بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Nobody like losing anything nor doing things that they don't like. But there are many things that we do in life that we dislike, because of the benefits that they bring to us. If we did not do them we would be accused of being lacking in wisdom and reason. For example, a person may be putting excessive unpaid overtime for a company because he thinks that will provide him job or financial security. A student maybe forcing himself to stay up late at night to study for his exam because he does not want to fail his exam. If a person is sick and there is the fear that he may die, but it is known that he may be cured – by Allah’s leave – if he takes a certain medicine, then the wise thing for him to do is to take that medicine even if it is bitter; if he fails to take it, that is regarded as a shortcoming and lack of reason on his part.
For Allah is the highest description.
لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ ۖ وَلِلَّـهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٦٠
For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description of evil; and for Allah is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise. (60) [Qur'an, al-Nahl 16:60]
There is no way that Allah can be compared to His creation. He allows some things to happen in His dominion that He hates, because they serve a greater wisdom which we, or most of us, cannot comprehend. Some of His wisdom may become clear to us, and that is by the mercy of Allah towards His believing slaves, as He shows them some of His wisdom in this world so that they might find peace of mind. For example, if we want to ask about the reasons for something we could understand, such as why Allah creates a child then causes him to die, perhaps if that child lived he would have committed major sins such as those that doom a person to Hell, and that would have condemned him to remain in Hell for eternity, or for a very long time, or he may have caused others such as his parents to deviate from the path of Allah – as mentioned in the story of the boy whom al-Khidr killed, as told in the story of al-Khidr and Musa (peace be upon them) in Surah al-Kahf.
فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَامًا فَقَتَلَهُ قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ لَّقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا نُّكْرًا ﴿٧٤
So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidhr killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing." (74) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:74]
Alternatively, if this child lives he may face such difficulties that in his case death is a mercy from Allah.
وَأَمَّا الْغُلَامُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَا أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا ﴿٨٠﴾ فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا ﴿٨١
And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. (80) So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy. (81) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:80-81]
Moreover, if Allah creates him handicapped, perhaps this handicap will prevent him from committing many sins which, if he did them, would lead to his being punished on the Day of Resurrection.
Not every sickness or handicap is necessarily a punishment; rather it may be a test for the child’s parents, by which Allah will expiate for their bad deeds, or raise their status in Paradise if they bear this trial with patience. Then if the child grows up, the test will also include him, and if he bears it with patience and faith, then Allah has prepared for the patient a reward that cannot be enumerated. Allah says,
لْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَـٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّـهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿١٠
Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (10) [Qur'an, Al-Zumar 39:10]
For us Muslims, life does not end when we die, rather we believe that beyond death there is Paradise and Hell, in which is true life. Those who did good will find the reward for the good deeds that they did in this world, waiting for them with Allah, and those who did evil will find the punishment for their evil deeds waiting for them. Good and evil cannot be equal, and the patience of the one who was tested and bore it with patience will not be wasted with Alah. Indeed, those who were not tested in this world may wish that they had suffered similar calamities when they see the high status attained by those who bore calamities with patience. There is a great deal of evidence to this effect in the Qur’an and Sunnah, for example,
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (155) Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." (156) [Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2:155-156]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all of it is good, and that applies to no one except the believer. If something good happens to him he gives thanks, and that is good for him, and if something bad befalls him he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2999).
From this it should be clear to you that the calamities that befall those who seem to us to be innocent, and indeed happen to all people, are not necessarily a punishment, rather they may be mercy from Allah, but our minds and reason are imperfect and are often unable to understand the wisdom of Allah in such matters. Either we believe that Allah is more just than us, and more wise, and more merciful towards His creation, so we submit to Him and accept (His will), whilst also acknowledging our inability to understand the true nature of our own selves; or we boast of our imperfect reason and feel proud of our weak selves and insist on calling Allah to account and objecting to His decree. Such thoughts can never cross the mind of anyone who believes in the existence of a wise Lord, Creator and Sovereign Who is perfect in all ways.
If we do that then we have exposed ourselves to the wrath and vengeance of Allah, but nothing can ever harm Allah.
Allah drew attention to this when He said,
لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ ﴿٢٣
He cannot be questioned about what He does, while they will be questioned. [Qur'an, al-Anbiya’ 21:23]
A sign of man’s weakness and shortsightedness, is that he focuses on the calamities without paying any attention to the benefits they may bring, and not looking at other blessings that he enjoys and sees around him. For Allah has blessed mankind in ways that do not compare with the calamities that may befall them. If there was a man who does a lot of good but occasionally does not do good, then forgetting the good things that he does would be regarded as ingratitude and denial. So how about when this is our attitude towards Allah, to Whom belongs the highest description, and all of Whose dealings with His creation are good and cannot be bad in any way?
