclose any secret talk which your friends tell you, even to their close friends.
Help a friend before asking in times of need. Don't ask anything from a friend his wealth and properties. Don't hope to benefit from his name and fame. Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said: A believer is brother to another believer. He does not seek advantage over him and does not inflict trouble on him. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: I and the God fearing men of my followers are free from inflicting troubles.
Keep friendship lasting till the death of friend and to keep it even after his death with his wife, children, relatives and friends and to take care of them, and to fulfill the duties of friendship selflessly for the sake of Allah.
Pray for your friend in his life time and even after his death. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: If a man prays for his friend in his absence, the angels say: Similar prayer is for you.
May Allah grant us excellent companions in this world and the Hereafter. May Allah give us shade on the Day when there is no shade except under His Throne. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
You all probably have heard these ancient proverbs, “We can live without a brother, but not without a friend.” “A life without a friend is a life without a sun”. Indeed, everyone need a good companion. That's one of the reasons why people get married, but unfortunately more and more couples end up becoming enemies.
The object of friendship is to get benefit in the next world.
Maintaining friendliness to all human beings is vital for all. A Muslim should be a good friend to Allah's creatures. But we should choose close friends (Qur’anic term awliya) on the basis of their personal integrity, trustworthiness, and other good human traits. We should keep away from making those our close friends who are not well mannered and who do not give attention to what pleases or displeases Allah. A close friend will always behave like a mirror who gives an honest undistorted image of a friend. They forgive mistakes, but do not hide or exaggerate strengths and weaknesses.
The Prophet, Allah bless and him and grant him peace, said, “The believer is like a mirror to other believers.”
Friendship based upon belief and taqwa (God-consciousness, God-Fearingness, piety) is the true and lasting one. On the other hand, friendship based on materialistic reasons is transient and a losing concern for this world and the Hereafter. Kindness to and love for one another are the pillars of a long lasting friendship. A good friend is someone whose company brings blessings, reminds practice of Islam, increases knowledge, enhances spirituality, and encourages dutifulness to the Muslim community and motivates to work for all.
True friendship inspires one’s devotion to Allah and His Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and loyalty to one’s parents and family, as they are aware that their own children would inherit their qualities.
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radhiAllahu anhu narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
Obey your parents and treat them kindly, for if you do so then your own children will be obedient and kind to you.(Tabari)
The best example of true friendship can be found in the one between the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radhiAllahu anhu. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was migrating (hijrah) from Makkah to Madinah he would not leave until he had chosen a companion to accompany him on his way. Abu Bakr offered himself to accompany him, and he accepted it after Allah approved it. Abu Bakr, the most trusted friend and companion of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah and to the service of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was given the title As-Siddiq (the trustworthy.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that seven persons will get shade under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection. There are two persons out of them who love each other for the sake of Allah.
Make friendship having a look to one's character, conduct and qualities. The person with whom companionship is to be kept should have five qualities in the person -- intellect, good conduct, not to be a sinner, not to be an innovator, not to be a worldly addicted person.
Allah Almighty says,
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّـهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِىَ ٱللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حِزْبُ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزْبَ ٱللَّـهِ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٢[Qur'an Al-Mujadila 58:22]
You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful. (22)
وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا ﴿٢٧﴾ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا ﴿٢٨﴾ لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا ﴿٢٩[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:27-29]
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. (27) Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. (28) He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter." (29)
ٱلْأَخِلَّآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٦٧[Qur'an Az-Zumar 43:67]
Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except the righteous.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave us a clear message in regard to friendship.
A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.[Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidi]
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, urges us to “Mix with the noble people, you become one of them; and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, shows us between a good friendship and a bad friendship in the following hadith:
The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.[Bukhari and Muslim]
Friendship is about reciprocating good manners, good and sincere advice and being a role model to one another overlooking small mistakes but not abdicating the task of reminding each other of goodness, righteousness and patience.
Anyone who criticizes you cares about your friendship. Anyone who makes light of your faults cares nothing about you.[Abu Dawud, Hasan Hadith]
Friendship is about cheerfulness of the face, softness of the tongue and largeness of the heart. Agreement on everything is not the condition of friendship, but dignified disagreement is essential. Maintaining and spreading of modesty (haya) and practicing of cleanliness and purity (taharah) are vital.
Choosing friends maybe simple but finding true friends needs some intuition and simple testing. Ancient proverbs say:
"An untried friend is like an uncracked nut."Once the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, “What person can be the best friend?” He counseled, “He who helps you remember Allah, and reminds you when you forget Him.” He was further asked, “Who is the best among people?” He replied, “He who, when you look at him, you remember Allah”. Such a friend reflects qualities of love, mercy, honesty, patience, optimism, professionalism, and the entire lifestyle taught by Islam.
"Prove a friend before you seek him."
Ali ibn Abi Talib radhiAllahu anhu mentioned the types of friends for a Muslim,
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you whether you are alive or dead’, and this is his deed.
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you unto the threshold of your grave and then I will leave you’, and this is his children.
• The friend who says: ‘I will be with you until when you die’, and this is his wealth which will belong to the inheritors when he dies’.
Wise sayings:
• Be not friend with a fool, for he will harm you while meaning to do good to you.
• It is better to listen to a wise enemy than to seek counsel from a foolish friend.
• If a friend envies you, then he is not a true friend.
Being happy with a friend’s success, and not being envious, is essential. Allah censures the envious one, "Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them from His bounty." [Qur’an 4:94]
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not envy one another." [Muslim]
Keeping promise of one another is vital. Sufyan ath-Thawri (d.164H) said, "Do not make a promise to your companion and then break it, so that love turns to hate."
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: One Muslim is brother to another Muslim. The tie of friendship and brotherhood is like that of husband and wife. He does not treat him bad, he does not spoil his honor and does not surrender him to the hands of his enemy.
Allah Almighty says,
... وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟[Qur'an AleImran 3:103]
And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided...
وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّـهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٧١[Qur'an At-Tawba 9:71]
The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (71)
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٠[Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:10]
The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy. (10)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
The right of a Muslim upon a Muslim are six' It was asked what are they? He replied, "When you meet him, salute him; when he calls you, respond to him; when he seeks advice, give him advice; when he sneezes and praises Allah, respond to him; when he falls ill, visit him; when he dies, follow him (the funeral bier).[Muslim]
You will see the believers in their mutual kindness, love and sympathy just like one body. When a limb complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.[Bukhari and Muslim]
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
You shall not enter Paradise until you believe; and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to a thing? Which when done , will make you love one another: Spread the greeting of Salam among you.[Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim: Neither he wrongs him, nor hands him over (to another). And whoso comes in need of his brother, Allah comes in his need; and whoso removes a calamity of a Muslim, Allah will remove a calamity from the calamities of the Resurrection Day, and whoso conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his sins on the Resurrection Day'. (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Two friends are like two hands, one of which washes the other. Friendship is completed when one of them keeps the other, as if they are one and the same and they share the enjoyments of each other.
A wise man said, when a man does four works in the house of his friend his friendship becomes perfect: 1) when he eats with him, 2) when he does necessary works with him, 3) when he prays with him, 4) and when he sleeps over.
Among the characteristics of good friendship are as follows:
• They leave each other’s company with a higher level of faith (in Allah).
• They always meet each other or start talk with the Islamic greeting ‘Assalamu Alaykum’ with reciprocal response.
• They exchange useful and mature ideas and thoughts.
• They do not shun in reforming each other’s mistakes or bad habits, but do this with politeness and humility.
• The do not waste each other’s time in vain talk or useless activities.
• They never encourage each other to do wrong and invite to a place or gathering of sin.
• They stand firm on each other’s side when needed – ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’
Be true to your friends.
Accord your friend with good treatment in words and deeds. Tell such words which your friend loves, Use words of love and share his sorrows and happiness. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When one of you love his brother, he should inform him of his love. It increases love. If he knows that you love him, he will surely love you. When you come to know that he also loves you, your love for him will increase. Love will increase from both sides. The existence of love among the believers is the object of Shari'a and religion.
Forgive the faults of your friend. If he commit sin and continues, advise him with tender and sweet words. Don't backbite your friend as Allah likened backbiting to eating the flesh of a dead brother. Do not disclose any secret talk which your friends tell you, even to their close friends.
Help a friend before asking in times of need. Don't ask anything from a friend his wealth and properties. Don't hope to benefit from his name and fame. Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said: A believer is brother to another believer. He does not seek advantage over him and does not inflict trouble on him. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: I and the God fearing men of my followers are free from inflicting troubles.
Keep friendship lasting till the death of friend and to keep it even after his death with his wife, children, relatives and friends and to take care of them, and to fulfill the duties of friendship selflessly for the sake of Allah.
Pray for your friend in his life time and even after his death. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: If a man prays for his friend in his absence, the angels say: Similar prayer is for you.
May Allah grant us excellent companions in this world and the Hereafter. May Allah give us shade on the Day when there is no shade except under His Throne. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Remove the Black Dot
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 sallallahu alayhi wassallam said,
The noble companion, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radiAllahu anhu) said,
A Muslim should realize the greatness of his Lord, the One free and far from all imperfections, and His tremendous Power and Might. We should not think of the sin as being great or small, major or minor, rather look at Whom we have sinned against.
A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins grow.”
When a person commits a sin, a black dot appears on the heart. When the heart is covered in black, a seal is then put on it and the door of guidance is shut on it. The sins which are ignored, neither repented for nor erased by the doing of good deeds, cause their doer’s destruction.
So, every time we mess up, we return to Allah recognizing that what we did was truly horrible and we ask for His forgiveness because we know He is forgiving, and that His Mercy encompasses everything. If we seek forgiveness sincerely and Allah accepts our repentance, not only does He forgives us, but He turns those bad deeds into good – imagine that years of sinning could turn into years of rewards.
Allah Almighty says,
A poet said:
It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligation.
Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But loosing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.
Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people’s heedlessness is even more perplexing.
Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam taught Aisha (radhiAllahu anha)
The internal component is to regret what we have done – whether it is a small lie, a glance at something we shouldn’t be looking at, being heedless or even something greater. The external component is to ask Allah for forgiveness.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: “Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” [Bukhari]
وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩
"And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected - (87) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." [Qur’an Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
May Allah make us of those who constantly return to Him for forgiveness and of those who come to Allah with a sound heart.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Related Archives
Let's Repent
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said,
All the children of Adam constantly err, but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent.[Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Hakim]
The noble companion, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radiAllahu anhu) said,
The believer sees his sins as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he feared was about to fall upon him, whereas the wicked sees his sins like a man who finds a fly settle upon his nose, so he does this (the narrator brushed it away from his nose).Sometimes we assume that it is only those who have committed grave sins that need to return to Allah. But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:
Beware of sins which are treated as being minor, just like a people who encamp in the center of a valley, so someone brings a stick of firewood and someone else brings a stick until they are, therefore, able to bake their bread. Likewise, sins which are treated as being minor, and for which the person is taken to account, will destroy him.[Ahmad]
A Muslim should realize the greatness of his Lord, the One free and far from all imperfections, and His tremendous Power and Might. We should not think of the sin as being great or small, major or minor, rather look at Whom we have sinned against.
A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins grow.”
When a person commits a sin, a black dot appears on the heart. When the heart is covered in black, a seal is then put on it and the door of guidance is shut on it. The sins which are ignored, neither repented for nor erased by the doing of good deeds, cause their doer’s destruction.
So, every time we mess up, we return to Allah recognizing that what we did was truly horrible and we ask for His forgiveness because we know He is forgiving, and that His Mercy encompasses everything. If we seek forgiveness sincerely and Allah accepts our repentance, not only does He forgives us, but He turns those bad deeds into good – imagine that years of sinning could turn into years of rewards.
Allah Almighty says,
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّـهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ حَسَنَـٰتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٠ ...[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:70]
Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (70)
A poet said:
It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligation.
Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But loosing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.
Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people’s heedlessness is even more perplexing.
Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam taught Aisha (radhiAllahu anha)
Verily tawba (repentance) from sin is regret[ing the action] and seeking forgiveness.[Bayhaqi]
The internal component is to regret what we have done – whether it is a small lie, a glance at something we shouldn’t be looking at, being heedless or even something greater. The external component is to ask Allah for forgiveness.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: “Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” [Bukhari]
وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩
"And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected - (87) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." [Qur’an Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
May Allah make us of those who constantly return to Him for forgiveness and of those who come to Allah with a sound heart.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Related Archives
Let's Repent
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Ultimate Generosity
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Once 'Omar al-Khattab (radhiAllahu anhu) complained to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam that Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiAllahu anhu) never gave him salam (Islamic greetings) when they met. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam summoned Ali and asked him to explain his actions. Ali said that he had heard the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam saying that whoever initiates a greeting to his brother in Islam first, will be given a palace in jannah (a high reward), and he wanted that reward to be bestowed upon 'Omar. This was why every time he met 'Omar, he delayed his greeting, so that 'Omar would initiate the greeting and be rewarded for it.
