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
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