Moreover, the Prophets and Messengers are the most beloved of creation to Allah, yet despite that they are the most severely tested of mankind and suffer the most calamities – why? It is not a punishment for them and it is not because of their insignificance before their Lord. Rather it is because Allah loves them and has stored for them a perfect reward which they will enjoy in Paradise, and He has decreed that these calamities should befall them so that He might raise them in status. He does whatever He wills, however He wills, whenever He wills; none can put back His judgement, none can repel His command and He is All-Wise, All-Knowing. And Allah is Most High, Most Knowledgeable and Most Wise.
May Allah grant us wisdom and patience to go through this life. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Friday, February 26, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Seek Knowledge and Righteous Companions
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The basis of our religion is knowledge. Without knowledge, we are unable to know our Creator and act on His commandments, which leads to all forms of distress.
قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿٩ ...
...Say "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. (9) [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:9]
The most important things to learn about is the character and life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). We should have a daily routine of connecting with him (Allah bless him and give him peace) because he was sent to us as the best of examples in every aspect of life.
This knowledge and connection leads to love of Allah and love of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). In turn, this love will translate into leading a life that is pleasing to Allah.
Islam is a practical religion that gives guidance regarding all aspects of human life. The need for companionship should be fulfilled by finding and being with good and righteous people. We should seek to be with those righteous people whom we look up to and want to emulate.
At the same time, we should not forget our family. We should be the best to them, as that’s what the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has taught us. He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best to my family."
Our parents are the best doors to Paradise. We should not neglect them in our various pursuits, as neglect of our parents is a grave sin, and would be contrary to the example we are called to follow.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, has 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 two doors of Hellfire open to him. Whoever goes into the evening with both parents are angry with him, he goes into the evening with two 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."
May Allah increase us in beneficial knowledge, grant us righteous companions, guide us to be the best to our family, and help us be excellent, respectful, kind, and obedient to our parents, and show them humility regardless of the power, position, wealth, and influence we may possess. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The basis of our religion is knowledge. Without knowledge, we are unable to know our Creator and act on His commandments, which leads to all forms of distress.
قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿٩ ...
...Say "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. (9) [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:9]
The most important things to learn about is the character and life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). We should have a daily routine of connecting with him (Allah bless him and give him peace) because he was sent to us as the best of examples in every aspect of life.
This knowledge and connection leads to love of Allah and love of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). In turn, this love will translate into leading a life that is pleasing to Allah.
Islam is a practical religion that gives guidance regarding all aspects of human life. The need for companionship should be fulfilled by finding and being with good and righteous people. We should seek to be with those righteous people whom we look up to and want to emulate.
At the same time, we should not forget our family. We should be the best to them, as that’s what the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has taught us. He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best to my family."
Our parents are the best doors to Paradise. We should not neglect them in our various pursuits, as neglect of our parents is a grave sin, and would be contrary to the example we are called to follow.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, has 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 two doors of Hellfire open to him. Whoever goes into the evening with both parents are angry with him, he goes into the evening with two 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."
May Allah increase us in beneficial knowledge, grant us righteous companions, guide us to be the best to our family, and help us be excellent, respectful, kind, and obedient to our parents, and show them humility regardless of the power, position, wealth, and influence we may possess. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Do People Think That They Will be Left Alone Because They Say "We believe"?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This world is the place of striving and the Hereafter is the place of reward or punishment, where the believers will be rewarded with Paradise and the disbelievers will be punished with Hell.
Paradise is good and none but those who were good will enter it. Allah is Good and accepts nothing but that which is good. So the way of Allah with His slaves is to test them with calamities and tribulations, so that the believer may be known from the disbelievers and so that the truthful may be distinguished from the liar, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested.
And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allah knows all that before putting them to test)”
[Qur'an, al-‘Ankaboot 29:2-3]
Victory and success cannot be achieved except after tests which will bring the good forth from the evil and tell the believer apart from the disbelievers, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghayb (Unseen)”
[Qur'an, Ale‘Imraan 3:179]
Among the trials with which Allah tests His slaves in order to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers is that which He mentions in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Saabiroon (the patient).
Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’
They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones”
[Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2:155-157]
So Allah tests His slaves, and He loves those who are patient, and gives them the glad tidings of Paradise.
Allah tests His slaves with jihaad, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Saabiroon (the patient)?”