In another incident, Ali entered the house and gave his greetings to his wife, Fatimah (radhiAllahu anha), the most beloved daughter of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. She had a pain in her stomach, and requested Ali to take the few dirhams she had to buy some pomegranates for her. Ali obliged and purchased a pomegranate from the market. On the way home, a poor man in the street waved to him, saying “Ya Ali, I’m a very poor man. Do you know what I want? I want a pomegranate.” Without any hesitation Ali immediately gave the poor man the pomegranate, explaining that he had bought it for his wife but gave it to the poor man instead for the sake of Allah. The poor man offered to take half the pomegranate only, but Ali refused and instead went home empty handed. He explained the incident to Fatimah when he got home. Immediately, she replied, “Best, what you did. It is better that you give it to the poor person.” Some time later, there was a knock on the door. It was Salman Al Farisi (radhiAllahu anhu) bearing a tray of nine pomegranates in his hand. He said that a man had come to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam asking him to give the pomegranates to Ali. Ali inquired whether this was all that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam gave him. Salman Al Farisi revealed that there was a tenth pomegranate which he had purposely concealed! After a while, Ali enquired with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam what actually transpired. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam replied that the poor man was Angel Jibril alayhissalaam, who, in the form of a man, came to check Ali’s iman. After Ali passed the test, Allah sent down the ten pomegranates for the obedience and sacrifice of Ali and his wife for the path of Allah – for Allah rewards tenfold for every good deed performed.
It has been said that 'Othman’s generosity could not be surpassed by anyone, with the exception of Abu Bakr. Other than significant contributions made during the conquest of the Islamic State, 'Othman took it upon himself to give alms and look after widows and orphans. It was also customary for him to free a slave every Friday.
The Muslims in Medina were poor as they had left their worldly possessions in Mecca. Much depended on the Ansar (dwellers of Medina) to adopt a Muhajireen (emigrants from Mecca) to support them in maintaining their livelihood and for survival. A Jewish trader had taken advantage of the need for the city dwellers’ survival when he sold water (a precious commodity indeed) at a very high price. 'Othman took the initiative to relieve them of such high expenses. He offered to buy the well at Rawmah from the Jew but was only allowed to purchase half of it. 'Othman then told the Muslims to purchase enough water for two days each time it was his turn to sell water, thereby avoiding purchase of water on the second day when it was the Jew’s turn to use the well. The Jew was then unable to get any buyers and eventually had to sell his share to 'Othman. The well then overflowed with its sweet water and provided the people of Medina with water at no price or account.
When the number of converts to Islam increased in Medina, the space available for them at the mosque in Medina decreased. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had hoped that perhaps one of his Companions could help with the purchase of the neighboring area to facilitate the expansion of the mosque. 'Othman was only too willing to oblige and proceeded to the owners of this area with an offer to purchase. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had said, “Who will buy the land of so and so add it to the mosque in return for something good for him in Paradise?”
Again, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam returned from their victorious campaign in Makkah, he sought to expand the area of the sacred mosque. He suggested that the owners of the home beside the mosque to donate it but they did not, saying that they had nothing else to their name and no other means of finding another home. For the third time 'Othman came forward, purchased a house for the owners with an even larger one than they had given up.
During the rule of Abu Bakr, the Muslims had undergone great hardship and one of them was the need for food. As a merchant, 'Othman was due to receive a substantial delivery of food and other goods from Damascus but he had chosen to give up the entire caravan to the poor to help them survive the harsh conditions.
Abu Bakr was the quickest of the Companions to rush to any good deed. 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab said: "The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam ordered us to give sadaqa (charity). It happened to coincide with some wealth I had just acquired and I said to myself: If I will every surpass Abu Bakr, this is the day I will surpass him. And so I came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam with half of my wealth and he (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to me: "What have you left for your family?" I said: The same amount. Then Abu Bakr came with all of his wealth. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said to him: "What have you left for your family?" He said: I have left them Allah and His Messenger." I said: I will never surpass you in anything." [Dawood]
Narrated Aslam: Ibn 'Omar asked me about some matters concerning 'Omar. He said, “Since Allah’s Apostle died, I have never seen anybody more serious, hardworking and generous than 'Omar bin Al−Khattab (till the end of his life).” [Bukhari]
Generosity and Leadership of 'Omar Al-Khattab
Look at this ultimate generosity, kindness and love of the companions for each other and for Islam. Where is our iman compared to theirs, our relationship with each other, and our priority in life?
"None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [Bukhari and Muslim]
May Allah increase our love for the great companions and enable us live according to their noble examples and resurrect us with them. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Once 'Omar al-Khattab (radhiAllahu anhu) complained to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam that Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiAllahu anhu) never gave him salam (Islamic greetings) when they met. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam summoned Ali and asked him to explain his actions. Ali said that he had heard the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam saying that whoever initiates a greeting to his brother in Islam first, will be given a palace in jannah (a high reward), and he wanted that reward to be bestowed upon 'Omar. This was why every time he met 'Omar, he delayed his greeting, so that 'Omar would initiate the greeting and be rewarded for it.
In another incident, Ali entered the house and gave his greetings to his wife, Fatimah (radhiAllahu anha), the most beloved daughter of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. She had a pain in her stomach, and requested Ali to take the few dirhams she had to buy some pomegranates for her. Ali obliged and purchased a pomegranate from the market. On the way home, a poor man in the street waved to him, saying “Ya Ali, I’m a very poor man. Do you know what I want? I want a pomegranate.” Without any hesitation Ali immediately gave the poor man the pomegranate, explaining that he had bought it for his wife but gave it to the poor man instead for the sake of Allah. The poor man offered to take half the pomegranate only, but Ali refused and instead went home empty handed. He explained the incident to Fatimah when he got home. Immediately, she replied, “Best, what you did. It is better that you give it to the poor person.” Some time later, there was a knock on the door. It was Salman Al Farisi (radhiAllahu anhu) bearing a tray of nine pomegranates in his hand. He said that a man had come to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam asking him to give the pomegranates to Ali. Ali inquired whether this was all that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam gave him. Salman Al Farisi revealed that there was a tenth pomegranate which he had purposely concealed! After a while, Ali enquired with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam what actually transpired. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam replied that the poor man was Angel Jibril alayhissalaam, who, in the form of a man, came to check Ali’s iman. After Ali passed the test, Allah sent down the ten pomegranates for the obedience and sacrifice of Ali and his wife for the path of Allah – for Allah rewards tenfold for every good deed performed.
It has been said that 'Othman’s generosity could not be surpassed by anyone, with the exception of Abu Bakr. Other than significant contributions made during the conquest of the Islamic State, 'Othman took it upon himself to give alms and look after widows and orphans. It was also customary for him to free a slave every Friday.
The Muslims in Medina were poor as they had left their worldly possessions in Mecca. Much depended on the Ansar (dwellers of Medina) to adopt a Muhajireen (emigrants from Mecca) to support them in maintaining their livelihood and for survival. A Jewish trader had taken advantage of the need for the city dwellers’ survival when he sold water (a precious commodity indeed) at a very high price. 'Othman took the initiative to relieve them of such high expenses. He offered to buy the well at Rawmah from the Jew but was only allowed to purchase half of it. 'Othman then told the Muslims to purchase enough water for two days each time it was his turn to sell water, thereby avoiding purchase of water on the second day when it was the Jew’s turn to use the well. The Jew was then unable to get any buyers and eventually had to sell his share to 'Othman. The well then overflowed with its sweet water and provided the people of Medina with water at no price or account.
When the number of converts to Islam increased in Medina, the space available for them at the mosque in Medina decreased. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had hoped that perhaps one of his Companions could help with the purchase of the neighboring area to facilitate the expansion of the mosque. 'Othman was only too willing to oblige and proceeded to the owners of this area with an offer to purchase. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had said, “Who will buy the land of so and so add it to the mosque in return for something good for him in Paradise?”
Again, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam returned from their victorious campaign in Makkah, he sought to expand the area of the sacred mosque. He suggested that the owners of the home beside the mosque to donate it but they did not, saying that they had nothing else to their name and no other means of finding another home. For the third time 'Othman came forward, purchased a house for the owners with an even larger one than they had given up.
During the rule of Abu Bakr, the Muslims had undergone great hardship and one of them was the need for food. As a merchant, 'Othman was due to receive a substantial delivery of food and other goods from Damascus but he had chosen to give up the entire caravan to the poor to help them survive the harsh conditions.
Abu Bakr was the quickest of the Companions to rush to any good deed. 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab said: "The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam ordered us to give sadaqa (charity). It happened to coincide with some wealth I had just acquired and I said to myself: If I will every surpass Abu Bakr, this is the day I will surpass him. And so I came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam with half of my wealth and he (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to me: "What have you left for your family?" I said: The same amount. Then Abu Bakr came with all of his wealth. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said to him: "What have you left for your family?" He said: I have left them Allah and His Messenger." I said: I will never surpass you in anything." [Dawood]
Narrated Aslam: Ibn 'Omar asked me about some matters concerning 'Omar. He said, “Since Allah’s Apostle died, I have never seen anybody more serious, hardworking and generous than 'Omar bin Al−Khattab (till the end of his life).” [Bukhari]
Generosity and Leadership of 'Omar Al-Khattab
Look at this ultimate generosity, kindness and love of the companions for each other and for Islam. Where is our iman compared to theirs, our relationship with each other, and our priority in life?
"None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [Bukhari and Muslim]
May Allah increase our love for the great companions and enable us live according to their noble examples and resurrect us with them. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Generosity and Leadership of 'Omar Al-Khattab
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
'Omar Al-Khattab (radhiAllahu anhu)
(Life: (approx) 586AD – 644AD)
(Caliphate: 634AD – 644AD)
'Omar used to say: “What will you say to your Lord later?” – summing up his religion and his method of life.
Narrated Aslam: Ibn 'Omar asked me about some matters concerning 'Omar. He said, “Since Allah’s Apostle died, I have never seen anybody more serious, hardworking and generous than 'Omar bin Al−Khattab (till the end of his life).” [Bukhari – Book 57 Hadith 36]
Abu Bakr was the quickest of the Companions to rush to any good deed. 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab said: "The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam ordered us to give sadaqa (charity). It happened to coincide with some wealth I had just acquired and I said to myself: If I will every surpass Abu Bakr, this is the day I will surpass him. And so I came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam with half of my wealth and he (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to me: "What have you left for your family?" I said: The same amount. Then Abu Bakr came with all of his wealth. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said to him: "What have you left for your family?" He said: I have left them Allah and His Messenger." I said: I will never surpass you in anything." [Dawood]
'Omar's servant Aslam relates that he came out with 'Omar one night, and went far out into the open area outside Madinah. We were out on a fact finding mission to distant hamlets on the outskirt of Madinah. From a distance we observed fire aglow far off. 'Omar said, "I believe the darkness of the night and the cold have compelled some horsemen to sojourn here. Let us go and see." We proceeded at a brisk pace and reached that spot. We saw a woman sitting there with some children around her, a pot boiling on fire, and the children crying. 'Omar greeted her and asked the woman about her condition and also what was going on there. The woman told him that the darkness and cold had forced her to stay there for the night. 'Omar asked her, "Why are these children crying?" And the woman said in reply, "They are hungry". Then 'Omar asked her, "What is there in that pot on fire?" The woman said, "Only water to console the children so that they may remain quiet and go to sleep. And God alone shall judge between us and 'Omar". What the woman wanted to convey was that 'Omar was not fair and just to them. 'Omar said to her, "My good woman, What does 'Omar know about your state of affairs?" To which she retaliated, "Why then should he hold the high office of the Caliph when he is unaware of our condition?" Aslam relates that 'Omar said to him, "Let us go now". And we started from there with all haste, Aslam goes on to say, "and reached the godown of provisions (of the Bait-al-mal) and 'Omar took a bag of flour and container of fat and asked me to load the bag on his back. I offered my services but he angrily brushed aside my offer saying 'Can you relieve me of my burden on the Day of reckoning also?' So I loaded the bag on his back, and then we hastened towards our destination at a fast enough pace and soon he placed the bag and taking out some flour from the bag gave it to the woman and asked her to knead it while he himself offered to fan the fire to a flame. So he started blowing the fire below the pot. His beard was thick and I saw smoke percolating through his beard. He went on blowing at it until the food was ready, and he asked the woman to bring some vessel. And when she brought a platter, he poured out the contents of the pot into it and asked the woman to feed the children while he himself fanned to cool it. We sat there until all of them had eaten to their fill. What was left of the flour and fat was handed over to her and then 'Omar got up and I followed suit. The woman said, 'God bless you. You are more deserving of that high office than the Amir of the believers.' 'Omar said to her, 'Say only a good word. When tomorrow you come to see Amir of the believers, you will find me there, God-willing.' After that 'Omar went to some distance and retraced his steps and hid himself close to their place of stay. I said to him that that was not proper on his part to observe them from the place of his concealment. But he kept quiet. We saw that the children were playing merrily and then they went to sleep. 'Omar thanked God and got up and turning to me said, 'Aslam, hunger was growing at their stomachs and they were miserable and could not go to sleep. I would not have been at ease until I had seen them happy and comfortable. So I looked at them from my position of vantage. You have also seen that they have gone to sleep perfectly at ease."
It was the usual practice of 'Omar that he would patrol the streets and suburbs of Madina to watch the interests of the people, and attend to their needs. One day ''Omar noticed a tent pitched in an open space outside Madina. A person was sitting outside the tent, and some one inside the tent was groaning. Umar went to the man, greeted him, and wanted to know who he was. The man said that he was a man of the desert, and had come to Madina to wait on the Commander of the Faithful and seek his assistance. 'Omar next asked who was groaning inside the tent. The man said that inside the tent his wife was groaning with labor pains. He said that he was a stranger in Madina and did not know what to do. 'Omar enquired whether he had any woman to look after the confinement of his wife. He said that there was none. 'Omar said, "Do not worry. I will make the necessary arrangements." 'Omar came home, and asked his wife Umm Kulsum to accompany him on a mission of service. Umm Kulthum got ready and took with her such things as might be needed for the purposes of confinement. 'Omar took with him some provisions for the purposes of cooking a meal. 'Omar returned to the camp with his wife. Umm Kulsum went inside the tent to attend to the woman in pain, while 'Omar sat outside the tent with the Bedouin and began cooking some meals for him. After an hour or so when the meals had been cooked, Umm Kulthum from inside the tent addressed 'Omar: Amirul Mu'minin, Congratulate your guest on the birth of a son." Hearing this the Bedouin felt much embarrassed. Turning to 'Omar he said, "Amirul Mominin, why did you not reveal your identity? You have overwhelmed me with your benevolence." 'Omar put all his fears to rest saying: "That's all right. There is nothing to worry about. Thank God I have been of some service to you at the time of your need. You may come to me tomorrow and I will see what can be done further to help you". It was late at night when 'Omar and Umm Kulthum left. The Bedouin thanked God and said: "God be praised. I came to seek the Commander of the Faithful, and God sent the Commander of the Faithful to seek me."
The Great Famine (638 AD) was one of the most difficult times during Omar’s rule. The famine spread far and wide throughout Arabia. He organised for rations to come in from Syria, Palestine and Iraq. Once the rations arrived in Medina, he sent his people to re-route the food caravans to go deeper into Arabia to bring food to the people. For people who were displaced and had come to Medina for help, Omar hosted a dinner every night for everyone. Some accounts said that there were over 100,000 people at the dinners.
The Great Plague (639 AD) was another difficult time. Just as the famine was ending a great plague was spreading in Syria and Palestine. When the plague was over, 'Omar went to Syria to reorganize the administration as so many of the governors had died from plague.
The following are other examples of 'Omar’s outstanding leadership that have been recorded:
• Once a woman brought a claim against Omar. When ‘Omar appeared on trial before the judge, the judge stood up as a sign of respect. ‘Omar reprimanded him saying “This is the first act of injustice you did to this woman”.
• ‘Omar insisted that his governors live simple and austere lives, keep no guard at their door and be accessible to the people at all times. He himself set the example for them.
• Many times foreigners found him resting under a tree or praying in the mosque among the people. It was difficult for them to distinguish which man was the Caliph. He used to go about at night in the streets of Medina to see if people needed help or assistance.
• Once, he was delayed in attending Friday prayers once because he had washed his shirt and had to wait for it to dry because he had no other shirt. Can you imagine any other leader of a nation who was so frugal on himself and so afraid to misuse public funds, that he only has one garment in his possession?
• When receiving a gift of sweets from his governor in Azerbaijan, he inquired if all the people there ate the sweet. The answer was that it was reserved for the elite of the society. ‘Omar then made the following order to the governor “Do not satisfy yourself from any kind of food until all the Muslims eat their fill from it before you”.
• He once stood guard in the night with a companion to watch over some travelers. A baby was crying but the mother was unable to make it stop. ‘Omar asked what was wrong. She said that the baby refuses to wean. He asked why she would want to wean her baby who was still young. She replied without knowing who he was that “‘Omar only prescribes a share of the Treasury for the weaned ones”. ‘Omar was devastated at hearing this statement. At dawn prayer, his voice was almost incomprehensible from his weeping. ‘Omar felt himself having wronged those babies who may have died from being weaned too early. He then ordered that a share of the Treasury be prescribed for every Muslim child from birth.
• ‘Omar kept his family’s activities under tight scrutiny in case they are seen to be abusing their status because of their relationship to ‘Omar. Even when what they did was legal, he was still angered, and if they benefited financially, even if indirectly, he forbade from retaining such financial gains.
• ‘Omar had a precept: “If any of you saw any of your brothers committing a slip, you should (screen him and) help him. You should ask Allah to repent on him and you should not assist Satan against him”. This would prevent backbiting and gossiping – two of the most common sins.
Throughout his rule, 'Omar was constantly merciful, caring, principled, thoughtful and God fearing. He was a man who was worried of displaying the smallest injustice, the smallest suspicion, the smallest oppression all because he was preparing himself to answer the question “What will you say to your Lord later?”.
When 'Omar was made Caliph he stood on the pulpit and said: "O people! I am going to invoke Allah, therefore say ameen. O Allah! I am coarse, so make me soft, and I am stingy, so make me generous, and I am weak, so make me strong."
May Allah increase our love for the great Companions and enable us to follow their noble examples and resurrect us with them. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
'Omar Al-Khattab (radhiAllahu anhu)
(Life: (approx) 586AD – 644AD)
(Caliphate: 634AD – 644AD)
'Omar used to say: “What will you say to your Lord later?” – summing up his religion and his method of life.
Narrated Aslam: Ibn 'Omar asked me about some matters concerning 'Omar. He said, “Since Allah’s Apostle died, I have never seen anybody more serious, hardworking and generous than 'Omar bin Al−Khattab (till the end of his life).” [Bukhari – Book 57 Hadith 36]
Abu Bakr was the quickest of the Companions to rush to any good deed. 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab said: "The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam ordered us to give sadaqa (charity). It happened to coincide with some wealth I had just acquired and I said to myself: If I will every surpass Abu Bakr, this is the day I will surpass him. And so I came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam with half of my wealth and he (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said to me: "What have you left for your family?" I said: The same amount. Then Abu Bakr came with all of his wealth. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said to him: "What have you left for your family?" He said: I have left them Allah and His Messenger." I said: I will never surpass you in anything." [Dawood]
'Omar's servant Aslam relates that he came out with 'Omar one night, and went far out into the open area outside Madinah. We were out on a fact finding mission to distant hamlets on the outskirt of Madinah. From a distance we observed fire aglow far off. 'Omar said, "I believe the darkness of the night and the cold have compelled some horsemen to sojourn here. Let us go and see." We proceeded at a brisk pace and reached that spot. We saw a woman sitting there with some children around her, a pot boiling on fire, and the children crying. 'Omar greeted her and asked the woman about her condition and also what was going on there. The woman told him that the darkness and cold had forced her to stay there for the night. 'Omar asked her, "Why are these children crying?" And the woman said in reply, "They are hungry". Then 'Omar asked her, "What is there in that pot on fire?" The woman said, "Only water to console the children so that they may remain quiet and go to sleep. And God alone shall judge between us and 'Omar". What the woman wanted to convey was that 'Omar was not fair and just to them. 'Omar said to her, "My good woman, What does 'Omar know about your state of affairs?" To which she retaliated, "Why then should he hold the high office of the Caliph when he is unaware of our condition?" Aslam relates that 'Omar said to him, "Let us go now". And we started from there with all haste, Aslam goes on to say, "and reached the godown of provisions (of the Bait-al-mal) and 'Omar took a bag of flour and container of fat and asked me to load the bag on his back. I offered my services but he angrily brushed aside my offer saying 'Can you relieve me of my burden on the Day of reckoning also?' So I loaded the bag on his back, and then we hastened towards our destination at a fast enough pace and soon he placed the bag and taking out some flour from the bag gave it to the woman and asked her to knead it while he himself offered to fan the fire to a flame. So he started blowing the fire below the pot. His beard was thick and I saw smoke percolating through his beard. He went on blowing at it until the food was ready, and he asked the woman to bring some vessel. And when she brought a platter, he poured out the contents of the pot into it and asked the woman to feed the children while he himself fanned to cool it. We sat there until all of them had eaten to their fill. What was left of the flour and fat was handed over to her and then 'Omar got up and I followed suit. The woman said, 'God bless you. You are more deserving of that high office than the Amir of the believers.' 'Omar said to her, 'Say only a good word. When tomorrow you come to see Amir of the believers, you will find me there, God-willing.' After that 'Omar went to some distance and retraced his steps and hid himself close to their place of stay. I said to him that that was not proper on his part to observe them from the place of his concealment. But he kept quiet. We saw that the children were playing merrily and then they went to sleep. 'Omar thanked God and got up and turning to me said, 'Aslam, hunger was growing at their stomachs and they were miserable and could not go to sleep. I would not have been at ease until I had seen them happy and comfortable. So I looked at them from my position of vantage. You have also seen that they have gone to sleep perfectly at ease."
It was the usual practice of 'Omar that he would patrol the streets and suburbs of Madina to watch the interests of the people, and attend to their needs. One day ''Omar noticed a tent pitched in an open space outside Madina. A person was sitting outside the tent, and some one inside the tent was groaning. Umar went to the man, greeted him, and wanted to know who he was. The man said that he was a man of the desert, and had come to Madina to wait on the Commander of the Faithful and seek his assistance. 'Omar next asked who was groaning inside the tent. The man said that inside the tent his wife was groaning with labor pains. He said that he was a stranger in Madina and did not know what to do. 'Omar enquired whether he had any woman to look after the confinement of his wife. He said that there was none. 'Omar said, "Do not worry. I will make the necessary arrangements." 'Omar came home, and asked his wife Umm Kulsum to accompany him on a mission of service. Umm Kulthum got ready and took with her such things as might be needed for the purposes of confinement. 'Omar took with him some provisions for the purposes of cooking a meal. 'Omar returned to the camp with his wife. Umm Kulsum went inside the tent to attend to the woman in pain, while 'Omar sat outside the tent with the Bedouin and began cooking some meals for him. After an hour or so when the meals had been cooked, Umm Kulthum from inside the tent addressed 'Omar: Amirul Mu'minin, Congratulate your guest on the birth of a son." Hearing this the Bedouin felt much embarrassed. Turning to 'Omar he said, "Amirul Mominin, why did you not reveal your identity? You have overwhelmed me with your benevolence." 'Omar put all his fears to rest saying: "That's all right. There is nothing to worry about. Thank God I have been of some service to you at the time of your need. You may come to me tomorrow and I will see what can be done further to help you". It was late at night when 'Omar and Umm Kulthum left. The Bedouin thanked God and said: "God be praised. I came to seek the Commander of the Faithful, and God sent the Commander of the Faithful to seek me."
The Great Famine (638 AD) was one of the most difficult times during Omar’s rule. The famine spread far and wide throughout Arabia. He organised for rations to come in from Syria, Palestine and Iraq. Once the rations arrived in Medina, he sent his people to re-route the food caravans to go deeper into Arabia to bring food to the people. For people who were displaced and had come to Medina for help, Omar hosted a dinner every night for everyone. Some accounts said that there were over 100,000 people at the dinners.
The Great Plague (639 AD) was another difficult time. Just as the famine was ending a great plague was spreading in Syria and Palestine. When the plague was over, 'Omar went to Syria to reorganize the administration as so many of the governors had died from plague.
The following are other examples of 'Omar’s outstanding leadership that have been recorded:
• Once a woman brought a claim against Omar. When ‘Omar appeared on trial before the judge, the judge stood up as a sign of respect. ‘Omar reprimanded him saying “This is the first act of injustice you did to this woman”.
• ‘Omar insisted that his governors live simple and austere lives, keep no guard at their door and be accessible to the people at all times. He himself set the example for them.
• Many times foreigners found him resting under a tree or praying in the mosque among the people. It was difficult for them to distinguish which man was the Caliph. He used to go about at night in the streets of Medina to see if people needed help or assistance.
• Once, he was delayed in attending Friday prayers once because he had washed his shirt and had to wait for it to dry because he had no other shirt. Can you imagine any other leader of a nation who was so frugal on himself and so afraid to misuse public funds, that he only has one garment in his possession?
• When receiving a gift of sweets from his governor in Azerbaijan, he inquired if all the people there ate the sweet. The answer was that it was reserved for the elite of the society. ‘Omar then made the following order to the governor “Do not satisfy yourself from any kind of food until all the Muslims eat their fill from it before you”.
• He once stood guard in the night with a companion to watch over some travelers. A baby was crying but the mother was unable to make it stop. ‘Omar asked what was wrong. She said that the baby refuses to wean. He asked why she would want to wean her baby who was still young. She replied without knowing who he was that “‘Omar only prescribes a share of the Treasury for the weaned ones”. ‘Omar was devastated at hearing this statement. At dawn prayer, his voice was almost incomprehensible from his weeping. ‘Omar felt himself having wronged those babies who may have died from being weaned too early. He then ordered that a share of the Treasury be prescribed for every Muslim child from birth.
• ‘Omar kept his family’s activities under tight scrutiny in case they are seen to be abusing their status because of their relationship to ‘Omar. Even when what they did was legal, he was still angered, and if they benefited financially, even if indirectly, he forbade from retaining such financial gains.
• ‘Omar had a precept: “If any of you saw any of your brothers committing a slip, you should (screen him and) help him. You should ask Allah to repent on him and you should not assist Satan against him”. This would prevent backbiting and gossiping – two of the most common sins.
Throughout his rule, 'Omar was constantly merciful, caring, principled, thoughtful and God fearing. He was a man who was worried of displaying the smallest injustice, the smallest suspicion, the smallest oppression all because he was preparing himself to answer the question “What will you say to your Lord later?”.
When 'Omar was made Caliph he stood on the pulpit and said: "O people! I am going to invoke Allah, therefore say ameen. O Allah! I am coarse, so make me soft, and I am stingy, so make me generous, and I am weak, so make me strong."
May Allah increase our love for the great Companions and enable us to follow their noble examples and resurrect us with them. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Friday, March 28, 2014
Surah Kahf Day: Do You Really Love Allah?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
What is love? In dictionary.com, love is 1) a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person, 2) a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend, 3) sexual passion or desire, 4) a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart. 5) (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
Is that what love is? Are we ready to say we love Allah?
Great companions like Abu Bakr, 'Omar, 'Othman and 'Ali, radhiAllahu anhum, the four Rightly Guided Caliphs (Khulafa ar-Rashideen), these great men had love for Allah. How is it so that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, the leader of the believers, would travel everyday after fajr to the house of a blind elder woman to clean her house, prepare for her children, tend to her animals, and yet she didn't know who this man was and what he did. All she knew was a man came and provided for her. How is it, if not for the love of Allah, what else did he do it for? Was it for money? He was one of the richest companions. Was it for status and prestige? He was the Prophet's successor, the head of state. Such was the love that Abu Bakr had for Allah.
'Omar Al-Khattab, he was on the way to kill the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, but instead he embraced Islam. His love for Allah and this Deen was so great that while all the other Muslims were hiding their Islam, Omar was ready to proclaim his Islam and ready to tell everyone this new blessing and mercy that Allah bestowed upon him. Such was the love that he had for Allah.
'Othman ibn 'Affan, when he was asked to give, he gave the best of what he had and all of what he had. Compare with us, when we give, we give the extra, the things that we don't use or things that we are ready to throw away! When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was preparing for a battle, Othman brought to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, the best camels, the best swords, the best shields. Imagine the cost he took upon himself to provide this for the Muslims. If he didn't do this for the love of Allah, what is it for then? To be become popular, to become recognized? He was the son-in-law of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. It has been said that marriage to two daughters of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, Ruqayyah then Ummi Kalthum had earned Othman the nickname Dhun-Noorayn (the one with the two lights) as there was no one else had the privilege of having the Prophet as a father-in-law twice over. He was the only man in history to marry 2 daughters of a Prophet. After Umm Kalthum passed away, the Prophet said to him, "Had we a third daughter, surely, we would have given her in marriage to you.” What an endorsement when the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam considers you worthy of marrying his own daughters. His status was there. So he did that for none other than he only desired Allah. Such was the love he had for Allah.
'Ali ibn Abi Talib (the father of the Prophet's grandchildren Hasan and Husain and husband to his beloved daughter Fatimah Az-Zahra), he stood the entire night in prayers. The companion said, they left him after 'Isha in ruku' and they came before Fajr and they found him in bowing (ruku'), except that there was one difference -- that his beard was soaked and there was puddle of tears beneath him. What gave him the happiness to pray all night? He was one of the 10 promised Jannah yet he worship as if he was promised Hell. His desire to be with Allah pushed him to work hard. Such was the genuine love Ali had for Allah.
There are many ahadith to show Ali's love for Allah. These two incidents summarize them all -- 1) On the eve of the campaign of Khaybar, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I shall give the standard to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah loves and also His Messenger." `Umar said: "I never liked to be entrusted leadership before that day." The next day the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, summoned `Ali and gave him the flag. 2) Some people complained to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, about `Ali, whereupon he stood and said: "Do not accuse `Ali of anything! By Allah, he is truly a little rough (la’ukhayshan) in Allah’s cause."
How much Allah does for us? He created us, He gave us life, He gave us our limbs, He gave us good health, He gave us parents, He gave us spouses and children, He gave us nice houses to live in, nice vehicles to drive, He gave us everything, we can't count them, and more to come, we can't even imagine ever. He promises for us eternal Paradise. He promises to elevate the status of the righteous to look at His face on the Day of Judgment. How does Allah love us so much? The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that Allah's love for His slaves is more than a mother who lost her child and found him back. It is for this reason Sufyan al Thawri said, "I rather have Allah as my Judge in the Day of Judgment than my own parents because I know Allah loves me more than my own parents." We know how much Allah loves us because even when we disobeyed Him, He still feeds us, He still clothes us, He still let us breathe. He subjected all His other creations to us -- the sun, the moon, the animals, the plants and so on ... but what do we do? We spread corruption on earth, we corrupted the world. But He still provides for us, nourishes us and sustains us. Even while committing the sin, He still let us breathe. How great, how noble, how merciful, is Allah!
Narated By Abu Huraira : I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept its ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of that, it's one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it."[Sahih Bukhari]
Narated By 'Umar bin Al-Khattab : Some Sabi (i.e. war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the Prophet and behold, a woman amongst them was milking her breasts to feed and whenever she found a child amongst the captives, she took it over her chest and nursed it (she had lost her child but later she found him) the Prophet said to us, "Do you think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?" We replied, "No, if she has the power not to throw it (in the fire)." The Prophet then said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son." [Sahih Bukhari]
Maybe you think Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali were the companions of the Prophet and they had an advantage. But how about Imam Ahmad Hanbali, he was an ordinary human just like you and I, before he became a great Imam. When he was arrested and was punished with 100 lashes in public, his students were witnessing the punishment. In between the lashes, Imam Ahmad passed out. When he woke up, he asked his students if they had prayed 'Asr and they replied, "Yes." So he said, 'Then make wudu' for me so I can pray Asr." After he prayed 'Asr, his students asked him a question, "O Our Sheikh, when the whipper was whipping you, we were crying out of pain that you were going through, yet you were smiling. Why?" So the Iman said, "You all were looking at the hands of the whipper, but I was looking at the hands of Allah." SubhanAllah. If it wasn't for his love of Allah, how else would he think the way he thought during the punishment.
Put yourself in the shoes of these great men and ask yourself, "Would have I reacted the same?" "Would I have done the same?" "Would I have thought the same?" Ask yourself now, "Do I really love Allah?"
Allah Almighty says,
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, counsel us to read Surah Kahf every Friday. Have you read Surah Kahf today? This is not difficult to do for those who love Allah. Those who love Allah, Allah loves them more because we cannot outdo Allah in anything, and that includes love.
اللهم إني أسألك حبك، وحب من يحبك، والعمل الذي يبلغني حبك، اللهم اجعل حبك أحب إلى من نفسي، وأهلي، ومن الماء البارد
Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-'amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka. Allahumm-aj'al hubbaka ahabba ilayya min nafsi, wa ahli, wa minal-ma'il-baridi
O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and the cold water. [At- Tirmidhi]
Ameen.
Emotional video on Love of Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam
Have a blessed Jumu'ah. Please don’t forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
What is love? In dictionary.com, love is 1) a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person, 2) a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend, 3) sexual passion or desire, 4) a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart. 5) (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
Is that what love is? Are we ready to say we love Allah?
Great companions like Abu Bakr, 'Omar, 'Othman and 'Ali, radhiAllahu anhum, the four Rightly Guided Caliphs (Khulafa ar-Rashideen), these great men had love for Allah. How is it so that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, the leader of the believers, would travel everyday after fajr to the house of a blind elder woman to clean her house, prepare for her children, tend to her animals, and yet she didn't know who this man was and what he did. All she knew was a man came and provided for her. How is it, if not for the love of Allah, what else did he do it for? Was it for money? He was one of the richest companions. Was it for status and prestige? He was the Prophet's successor, the head of state. Such was the love that Abu Bakr had for Allah.
'Omar Al-Khattab, he was on the way to kill the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, but instead he embraced Islam. His love for Allah and this Deen was so great that while all the other Muslims were hiding their Islam, Omar was ready to proclaim his Islam and ready to tell everyone this new blessing and mercy that Allah bestowed upon him. Such was the love that he had for Allah.
'Othman ibn 'Affan, when he was asked to give, he gave the best of what he had and all of what he had. Compare with us, when we give, we give the extra, the things that we don't use or things that we are ready to throw away! When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was preparing for a battle, Othman brought to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, the best camels, the best swords, the best shields. Imagine the cost he took upon himself to provide this for the Muslims. If he didn't do this for the love of Allah, what is it for then? To be become popular, to become recognized? He was the son-in-law of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. It has been said that marriage to two daughters of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, Ruqayyah then Ummi Kalthum had earned Othman the nickname Dhun-Noorayn (the one with the two lights) as there was no one else had the privilege of having the Prophet as a father-in-law twice over. He was the only man in history to marry 2 daughters of a Prophet. After Umm Kalthum passed away, the Prophet said to him, "Had we a third daughter, surely, we would have given her in marriage to you.” What an endorsement when the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam considers you worthy of marrying his own daughters. His status was there. So he did that for none other than he only desired Allah. Such was the love he had for Allah.
'Ali ibn Abi Talib (the father of the Prophet's grandchildren Hasan and Husain and husband to his beloved daughter Fatimah Az-Zahra), he stood the entire night in prayers. The companion said, they left him after 'Isha in ruku' and they came before Fajr and they found him in bowing (ruku'), except that there was one difference -- that his beard was soaked and there was puddle of tears beneath him. What gave him the happiness to pray all night? He was one of the 10 promised Jannah yet he worship as if he was promised Hell. His desire to be with Allah pushed him to work hard. Such was the genuine love Ali had for Allah.
There are many ahadith to show Ali's love for Allah. These two incidents summarize them all -- 1) On the eve of the campaign of Khaybar, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I shall give the standard to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah loves and also His Messenger." `Umar said: "I never liked to be entrusted leadership before that day." The next day the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, summoned `Ali and gave him the flag. 2) Some people complained to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, about `Ali, whereupon he stood and said: "Do not accuse `Ali of anything! By Allah, he is truly a little rough (la’ukhayshan) in Allah’s cause."
How much Allah does for us? He created us, He gave us life, He gave us our limbs, He gave us good health, He gave us parents, He gave us spouses and children, He gave us nice houses to live in, nice vehicles to drive, He gave us everything, we can't count them, and more to come, we can't even imagine ever. He promises for us eternal Paradise. He promises to elevate the status of the righteous to look at His face on the Day of Judgment. How does Allah love us so much? The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that Allah's love for His slaves is more than a mother who lost her child and found him back. It is for this reason Sufyan al Thawri said, "I rather have Allah as my Judge in the Day of Judgment than my own parents because I know Allah loves me more than my own parents." We know how much Allah loves us because even when we disobeyed Him, He still feeds us, He still clothes us, He still let us breathe. He subjected all His other creations to us -- the sun, the moon, the animals, the plants and so on ... but what do we do? We spread corruption on earth, we corrupted the world. But He still provides for us, nourishes us and sustains us. Even while committing the sin, He still let us breathe. How great, how noble, how merciful, is Allah!
Narated By Abu Huraira : I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept its ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of that, it's one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it."[Sahih Bukhari]
Narated By 'Umar bin Al-Khattab : Some Sabi (i.e. war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the Prophet and behold, a woman amongst them was milking her breasts to feed and whenever she found a child amongst the captives, she took it over her chest and nursed it (she had lost her child but later she found him) the Prophet said to us, "Do you think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?" We replied, "No, if she has the power not to throw it (in the fire)." The Prophet then said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son." [Sahih Bukhari]
Maybe you think Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali were the companions of the Prophet and they had an advantage. But how about Imam Ahmad Hanbali, he was an ordinary human just like you and I, before he became a great Imam. When he was arrested and was punished with 100 lashes in public, his students were witnessing the punishment. In between the lashes, Imam Ahmad passed out. When he woke up, he asked his students if they had prayed 'Asr and they replied, "Yes." So he said, 'Then make wudu' for me so I can pray Asr." After he prayed 'Asr, his students asked him a question, "O Our Sheikh, when the whipper was whipping you, we were crying out of pain that you were going through, yet you were smiling. Why?" So the Iman said, "You all were looking at the hands of the whipper, but I was looking at the hands of Allah." SubhanAllah. If it wasn't for his love of Allah, how else would he think the way he thought during the punishment.
Put yourself in the shoes of these great men and ask yourself, "Would have I reacted the same?" "Would I have done the same?" "Would I have thought the same?" Ask yourself now, "Do I really love Allah?"
Allah Almighty says,
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١[Qur'an AleImran 3:31]
"Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.""
(31)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, counsel us to read Surah Kahf every Friday. Have you read Surah Kahf today? This is not difficult to do for those who love Allah. Those who love Allah, Allah loves them more because we cannot outdo Allah in anything, and that includes love.
اللهم إني أسألك حبك، وحب من يحبك، والعمل الذي يبلغني حبك، اللهم اجعل حبك أحب إلى من نفسي، وأهلي، ومن الماء البارد
Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-'amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka. Allahumm-aj'al hubbaka ahabba ilayya min nafsi, wa ahli, wa minal-ma'il-baridi
O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and the cold water. [At- Tirmidhi]
Ameen.
Emotional video on Love of Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam
Have a blessed Jumu'ah. Please don’t forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Entry Into The Highest Ranks of The Righteous
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The complete fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in doing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of his dearest belongings in the way of Allah.
Allah Almighty says,
The noble Companions (radhiAllahu anhum) who were the first addressees of the Qur'anic injunctions really loved to carry out the injunctions of the Qur'an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each of them surveyed as to what they loved most of what they had. Consequently, requests started coming from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, that these be spent in the way of Allah.
Abu Talhah (radhiAllahu anhu) was the richest among the Ansar (the helping residents) of Madinah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the Prophet's Mosque. It had a well call Bi'r Ha. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam used to visit this farm once in a while and drink water drawn from Bi'r Ha. He liked the water from this well. This farm belonging to Talhah was very precious, fertile, and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse, he presented himself before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, and said: 'I hold Bi'r Ha, the dearest of all that I own. I wish to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.' He said: 'That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you distribute it among your kith and kin.' Abu Talhah, accepting the suggestion made by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, distributed it among his relatives and cousins. [related Bukhari and Muslim] This hadith also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to one's own family and relatives.
Zayd ibn Haritha (radhiAllahu anhu) came with a horse and said that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam accepted it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Usamah ibn Zayd (radhiAllahu anhu). Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his own home. But, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam comforted him by saying: 'Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours'. (Tafsir Mazhari vide Ibn Jarir, and others)
'Umar (radhiAllahu anhu) had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed her for the sake of Allah. Similarly, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radhiAllahu anhu) had a bond-maid he loved. He freed her for the sake of Allah.
Something liked and loved means that the thing is working for you and that you need it, not that it be spare and useless.
Entry into the fold of perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spending one's cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not necessarily follow that there is no merit in the one who does spend out of what is extra to his needs. 'Whatever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it.' No charity is devoid of merit irrespective of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is certainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also gives away things which are extra to his needs, e.g., left-over food or used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a reward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is concerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry into the ranks of the righteous as well.
Allah is fully aware of the real quality of what we spend and knows whether or not it is dear to us, and if we are spending it for the good pleasure of Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by somebody that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart - He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in His way.
A poet says:
O you who seeks the hand of the dunya in marriage! Know that she has a new lover everyday
She takes a husband now, yet gives herself at the same time to an other elsewhere
She only accepts lovers so that she may kill them in her bosom one by one
I have been fooled and the affliction is spreading in my body little by little
Ready yourself and take provisions for death, for the herald has called: ‘tis time to leave, ‘tis time to leave!
May Allah grant us tawfiq to the highest station.
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:201]
Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The complete fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in doing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of his dearest belongings in the way of Allah.
Allah Almighty says,
لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٩٢[Qur'an AleImran 3:92]
Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. (92)
The noble Companions (radhiAllahu anhum) who were the first addressees of the Qur'anic injunctions really loved to carry out the injunctions of the Qur'an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each of them surveyed as to what they loved most of what they had. Consequently, requests started coming from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, that these be spent in the way of Allah.
Abu Talhah (radhiAllahu anhu) was the richest among the Ansar (the helping residents) of Madinah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the Prophet's Mosque. It had a well call Bi'r Ha. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam used to visit this farm once in a while and drink water drawn from Bi'r Ha. He liked the water from this well. This farm belonging to Talhah was very precious, fertile, and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse, he presented himself before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, and said: 'I hold Bi'r Ha, the dearest of all that I own. I wish to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.' He said: 'That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you distribute it among your kith and kin.' Abu Talhah, accepting the suggestion made by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, distributed it among his relatives and cousins. [related Bukhari and Muslim] This hadith also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to one's own family and relatives.
Zayd ibn Haritha (radhiAllahu anhu) came with a horse and said that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam accepted it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Usamah ibn Zayd (radhiAllahu anhu). Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his own home. But, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam comforted him by saying: 'Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours'. (Tafsir Mazhari vide Ibn Jarir, and others)
'Umar (radhiAllahu anhu) had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed her for the sake of Allah. Similarly, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radhiAllahu anhu) had a bond-maid he loved. He freed her for the sake of Allah.
Something liked and loved means that the thing is working for you and that you need it, not that it be spare and useless.
وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا ﴿٨﴾ إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّـهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿٩﴾ إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا ﴿١٠[Qur'an Al-Insan 76:8-10]
And they [the righteous servants of Allah] give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, (8) [Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. (9) Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful." (10)
وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩ ...[Qur'an Al-Hashr 59:9]
... they [the righteous servants of Allah] prefer others over their own selves even though they themselves are in need. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. (9)
Entry into the fold of perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spending one's cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not necessarily follow that there is no merit in the one who does spend out of what is extra to his needs. 'Whatever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it.' No charity is devoid of merit irrespective of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is certainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also gives away things which are extra to his needs, e.g., left-over food or used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a reward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is concerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry into the ranks of the righteous as well.
Allah is fully aware of the real quality of what we spend and knows whether or not it is dear to us, and if we are spending it for the good pleasure of Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by somebody that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart - He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in His way.
A poet says:
O you who seeks the hand of the dunya in marriage! Know that she has a new lover everyday
She takes a husband now, yet gives herself at the same time to an other elsewhere
She only accepts lovers so that she may kill them in her bosom one by one
I have been fooled and the affliction is spreading in my body little by little
Ready yourself and take provisions for death, for the herald has called: ‘tis time to leave, ‘tis time to leave!
May Allah grant us tawfiq to the highest station.
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:201]
Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Islam taught us many things and if we apply even a fraction of what we know, life would be wonderful for us and the people around us. Just take for example this one hadith:
"None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [related by Bukhari and Muslim]
How many of us practice this? For most people, their lives center around themselves and perhaps it extended to their immediate family members, perhaps a little further or to their best friends, but so many people not even to their own immediate family members and neighbors, let alone to acquaintances and strangers. This is not surprising at all...for people are mostly selfish. But if you are in the company of people who do practice this hadith, this is the true meaning of life. And you are in the company of the true righteous people. Where do you find people like that? Actually they are not hard to find if you are one of them. Birds of a feather flock together.
First, you need to look to your heart and ask these questions. Does my heart incline towards righteous people? Is the heart avid in desiring righteousness? If your heart is moved at the mention of righteous people, this is a sign that you are one of them.
One of the companions came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, and said, “I travelled through the day and night and I am filled with thirst and my mount is tired and fatigued, and it was just because I wanted to reach you before you leave this world to ask you a question.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, asked him, “What is it that you want to ask me about?” He replied, “My question is, what is the sign of those whom Allah chooses, and what is the sign of those whom Allah does not choose?” So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, asked him, “In what state did you awake this morning?” Note here that the man asked about divine election and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam asked him what his state was. He said, “I awoke this morning loving goodness, and joyous with any goodness I do, and saddened by any goodness that I missed….” “Enough,” said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, “these are the signs of Allah in those whom he chooses. If He wanted you for something else he would have prepared you for it.” [at-Tabrani]
May Allah grant us righteousness and make righteous works beloved to us. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Islam taught us many things and if we apply even a fraction of what we know, life would be wonderful for us and the people around us. Just take for example this one hadith:
"None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [related by Bukhari and Muslim]
How many of us practice this? For most people, their lives center around themselves and perhaps it extended to their immediate family members, perhaps a little further or to their best friends, but so many people not even to their own immediate family members and neighbors, let alone to acquaintances and strangers. This is not surprising at all...for people are mostly selfish. But if you are in the company of people who do practice this hadith, this is the true meaning of life. And you are in the company of the true righteous people. Where do you find people like that? Actually they are not hard to find if you are one of them. Birds of a feather flock together.
First, you need to look to your heart and ask these questions. Does my heart incline towards righteous people? Is the heart avid in desiring righteousness? If your heart is moved at the mention of righteous people, this is a sign that you are one of them.
One of the companions came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, and said, “I travelled through the day and night and I am filled with thirst and my mount is tired and fatigued, and it was just because I wanted to reach you before you leave this world to ask you a question.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, asked him, “What is it that you want to ask me about?” He replied, “My question is, what is the sign of those whom Allah chooses, and what is the sign of those whom Allah does not choose?” So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, asked him, “In what state did you awake this morning?” Note here that the man asked about divine election and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam asked him what his state was. He said, “I awoke this morning loving goodness, and joyous with any goodness I do, and saddened by any goodness that I missed….” “Enough,” said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, “these are the signs of Allah in those whom he chooses. If He wanted you for something else he would have prepared you for it.” [at-Tabrani]
May Allah grant us righteousness and make righteous works beloved to us. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Problem Isn't The Problem
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
When you are hungry, it is not a problem if you have food. When you are thirsty, it is not a problem if you have water. When you are cold, it is not a problem if you have the proper clothing or heater to warm you up, or when it is hot, it is not a problem if you have shade or an air conditioner. So the problem isn't the problem itself. If you have provision needed when that hunger or thirst or cold or heat strikes, neither hunger, thirst, cold nor heat will touch you. The problem is only when the hunger comes and you don’t have food, when the thirst comes and you don't have water, when the temperature hit below freezing and you don't have thick clothing to cover yourself or a working heater in the home to warm your bodies, or when the temperature is in the 3 digits and you don't have a cooling system.
So many of us can't even handle when someone looks at us the wrong way. Why? Because we lack the cooling system, i.e. patience. Patience is a huge provision to keep asking Allah for.
Indeed, Allah sends us trials, so we may be purified, strengthened and returned to Him. But, know that with that hunger, thirst, cold or hot, Allah also sends the provision to overcome it. Allah sends the test, but with it He can send the sabr (patience), and even the ridha (contentment) to withstand it.
Indeed, Allah tests those whom He loves and He tests in proportion to the level of faith. But Allah too may send His Divine assistance whereby any test can be made easy and any fire can be made cool.
Remember the story of Ibrahim alayhissalaam who was thrown into the fire but he came out of it as if he was coming out from a garden, peaceful, his face illuminated, and not a trace of smoke on his clothes.
Remember the story of Asiyah, the wife of Fir'aun. In her final moments, Pharoah tortured her severely. But Asiyah smiled. Why? Because she saw her palace in Jannah with her Lord. And her du'a is recorded in the Qur'an for us to understand.
Allah too may send His Divine assistance whereby a single glimpse of His light and the home with Him can make you smile — even in the midst of the flames of trial. For that we have to remember Him by day and by night, be grateful to Him and turn to Him in repentance often.
May Allah ease our difficulties and send relief to those who are in difficulties all over the world. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
When you are hungry, it is not a problem if you have food. When you are thirsty, it is not a problem if you have water. When you are cold, it is not a problem if you have the proper clothing or heater to warm you up, or when it is hot, it is not a problem if you have shade or an air conditioner. So the problem isn't the problem itself. If you have provision needed when that hunger or thirst or cold or heat strikes, neither hunger, thirst, cold nor heat will touch you. The problem is only when the hunger comes and you don’t have food, when the thirst comes and you don't have water, when the temperature hit below freezing and you don't have thick clothing to cover yourself or a working heater in the home to warm your bodies, or when the temperature is in the 3 digits and you don't have a cooling system.
So many of us can't even handle when someone looks at us the wrong way. Why? Because we lack the cooling system, i.e. patience. Patience is a huge provision to keep asking Allah for.
Indeed, Allah sends us trials, so we may be purified, strengthened and returned to Him. But, know that with that hunger, thirst, cold or hot, Allah also sends the provision to overcome it. Allah sends the test, but with it He can send the sabr (patience), and even the ridha (contentment) to withstand it.
Indeed, Allah tests those whom He loves and He tests in proportion to the level of faith. But Allah too may send His Divine assistance whereby any test can be made easy and any fire can be made cool.
Remember the story of Ibrahim alayhissalaam who was thrown into the fire but he came out of it as if he was coming out from a garden, peaceful, his face illuminated, and not a trace of smoke on his clothes.
Remember the story of Asiyah, the wife of Fir'aun. In her final moments, Pharoah tortured her severely. But Asiyah smiled. Why? Because she saw her palace in Jannah with her Lord. And her du'a is recorded in the Qur'an for us to understand.
وَضَرَبَ اللَّـهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا امْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١١[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:11]
And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people." (11)
Allah too may send His Divine assistance whereby a single glimpse of His light and the home with Him can make you smile — even in the midst of the flames of trial. For that we have to remember Him by day and by night, be grateful to Him and turn to Him in repentance often.
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:152]
So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.
May Allah ease our difficulties and send relief to those who are in difficulties all over the world. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Why Do People Want To Get Married?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
People want get married or people got married for a number of different reasons, but the best reason is to serve Allah, which consequence is happiness in this life and eternal felicity in the next life. How many of us have this reason when they think of getting married? Maybe not so many and no wonder there are so much unhappiness and problems in today's marital life which filter into the society, and so many began soon after the honeymoon is over, within the first year of marriage. Why? Because the reason they get married was for other than Allah. And so, Allah leave them to care for their marriage but we know, nothing is easy without Allah's help, as Ibn Ata'ila said, "Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord, and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself."
Anas ibn Malik radhiAllahu anhu, narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said: "Whoever Allah blesses with a righteous wife, then He has assisted him in half of his deen. So therefore, let him fear Allah in the other half." (Al-Mustadrak: 10/2681) Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth hasan in Saheeh At-Targheeb (1916)
One of the signs of humility and certitude in Allah is to make du’a to Him for the spouse that can help you in your religion and attain the eternal felicity.
The best supplications are often those which are heartfelt and sincere. Strive to live the virtuous qualities you are looking for in a spouse, and ask Allah for an increase in all good for yourself and the entire ummah.
Realize the words of Allah, وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ‘If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me.’ [Qur’an Al-Baqarah, 2:185]
The following Qur’anic supplications have also been recommended:
[1] “O Lord! Grant us good in this life, and good in the next, and save us from the torment of the Fire (Rabbana atina fi’dunya hasana wa fi’l-akhirati hasana wa qina `adhab al-nar)” [Qur’an, 2:201]
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Some commentators of the Qur’an interpreted the “good in this life” to mean a righteous spouse. Sawi, in his Hashiya on Jalalayn, mentions that everything that will assist one in attaining the eternal felicity of the next life is considered the “good of this life”, including a pious spouse.
[2] “My lord, I am in absolute need of the good You send me (Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khairin faqir)” [Qur’an Al-Qasas, 28:24]
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
This is the supplication that the Prophet Musa alayhissalaam made after helping the two young ladies of Madyan draw water from the well. The father of the ladies, a righteous man, some scholars said he was Prophet Shu'aib, gave one of them to Musa to be his wife and when she later died, Musa married the other daughter. Many of the righteous have recommended this supplication for the one seeking a spouse.
[3] “Our Lord! Grant unto us spouses and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyatina qurrata a`yunin wa’j`alna li’l muttaqina imama)” [Qur’an Al-Furqan, 25:74]
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً
May Allah grant you all righteous spouses and righteous children. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
People want get married or people got married for a number of different reasons, but the best reason is to serve Allah, which consequence is happiness in this life and eternal felicity in the next life. How many of us have this reason when they think of getting married? Maybe not so many and no wonder there are so much unhappiness and problems in today's marital life which filter into the society, and so many began soon after the honeymoon is over, within the first year of marriage. Why? Because the reason they get married was for other than Allah. And so, Allah leave them to care for their marriage but we know, nothing is easy without Allah's help, as Ibn Ata'ila said, "Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord, and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself."
Anas ibn Malik radhiAllahu anhu, narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said: "Whoever Allah blesses with a righteous wife, then He has assisted him in half of his deen. So therefore, let him fear Allah in the other half." (Al-Mustadrak: 10/2681) Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth hasan in Saheeh At-Targheeb (1916)
One of the signs of humility and certitude in Allah is to make du’a to Him for the spouse that can help you in your religion and attain the eternal felicity.
The best supplications are often those which are heartfelt and sincere. Strive to live the virtuous qualities you are looking for in a spouse, and ask Allah for an increase in all good for yourself and the entire ummah.
Realize the words of Allah, وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ‘If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me.’ [Qur’an Al-Baqarah, 2:185]
The following Qur’anic supplications have also been recommended:
[1] “O Lord! Grant us good in this life, and good in the next, and save us from the torment of the Fire (Rabbana atina fi’dunya hasana wa fi’l-akhirati hasana wa qina `adhab al-nar)” [Qur’an, 2:201]
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Some commentators of the Qur’an interpreted the “good in this life” to mean a righteous spouse. Sawi, in his Hashiya on Jalalayn, mentions that everything that will assist one in attaining the eternal felicity of the next life is considered the “good of this life”, including a pious spouse.
[2] “My lord, I am in absolute need of the good You send me (Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khairin faqir)” [Qur’an Al-Qasas, 28:24]
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
This is the supplication that the Prophet Musa alayhissalaam made after helping the two young ladies of Madyan draw water from the well. The father of the ladies, a righteous man, some scholars said he was Prophet Shu'aib, gave one of them to Musa to be his wife and when she later died, Musa married the other daughter. Many of the righteous have recommended this supplication for the one seeking a spouse.
[3] “Our Lord! Grant unto us spouses and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyatina qurrata a`yunin wa’j`alna li’l muttaqina imama)” [Qur’an Al-Furqan, 25:74]
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً
May Allah grant you all righteous spouses and righteous children. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, March 24, 2014
Prepare for Doomsday: Counsel in Twos
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
When Allah Almighty, in His infinite wisdom and Divine mercy, created the human soul, He intended its eternal abode to be in the Garden of Bliss. However, the journey to this eternal abode is indeed full of many obstacles, be it the
splendors of this world, the passions of our lower self (nafs), or the whispers of shaytan.
It is the successful preparation for this journey that will – with the Mercy of Allah – ultimately lead us to that Garden. This preparation is based on comprehending the Divine Message and internalizing its teachings in our lives. Many a noble and strong willed soul has undertaken this journey, and these are the valuable pieces of advice that represent the fruits of their experience.
A Prophetic tradition states, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. If he finds it then he is most deserving of it.” There are plenty of wise sayings of the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), of the Companions, and of the pious predecessors and ascetics available to us. Reflecting on these wise sayings and heeding these counsels will assist in infusing us with the requisite awareness and fervor to prepare for the Day of Judgement. Verily, we are in need of such counsel, for our Day of Judgement begins not when the world ends, but when our life comes to an end – which is indeed imminent.
Allah Almighty says,
Counsel in Twos
[1] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “There are two traits, nothing is better than them: belief in Allah and bringing benefit to the Muslims. And there are two traits, nothing is worse than them: associating partners with Allah and bring harm to the Muslims.”
[2] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Sit with the scholars and listen to the speech of the wise, for verily Allah the Exalted gives life to the dead heart with the light of wisdom as he gives life to the dead soil with rainwater.”
[3] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “He who enters the grave without any provisions is as though he wishes to sail the sea without a ship.”
[4] `Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “Honor in this world is in wealth, and honor in the Hereafter is in righteous actions.”
[5] `Uthman ibn `Affan (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “Worrying about the dunya is a darkness in the heart, while worrying about the Hereafter is a light in the heart.”
[6] `Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “The one who seeks after knowledge, Paradise will seek after him; and the one who seeks after disobedience, the Hellfire will seek after him.”
[7] Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, “An honorable person would never be disobedient to Allah, and a wise person would never prefer the dunya over the Hereafter.”
[8] Al-A`mash said, “The one whose capital is Taqwa (God-consciousness, God-fearingness), tongues will be incapable of describing the fortune that is his piety; and the one whose capital is the dunya (material world), tongues will be incapable of describing the magnitude of his loss of piety.”
[9] Sufyan al-Thawri said, “Every act of disobedience committed due to passion, its forgiveness is hoped for. Every act of disobedience committed due to arrogance, its forgiveness is not hoped for because the root of Satan’s disobedience was arrogance, whereas the root of Adam’s lapse was passion.”
[10] An ascetic once said, “The one who sins while laughing, Allah will make him enter the Fire while crying. And the one who obeys while crying (out of fear of Allah) Allah will make him enter Paradise while laughing.”
[11] A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins grow.”
[12] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No sin remains minor when accompanied by persistence, and no sin remains major when accompanied by the seeking of forgiveness.”
[13] It is said, “The Gnostic (‘arif) occupies himself with praise [of Allah], while the ascetic (zahid) occupies himself with supplication; because the Gnostic’s concern is his Lord, while the ascetic’s concern is his own nafs.”
[14] An ascetic said, “Whoever is under the delusion that he has a closer friend than Allah, little is his knowledge of Allah; and the one who is under the delusion that he has a greater enemy than his nafs, little is his knowledge of his nafs.”
[15] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radhiAllahu`anhu) said regarding the Qur’anic verse, ‘Corruption has appeared on land and sea’, “The land refers to the tongue and the sea refers to the heart. If the tongue is corrupted people cry over it, and if the
heart is corrupted the angels cry over it.
[16] It is said, “Verily passion turns kings into slaves, and patience turns slaves into kings. Do you not see the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha?”
[17] It is said, “Glad tidings to the one whose intellect is his master and whose desire is his slave. And woe to the one whose desire is his master and whose intellect is his slave.”
[18] It is also said, “The one who leaves sins, his heart will be softened; and the one who leaves the forbidden and eats the lawful, his intellect will be enlightened.”
[19] Allah revealed to one of the Prophets, “Obey me in that which I have commanded you, and do not disobey me in that which I have advised you.”
[20] It is said, “The perfection of the intellect is in following the pleasure of Allah and avoiding His wrath.”
[21] It is said, “There is no exile for the learned, and there is no homeland for the ignorant.”
[22] It is said, “The one who is close to Allah due to his obedience will be a stranger amongst people.”
[23] It is said, “The movement towards obedience is evidence of knowledge just as the movement of the body is evidence of its vitality.”
[24] It has been reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The root of all sins is love of the dunya and the root of all tribulation is withholding taxes and zakat.”
[25] It is said, “The one who admits his shortcomings is always praised, and admitting shortcomings is a sign of acceptance [by Allah].”
[26] It is said, “Ingratitude for blessings is baseness and the company of a fool is bad fortune.”
[27] A Poet said:
O he who is busy with his dunya!
Whom illusions of a long lifetime have deluded
Was he not in a state of heedlessness
Until his appointed time drew near?
Verily death arrives suddenly
And the Grave is the collection-box of actions
Be patient over the dunya and its hardships
No death is there except at one’s appointed time
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
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
When Allah Almighty, in His infinite wisdom and Divine mercy, created the human soul, He intended its eternal abode to be in the Garden of Bliss. However, the journey to this eternal abode is indeed full of many obstacles, be it the
splendors of this world, the passions of our lower self (nafs), or the whispers of shaytan.
It is the successful preparation for this journey that will – with the Mercy of Allah – ultimately lead us to that Garden. This preparation is based on comprehending the Divine Message and internalizing its teachings in our lives. Many a noble and strong willed soul has undertaken this journey, and these are the valuable pieces of advice that represent the fruits of their experience.
A Prophetic tradition states, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. If he finds it then he is most deserving of it.” There are plenty of wise sayings of the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), of the Companions, and of the pious predecessors and ascetics available to us. Reflecting on these wise sayings and heeding these counsels will assist in infusing us with the requisite awareness and fervor to prepare for the Day of Judgement. Verily, we are in need of such counsel, for our Day of Judgement begins not when the world ends, but when our life comes to an end – which is indeed imminent.
Allah Almighty says,
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥[Qur'an AleImran 3:185]
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (185)
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ ﴿٢[Qur'an Al-Mulk 67:2]
[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving - (2)
Counsel in Twos
[1] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “There are two traits, nothing is better than them: belief in Allah and bringing benefit to the Muslims. And there are two traits, nothing is worse than them: associating partners with Allah and bring harm to the Muslims.”
[2] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Sit with the scholars and listen to the speech of the wise, for verily Allah the Exalted gives life to the dead heart with the light of wisdom as he gives life to the dead soil with rainwater.”
[3] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “He who enters the grave without any provisions is as though he wishes to sail the sea without a ship.”
[4] `Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “Honor in this world is in wealth, and honor in the Hereafter is in righteous actions.”
[5] `Uthman ibn `Affan (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “Worrying about the dunya is a darkness in the heart, while worrying about the Hereafter is a light in the heart.”
[6] `Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiAllahu`anhu) said, “The one who seeks after knowledge, Paradise will seek after him; and the one who seeks after disobedience, the Hellfire will seek after him.”
[7] Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, “An honorable person would never be disobedient to Allah, and a wise person would never prefer the dunya over the Hereafter.”
[8] Al-A`mash said, “The one whose capital is Taqwa (God-consciousness, God-fearingness), tongues will be incapable of describing the fortune that is his piety; and the one whose capital is the dunya (material world), tongues will be incapable of describing the magnitude of his loss of piety.”
[9] Sufyan al-Thawri said, “Every act of disobedience committed due to passion, its forgiveness is hoped for. Every act of disobedience committed due to arrogance, its forgiveness is not hoped for because the root of Satan’s disobedience was arrogance, whereas the root of Adam’s lapse was passion.”
[10] An ascetic once said, “The one who sins while laughing, Allah will make him enter the Fire while crying. And the one who obeys while crying (out of fear of Allah) Allah will make him enter Paradise while laughing.”
[11] A wise man said, “Do not belittle minor sins, for verily from them major sins grow.”
[12] It was reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No sin remains minor when accompanied by persistence, and no sin remains major when accompanied by the seeking of forgiveness.”
[13] It is said, “The Gnostic (‘arif) occupies himself with praise [of Allah], while the ascetic (zahid) occupies himself with supplication; because the Gnostic’s concern is his Lord, while the ascetic’s concern is his own nafs.”
[14] An ascetic said, “Whoever is under the delusion that he has a closer friend than Allah, little is his knowledge of Allah; and the one who is under the delusion that he has a greater enemy than his nafs, little is his knowledge of his nafs.”
[15] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radhiAllahu`anhu) said regarding the Qur’anic verse, ‘Corruption has appeared on land and sea’, “The land refers to the tongue and the sea refers to the heart. If the tongue is corrupted people cry over it, and if the
heart is corrupted the angels cry over it.
[16] It is said, “Verily passion turns kings into slaves, and patience turns slaves into kings. Do you not see the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha?”
[17] It is said, “Glad tidings to the one whose intellect is his master and whose desire is his slave. And woe to the one whose desire is his master and whose intellect is his slave.”
[18] It is also said, “The one who leaves sins, his heart will be softened; and the one who leaves the forbidden and eats the lawful, his intellect will be enlightened.”
[19] Allah revealed to one of the Prophets, “Obey me in that which I have commanded you, and do not disobey me in that which I have advised you.”
[20] It is said, “The perfection of the intellect is in following the pleasure of Allah and avoiding His wrath.”
[21] It is said, “There is no exile for the learned, and there is no homeland for the ignorant.”
[22] It is said, “The one who is close to Allah due to his obedience will be a stranger amongst people.”
[23] It is said, “The movement towards obedience is evidence of knowledge just as the movement of the body is evidence of its vitality.”
[24] It has been reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The root of all sins is love of the dunya and the root of all tribulation is withholding taxes and zakat.”
[25] It is said, “The one who admits his shortcomings is always praised, and admitting shortcomings is a sign of acceptance [by Allah].”
[26] It is said, “Ingratitude for blessings is baseness and the company of a fool is bad fortune.”
[27] A Poet said:
O he who is busy with his dunya!
Whom illusions of a long lifetime have deluded
Was he not in a state of heedlessness
Until his appointed time drew near?
Verily death arrives suddenly
And the Grave is the collection-box of actions
Be patient over the dunya and its hardships
No death is there except at one’s appointed time
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
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Prepare for Doomsday
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
"Indeed, the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not believe. (59)" [Qur'an Ghafir 40:59] Let alone prepare for it. And among those who believe, most don't care to know and so they don't know how and what to prepare.
The Day of Requital or the Day of Judgment is the Day appointed by Allah to recompense good or evil deeds. The world is only the field of action, the place where we are required to perform our duty, and not the place for receiving reward. The mere fact that a person happens to be healthy and wealthy or powerful does not necessarily argue that he has won the pleasure and favor of Allah. Similarly, the mere fact that a person happens to be ill or poor or weak or miserable does not by itself indicates that he is the object of Allah's wrath.
Even in the case of worldly life, would it not be a platitude to remark that a person sweating in a factory or an office for 8 to 16 or more hours a day does not consider it a misfortune? In fact, try to deprive him of this opportunity to sweat, and you would have earned his deepest displeasure; for beyond all this toil he can glimpse the reward he is going to get at the end of a pay period in the form of his wages and perhaps some bonus at the end of the year, which he may not live long enough to receive.
It proceeds from this principle that the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, faced the greatest trials and sufferings in this world and, after them, of the people of Allah, and yet we see them quite content and even happy. In short, physical well-being or worldly glory or luxury is no sure indication of one's virtue and truthfulness, nor is sorrow and suffering that of one's misdeeds and falsity. It may, however, happen that a man receives some punishment or reward for his deeds in this world. This never is the full recompense, but only a faint model which has been manifested to serve as an intimation or warning.
Allah Almighty has spoken.
The sufferings of this world, as even its joys, are sometimes a trial, and sometimes a punishment, but never a full recompense, for the world is itself transitory. What really counts is the joy or suffering that will endure for ever, and which we all will come to know in the other world beyond this world. Given the fact that good or evil deeds are not fully recompensed in this world, and the rational and just principle that good and evil not being equal in value, every deed should be rewarded or punished according to its nature, it readily follows that beyond this world there should be another world where every deed, big or small, good or evil, is to be judged, and then justly rewarded or punished. This the Qur'an calls Al-Akhirah (The world-to-come), or Al-Qiyamah (Doomsday or the Day of Judgment), or 'Yawm al- din (Day of Requital). The whole idea has been explained by the Qur'an itself:
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:10]
Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
"Indeed, the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not believe. (59)" [Qur'an Ghafir 40:59] Let alone prepare for it. And among those who believe, most don't care to know and so they don't know how and what to prepare.
The Day of Requital or the Day of Judgment is the Day appointed by Allah to recompense good or evil deeds. The world is only the field of action, the place where we are required to perform our duty, and not the place for receiving reward. The mere fact that a person happens to be healthy and wealthy or powerful does not necessarily argue that he has won the pleasure and favor of Allah. Similarly, the mere fact that a person happens to be ill or poor or weak or miserable does not by itself indicates that he is the object of Allah's wrath.
Even in the case of worldly life, would it not be a platitude to remark that a person sweating in a factory or an office for 8 to 16 or more hours a day does not consider it a misfortune? In fact, try to deprive him of this opportunity to sweat, and you would have earned his deepest displeasure; for beyond all this toil he can glimpse the reward he is going to get at the end of a pay period in the form of his wages and perhaps some bonus at the end of the year, which he may not live long enough to receive.
It proceeds from this principle that the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, faced the greatest trials and sufferings in this world and, after them, of the people of Allah, and yet we see them quite content and even happy. In short, physical well-being or worldly glory or luxury is no sure indication of one's virtue and truthfulness, nor is sorrow and suffering that of one's misdeeds and falsity. It may, however, happen that a man receives some punishment or reward for his deeds in this world. This never is the full recompense, but only a faint model which has been manifested to serve as an intimation or warning.
Allah Almighty has spoken.
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٢١[Qur'an As-Sajda 32:21]
And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent. (21)
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٣[Qur'an Al-Qalam 68:33]
Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. (33)
The sufferings of this world, as even its joys, are sometimes a trial, and sometimes a punishment, but never a full recompense, for the world is itself transitory. What really counts is the joy or suffering that will endure for ever, and which we all will come to know in the other world beyond this world. Given the fact that good or evil deeds are not fully recompensed in this world, and the rational and just principle that good and evil not being equal in value, every deed should be rewarded or punished according to its nature, it readily follows that beyond this world there should be another world where every deed, big or small, good or evil, is to be judged, and then justly rewarded or punished. This the Qur'an calls Al-Akhirah (The world-to-come), or Al-Qiyamah (Doomsday or the Day of Judgment), or 'Yawm al- din (Day of Requital). The whole idea has been explained by the Qur'an itself:
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَلَا ٱلْمُسِىٓءُ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٥٨[Qur'an Ghafir 40:58-60]
إِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَـَٔاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾ وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ﴿٦٠
And not equal are the blind and the seeing, nor are those who believe and do righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you remember. (58) Indeed, the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not believe. (59) And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. (60)
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:10]
Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Punishment For Mistreating Your Parents in this Life, Before the Next
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
There was a story of an old man with his adult son. His son used to treat him so badly and one day his son was angry with him and dragged him down the stairs and then outside. When the son stopped, he said to his son, "I did not drag your grandfather this far, but only to the stairs, so why did you do this to me?" The son then answered, "To the stairs is the payment (for what you did to your father), and the extra is the interest!"
The punishment of mistreating your parents will come not only in the Day of Judgment but before that, in this life as well. Remember, what goes around comes around.
It is narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah postpones the punishment for one’s sins till the Day of Judgment if He so desires. But He award the punishment for disobeying the parents during this life, before his death." (Authentic, Al-Hakim) This means that the disobedient children will be punished twice; once in this world and secondly in the Hereafter.
Therefore, be good to your parents always. Being good to your parents is the best showing of gratitude to your Lord. Allah has promised an increase for those who are grateful.
Allah Almighty says,
Remember the famous story of Uwais Al-Qarny and his high rank with Allah.
So don't think you are doing your parents a favor or God a favor by you being good to your parents. It is, in reality, you are doing yourself a favor. You are making a great investment in this life and the next by being nice to them. Your return may come in the form of righteous children who treat you well in this life and supplicate for you after you die. If you are good to your parents, your children are bound to see this, and they will do same to you because parents are naturally the best examples for their children. And if you don't have children, don't worry, Allah sees and does not forget your good actions, and He will reward you from His great bounty and you can't even imagine right now.
Because Allah wants good for you and He knows human has the tendency to forget and to be ungrateful, Allah has made it an obligation upon children to be dutiful towards their parents, and written in the Qur'an in various places to remind us.
Allah Almighty says,
After enjoining upon us the duty of excellence in rendering kindness towards our parents, Allah orders us in the Qur’an (“وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا ﴿٢٤ Surah al-Isra' 17:24) to lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and pray for them saying,
One should show all types of kindness to one’s parents. Be careful, not to say or do anything to hurt your parent's feelings or make them weep. Remember, do unto others as you would others to do unto you. This apply to your parents too...not just to your friends. Don't take your parents for granted. Watch your tongues when you speak to them and do not mistreat them. Be respectful always towards them, and don't be slacking in supplicating for your parents.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
One of the scholars was seen weeping at the death of his mother, and when asked why he wept, he said, "Why shouldn't I cry when one of the doors of Paradise has left me." His mother, while she was alive allows a door of Paradise opens for him and once she passed away, it's over.
This is a important reminder for us that while our parents are still alive, it is important to do as much as we can for them because once they are gone, there is no going back. The nature of this world is that time passes very quickly and there is always a lot to do, and you think once you have some time, you would go and spend time with your mother, but she dies before you could do that, and it's over. Then the child has to spend the rest of his/her live, feeling remorse over the time he/she didn't spend the time with the parent.
Showing kindness to parents is not only during their lives but it extends beyond their death and continues as long as we live.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said, "When a son of Adam passes away, he is cut off from his deeds except for three things: a current or perpetual charity, good knowledge that benefits someone, and a good child who makes du`a' (supplication) for him."
A Muslim can show kindness and do acts expressing dutifulness to his parents after their death by making du`a' for them, doing voluntary good deeds on their behalf, as well as fulfilling religious obligations such as Hajj, fasting, Zakah, Kaffarah (expiation), etc. on their behalf if they died before performing them or were negligent in performing them.
There are several hadiths reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas and others to the effect that a Muslim can do several acts of righteousness as well as religious obligations on behalf of his deceased parents as a form of showing kindness to them after their death.
It is reported on the authority of al-Hajjaj ibn Dinar that a man asked Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, "I used to show kindness to my parents during their lives, but what can I do in terms of kindness towards them after their death?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "It is out of kindness after kindness towards parents that you offer prayers on their behalf along with your prayers and to fast on their behalf along with your fasting."
In a report cited by Imam al-Bukhari in his famous work al-Adab al-Mufrad, it read, “A man approached the Prophet asking, “Is there anything I must do in terms of kindness towards my parents after their death?” The Prophet replied, “Yes, there are four things for you to do: Praying and asking forgiveness of Allah on their behalf, fulfilling their promises, respecting their friends, and fostering their ties of kinship…”
The most important thing that will benefit the deceased is to strive to pray for him/her and ask for forgiveness and mercy for him, and for Paradise and salvation from the Fire, and other good and beautiful du`a’s (supplications). Prayers for forgiveness offered by both sons and daughters of the deceased bring great benefits. Often a person in the grave suddenly finds his station elevated or conditions change, and when he enquires why it is happening to him, he is told that it is by virtue of the good deeds or prayers of his offspring on his behalf. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “A man’s status will be raised in Paradise and he will ask, ‘How did I get here?’ He will be told, ‘By your son’s du`a’s (prayers) for forgiveness for you.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)
Sadaqah (charity) given on the parent's behalf may benefit the deceased parent, because Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that a man said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace: “My mother has passed away, and if she could have spoken, she would have given something in charity. Will she receive a reward if I give something on her behalf?" He said, “Yes.” (Reported by Bukhari)
Other deeds that may also benefit the deceased are Hajj and fasting on their behalf, after the living person has first performed Hajj and `Umrah on his or her own behalf. ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah reported that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “While I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a woman came to him and said: ‘I gave my mother a slave-woman in charity, and now my mother has died.’ He said: ‘You have got your reward, and your right of inheritance has brought your gift back to you.’ She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, she still had one month to fast – can I fast it on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Fast it on her behalf.’ She said, ‘She never went to Hajj – can I perform Hajj on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Perform Hajj on her behalf.’” (Reported by Muslim)
Another thing that may benefit the deceased is to fulfill their nadhr (vow), because Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that a woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “My mother made a vow to perform Hajj but she died before she could do it. Can I perform Hajj on her behalf?" He said, “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Don’t you think that if your mother owed a debt you would pay it off?” She said, "Yes." He said, “Then pay off what is owed to Allah, for Allah is more deserving of having vows fulfilled.” (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Another thing that may benefit the deceased is if his relative devotes a share to him of a sacrifice he offers. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered a sacrifice, he said: “In the name of Allah, O Allah, on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.” (Reported by Muslim) The family of Muhammad included both the living and the dead.”
It is highly recommended for us to visit the graves of our parents. Such visits serve as excellent reminders for us besides prompting us to remember and pray for our parents. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “In the past, I had forbidden you from visiting graves, but now you should do so, for it might remind you of the next world.”
May Allah grant us righteous children and make our children righteous and comfort to our eyes. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
There was a story of an old man with his adult son. His son used to treat him so badly and one day his son was angry with him and dragged him down the stairs and then outside. When the son stopped, he said to his son, "I did not drag your grandfather this far, but only to the stairs, so why did you do this to me?" The son then answered, "To the stairs is the payment (for what you did to your father), and the extra is the interest!"
The punishment of mistreating your parents will come not only in the Day of Judgment but before that, in this life as well. Remember, what goes around comes around.
It is narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah postpones the punishment for one’s sins till the Day of Judgment if He so desires. But He award the punishment for disobeying the parents during this life, before his death." (Authentic, Al-Hakim) This means that the disobedient children will be punished twice; once in this world and secondly in the Hereafter.
Therefore, be good to your parents always. Being good to your parents is the best showing of gratitude to your Lord. Allah has promised an increase for those who are grateful.
Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:7]
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (7)
Remember the famous story of Uwais Al-Qarny and his high rank with Allah.
So don't think you are doing your parents a favor or God a favor by you being good to your parents. It is, in reality, you are doing yourself a favor. You are making a great investment in this life and the next by being nice to them. Your return may come in the form of righteous children who treat you well in this life and supplicate for you after you die. If you are good to your parents, your children are bound to see this, and they will do same to you because parents are naturally the best examples for their children. And if you don't have children, don't worry, Allah sees and does not forget your good actions, and He will reward you from His great bounty and you can't even imagine right now.
Because Allah wants good for you and He knows human has the tendency to forget and to be ungrateful, Allah has made it an obligation upon children to be dutiful towards their parents, and written in the Qur'an in various places to remind us.
Allah Almighty says,
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿٢٣[Qur'an Al-Isra’ 17:23]
And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (23)
After enjoining upon us the duty of excellence in rendering kindness towards our parents, Allah orders us in the Qur’an (“وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا ﴿٢٤ Surah al-Isra' 17:24) to lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and pray for them saying,
رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا
My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.
One should show all types of kindness to one’s parents. Be careful, not to say or do anything to hurt your parent's feelings or make them weep. Remember, do unto others as you would others to do unto you. This apply to your parents too...not just to your friends. Don't take your parents for granted. Watch your tongues when you speak to them and do not mistreat them. Be respectful always towards them, and don't be slacking in supplicating for your parents.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
Whoever comes into the morning and both his parents are pleased with him, he comes into the morning with two doors of Paradise open to him. Whoever goes into the evening and both parents are pleased with him, he goes into the evening with two doors of Paradise open for him. And if he has just one parent, then one door of Paradise is open to him. Whoever comes into the morning and both his parents are angry with him, he comes into the morning with 2 doors of hellfire open to him. Whoever goes into the evening with both parents are angry with him, he goes into the evening with 2 doors of hellfire open to him. And if he has just one parent, then one door is open for him." After realizing this huge position of parents that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was telling the companions about, one of the Companions asked, "Even if the parents were oppressive to them?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, "Even if they oppress the child, even if they oppress the child, even if they oppress the child.Imagine a child who passes away in the state his parents being pleased with them, he has 2 doors of Paradise he could choose to enter from, and imagine a child who died in the state of his parents being angry with him, he is doomed.
One of the scholars was seen weeping at the death of his mother, and when asked why he wept, he said, "Why shouldn't I cry when one of the doors of Paradise has left me." His mother, while she was alive allows a door of Paradise opens for him and once she passed away, it's over.
This is a important reminder for us that while our parents are still alive, it is important to do as much as we can for them because once they are gone, there is no going back. The nature of this world is that time passes very quickly and there is always a lot to do, and you think once you have some time, you would go and spend time with your mother, but she dies before you could do that, and it's over. Then the child has to spend the rest of his/her live, feeling remorse over the time he/she didn't spend the time with the parent.
Showing kindness to parents is not only during their lives but it extends beyond their death and continues as long as we live.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said, "When a son of Adam passes away, he is cut off from his deeds except for three things: a current or perpetual charity, good knowledge that benefits someone, and a good child who makes du`a' (supplication) for him."
A Muslim can show kindness and do acts expressing dutifulness to his parents after their death by making du`a' for them, doing voluntary good deeds on their behalf, as well as fulfilling religious obligations such as Hajj, fasting, Zakah, Kaffarah (expiation), etc. on their behalf if they died before performing them or were negligent in performing them.
There are several hadiths reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas and others to the effect that a Muslim can do several acts of righteousness as well as religious obligations on behalf of his deceased parents as a form of showing kindness to them after their death.
It is reported on the authority of al-Hajjaj ibn Dinar that a man asked Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, "I used to show kindness to my parents during their lives, but what can I do in terms of kindness towards them after their death?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "It is out of kindness after kindness towards parents that you offer prayers on their behalf along with your prayers and to fast on their behalf along with your fasting."
In a report cited by Imam al-Bukhari in his famous work al-Adab al-Mufrad, it read, “A man approached the Prophet asking, “Is there anything I must do in terms of kindness towards my parents after their death?” The Prophet replied, “Yes, there are four things for you to do: Praying and asking forgiveness of Allah on their behalf, fulfilling their promises, respecting their friends, and fostering their ties of kinship…”
The most important thing that will benefit the deceased is to strive to pray for him/her and ask for forgiveness and mercy for him, and for Paradise and salvation from the Fire, and other good and beautiful du`a’s (supplications). Prayers for forgiveness offered by both sons and daughters of the deceased bring great benefits. Often a person in the grave suddenly finds his station elevated or conditions change, and when he enquires why it is happening to him, he is told that it is by virtue of the good deeds or prayers of his offspring on his behalf. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “A man’s status will be raised in Paradise and he will ask, ‘How did I get here?’ He will be told, ‘By your son’s du`a’s (prayers) for forgiveness for you.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)
Sadaqah (charity) given on the parent's behalf may benefit the deceased parent, because Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that a man said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace: “My mother has passed away, and if she could have spoken, she would have given something in charity. Will she receive a reward if I give something on her behalf?" He said, “Yes.” (Reported by Bukhari)
Other deeds that may also benefit the deceased are Hajj and fasting on their behalf, after the living person has first performed Hajj and `Umrah on his or her own behalf. ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah reported that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “While I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a woman came to him and said: ‘I gave my mother a slave-woman in charity, and now my mother has died.’ He said: ‘You have got your reward, and your right of inheritance has brought your gift back to you.’ She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, she still had one month to fast – can I fast it on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Fast it on her behalf.’ She said, ‘She never went to Hajj – can I perform Hajj on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Perform Hajj on her behalf.’” (Reported by Muslim)
Another thing that may benefit the deceased is to fulfill their nadhr (vow), because Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that a woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “My mother made a vow to perform Hajj but she died before she could do it. Can I perform Hajj on her behalf?" He said, “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Don’t you think that if your mother owed a debt you would pay it off?” She said, "Yes." He said, “Then pay off what is owed to Allah, for Allah is more deserving of having vows fulfilled.” (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Another thing that may benefit the deceased is if his relative devotes a share to him of a sacrifice he offers. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered a sacrifice, he said: “In the name of Allah, O Allah, on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.” (Reported by Muslim) The family of Muhammad included both the living and the dead.”
It is highly recommended for us to visit the graves of our parents. Such visits serve as excellent reminders for us besides prompting us to remember and pray for our parents. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “In the past, I had forbidden you from visiting graves, but now you should do so, for it might remind you of the next world.”
May Allah grant us righteous children and make our children righteous and comfort to our eyes. Ameen.
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ﴿٧٤[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:74]
Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Surah Kahf Day: Why Read Surah Kahf Every Friday?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Why did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, say that reciting Surah Kahf saves on from the Dajjal when there is no mention of the Dajjal in this surah at all? Scholars researched and found that the trials mentioned in this surah are the trials that Dajjal will come with, and the message of this surah is about how to save oneself from trials. The greatest of trials in this life is the Dajjal, and thus read surah Kahf today, learn of the trials and try finding out the solutions.
On the authority of 'Ali radhiAllahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said, "One who recites Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah will remain protected from every fitnah. And if Dajjal appears, he will stay safe against the trying challenges released by him as well."
Who is Dajjal?
Abu Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal which no Prophet has ever told his people before me? The Dajjal is one-eyed and will bring with him something, which will resemble Paradise and Hell: but that which he calls Paradise will in fact be Hell. I warn you against him as Noah warned his people against him.'" (Bukhari, Muslim)
Sayyidna an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an radhiaAllahu anhu, narrated that one morning the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned Dajjal (anti-Christ) and while doing that he said a few things which showed the low and negative aspect of his profile (such as his being one-eyed). Then, he also said a few things about him to the effect that his emergence was a matter of ominous trial (such as Paradise and Hell being with him and other extra-ordinary aspects of his persona). His narration (gripped us with such fear) as if Dajjal was lurking somewhere (in the nearby) grooves of the date palms.
When we presented ourselves before him in the evening, he read our confused inner condition and asked, 'What is the matter with you?' (What did you conclude from what I had said?). We submitted, 'You talked about Dajjal in the morning. Of things you said about him some seemed to belittle the matter of his emergence while you also said other things which seemed to highlight his matter to proportions of a great trial to the extent that we thought he was present close to us in the grooves of the date-palms!' Then he said, 'Not just the Dajjal, there are other trials I fear may afflict you more (that is, the trial of Dajjal is not as great as you have taken it to be). If he appears - and I am among you - I shall confront him personally without you. And if he appears - and I am not among you - everyone will try to confront him in terms of his courage. And Allah is, in my absence, the guardian and protector of all Muslims. (You will recognize him as) a young man - hard curly hair, one eye protruding upwards (blind in the other as in other narratives). And if I can liken him (in this ugly profile) with someone, it is 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qatan (an ugly person from the tribe of Bani Khuza'ah during the Jahiliyyah). If a Muslim from among you runs into him, he should recite the initial verses of Surah al-Kahf against him (which will keep him protected from Dajjal).
Dajjal will emerge from the empty space between Syria and 'Iraq creating havoc right and left. 'O servants of Allah, you then stay firm against him.'
We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, and how long will he tarry on the Earth?' He said, 'Forty days. But, the first day will be equal to one year, and the second day to one month, and the rest of the days equal to the usual.'
We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, so on that day which will be equal to one year, shall we be offering (the five-timed) Salah for one day only?' He said, 'No. You will, rather, go by estimating time and offering prayers for the whole year.' We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, how fast will he be moving about the Earth?' He said, 'Fast like the cloud being followed by wind. Then he will pass by a people and ask them to rally round his false beliefs. They will believe in him and respond to his call. Then he will commission the clouds. They will start raining. He will order the Earth. It will turn green and verdant (and herds of cattle will graze therein) and when they return in the evening, their humps shall be much higher than before and their udders shall be full of milk and their waists shall be plumb. Then, Dajjal will pass by another people and invite them to his disbelief. But, they will turn down his invitation. Losing hope, when he goes away from them, these believers will be stricken with famine and nothing of what once belonged to them will remain in their hands. And when Dajjal will walk by this wasteland, he will address it, saying: 'Bring your treasures out.' So, its treasures will start following him like the honeybees follow their queen. Then Dajjal will call a man whose youth shall be in full bloom, strike him with a sword and cut him into two pieces and the two pieces will be placed as far apart as the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will call him. He will come (alive) to Dajjal beaming with joy over his feat.
In the meantime, Allah Ta'ala will send down Al-Masih ibn Maryam (Prophet Isa alayhissalaam). He will alight at the white tower in the eastern part of Damascus clad in two colored sheets with both hands resting on the wings of angels. When he bows his blessed head, drops of water will drip down from there (as if one has just come out of the shower). And when he raises his head up, from it drop silvery globules like genuine pearls. Any disbeliever who breathes the air from his breath will die that very instant and his breath will reach as far as reaches his glance. Then he will look for him until he will overtake him at the gate of Ludd (still there in Baytul-Maqdis by the same name) and kill him. After that, Isa ibn Maryam will come to people whom Allah protected from Dajjal. He will then touch their faces (with compassion for them) and give them the good news of having high ranks in Paradise.
May Allah save us from the trial and tribulations of this life and the next and from the fitnah of Dajjal. Ameen.
Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Source: Maariful Qur'an tafsir Mufti Taqi
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Why did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, say that reciting Surah Kahf saves on from the Dajjal when there is no mention of the Dajjal in this surah at all? Scholars researched and found that the trials mentioned in this surah are the trials that Dajjal will come with, and the message of this surah is about how to save oneself from trials. The greatest of trials in this life is the Dajjal, and thus read surah Kahf today, learn of the trials and try finding out the solutions.
On the authority of 'Ali radhiAllahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said, "One who recites Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah will remain protected from every fitnah. And if Dajjal appears, he will stay safe against the trying challenges released by him as well."
Who is Dajjal?
Abu Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal which no Prophet has ever told his people before me? The Dajjal is one-eyed and will bring with him something, which will resemble Paradise and Hell: but that which he calls Paradise will in fact be Hell. I warn you against him as Noah warned his people against him.'" (Bukhari, Muslim)
Sayyidna an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an radhiaAllahu anhu, narrated that one morning the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned Dajjal (anti-Christ) and while doing that he said a few things which showed the low and negative aspect of his profile (such as his being one-eyed). Then, he also said a few things about him to the effect that his emergence was a matter of ominous trial (such as Paradise and Hell being with him and other extra-ordinary aspects of his persona). His narration (gripped us with such fear) as if Dajjal was lurking somewhere (in the nearby) grooves of the date palms.
When we presented ourselves before him in the evening, he read our confused inner condition and asked, 'What is the matter with you?' (What did you conclude from what I had said?). We submitted, 'You talked about Dajjal in the morning. Of things you said about him some seemed to belittle the matter of his emergence while you also said other things which seemed to highlight his matter to proportions of a great trial to the extent that we thought he was present close to us in the grooves of the date-palms!' Then he said, 'Not just the Dajjal, there are other trials I fear may afflict you more (that is, the trial of Dajjal is not as great as you have taken it to be). If he appears - and I am among you - I shall confront him personally without you. And if he appears - and I am not among you - everyone will try to confront him in terms of his courage. And Allah is, in my absence, the guardian and protector of all Muslims. (You will recognize him as) a young man - hard curly hair, one eye protruding upwards (blind in the other as in other narratives). And if I can liken him (in this ugly profile) with someone, it is 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qatan (an ugly person from the tribe of Bani Khuza'ah during the Jahiliyyah). If a Muslim from among you runs into him, he should recite the initial verses of Surah al-Kahf against him (which will keep him protected from Dajjal).
Dajjal will emerge from the empty space between Syria and 'Iraq creating havoc right and left. 'O servants of Allah, you then stay firm against him.'
We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, and how long will he tarry on the Earth?' He said, 'Forty days. But, the first day will be equal to one year, and the second day to one month, and the rest of the days equal to the usual.'
We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, so on that day which will be equal to one year, shall we be offering (the five-timed) Salah for one day only?' He said, 'No. You will, rather, go by estimating time and offering prayers for the whole year.' We said, 'Ya Rasulullah, how fast will he be moving about the Earth?' He said, 'Fast like the cloud being followed by wind. Then he will pass by a people and ask them to rally round his false beliefs. They will believe in him and respond to his call. Then he will commission the clouds. They will start raining. He will order the Earth. It will turn green and verdant (and herds of cattle will graze therein) and when they return in the evening, their humps shall be much higher than before and their udders shall be full of milk and their waists shall be plumb. Then, Dajjal will pass by another people and invite them to his disbelief. But, they will turn down his invitation. Losing hope, when he goes away from them, these believers will be stricken with famine and nothing of what once belonged to them will remain in their hands. And when Dajjal will walk by this wasteland, he will address it, saying: 'Bring your treasures out.' So, its treasures will start following him like the honeybees follow their queen. Then Dajjal will call a man whose youth shall be in full bloom, strike him with a sword and cut him into two pieces and the two pieces will be placed as far apart as the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will call him. He will come (alive) to Dajjal beaming with joy over his feat.
In the meantime, Allah Ta'ala will send down Al-Masih ibn Maryam (Prophet Isa alayhissalaam). He will alight at the white tower in the eastern part of Damascus clad in two colored sheets with both hands resting on the wings of angels. When he bows his blessed head, drops of water will drip down from there (as if one has just come out of the shower). And when he raises his head up, from it drop silvery globules like genuine pearls. Any disbeliever who breathes the air from his breath will die that very instant and his breath will reach as far as reaches his glance. Then he will look for him until he will overtake him at the gate of Ludd (still there in Baytul-Maqdis by the same name) and kill him. After that, Isa ibn Maryam will come to people whom Allah protected from Dajjal. He will then touch their faces (with compassion for them) and give them the good news of having high ranks in Paradise.
May Allah save us from the trial and tribulations of this life and the next and from the fitnah of Dajjal. Ameen.
Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Source: Maariful Qur'an tafsir Mufti Taqi
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