[Qur'an, Ale‘Imraan 3:142]
Wealth and children are a trial by means of which Allah tests His slaves, to know who will give thanks for them, and who will be distracted from Allah by them:
“And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely, with Allah is a mighty reward”
[Qur'an, al-Anfaal 8:28 – interpretation of the meaning]
Allah tests us, sometimes with calamities and sometimes with blessings, to show who will be thankful and who will be ungrateful, and who will obey and who will disobey, then He will reward or punish them on the Day of Resurrection:
“and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned”
[Qur'an, al-Anbiya’ 21:35 – interpretation of the meaning]
Testing is according to one’s faith; the most severely tested among mankind are the Prophets, then the next best and the next best. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “When I fall ill, my pain is equivalent to the pain of two men among you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5648).
Allah tests His slaves with different kinds of trials.
Sometimes He tests them with calamities and tribulations to distinguish the believer from the disbeliever, the obedient from the disobedient, the grateful from the ungrateful.
Sometimes Allah tests His slaves with calamities; when they commit sin, He punishes them with calamities so that they might come back to him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much”
[Qur'an, al-Shoora 42:30]
“And indeed We seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they invoke (Allah) with submission to Him” [Qur'an, al-Mu’minoon 23:76]
Allah is merciful to His slaves; He sends repeated tribulations upon the ummah so that they may return and repent to Him, and give up that which Allah has forbidden, and so that Allah might forgive them. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“See they not that they are put in trial once or twice every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it)”
[Qur'an, al-Tawbah 9:126]
It is part of the mercy of Allah that disasters befall sinners in this world, so that their souls might be purified and they might come back to Allah before they die:
“And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e. disasters, calamities) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and) return (i.e. accept Islam)”
[Qur'an, al-Sajdah 32:21 – interpretation of the meaning]
Sometimes Allah tests His slaves with calamities in order to raise them in status and to expiate for their sins, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “No misfortune or disease befalls a Muslim, no worry or grief or harm or distress – not even a thorn that pricks him – but Allah will expiate for some of his sins because of that.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5641)
May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Source: Islamqa
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This world is the place of striving and the Hereafter is the place of reward or punishment, where the believers will be rewarded with Paradise and the disbelievers will be punished with Hell.
Paradise is good and none but those who were good will enter it. Allah is Good and accepts nothing but that which is good. So the way of Allah with His slaves is to test them with calamities and tribulations, so that the believer may be known from the disbelievers and so that the truthful may be distinguished from the liar, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested.
And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allah knows all that before putting them to test)”
[Qur'an, al-‘Ankaboot 29:2-3]
Victory and success cannot be achieved except after tests which will bring the good forth from the evil and tell the believer apart from the disbelievers, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghayb (Unseen)”
[Qur'an, Ale‘Imraan 3:179]
Among the trials with which Allah tests His slaves in order to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers is that which He mentions in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Saabiroon (the patient).
Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’
They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones”
[Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2:155-157]
So Allah tests His slaves, and He loves those who are patient, and gives them the glad tidings of Paradise.
Allah tests His slaves with jihaad, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Saabiroon (the patient)?”
[Qur'an, Ale‘Imraan 3:142]
Wealth and children are a trial by means of which Allah tests His slaves, to know who will give thanks for them, and who will be distracted from Allah by them:
“And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely, with Allah is a mighty reward”
[Qur'an, al-Anfaal 8:28 – interpretation of the meaning]
Allah tests us, sometimes with calamities and sometimes with blessings, to show who will be thankful and who will be ungrateful, and who will obey and who will disobey, then He will reward or punish them on the Day of Resurrection:
“and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned”
[Qur'an, al-Anbiya’ 21:35 – interpretation of the meaning]
Testing is according to one’s faith; the most severely tested among mankind are the Prophets, then the next best and the next best. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “When I fall ill, my pain is equivalent to the pain of two men among you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5648).
Allah tests His slaves with different kinds of trials.
Sometimes He tests them with calamities and tribulations to distinguish the believer from the disbeliever, the obedient from the disobedient, the grateful from the ungrateful.
Sometimes Allah tests His slaves with calamities; when they commit sin, He punishes them with calamities so that they might come back to him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much”
[Qur'an, al-Shoora 42:30]
“And indeed We seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they invoke (Allah) with submission to Him” [Qur'an, al-Mu’minoon 23:76]
Allah is merciful to His slaves; He sends repeated tribulations upon the ummah so that they may return and repent to Him, and give up that which Allah has forbidden, and so that Allah might forgive them. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“See they not that they are put in trial once or twice every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it)”
[Qur'an, al-Tawbah 9:126]
It is part of the mercy of Allah that disasters befall sinners in this world, so that their souls might be purified and they might come back to Allah before they die:
“And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e. disasters, calamities) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and) return (i.e. accept Islam)”
[Qur'an, al-Sajdah 32:21 – interpretation of the meaning]
Sometimes Allah tests His slaves with calamities in order to raise them in status and to expiate for their sins, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “No misfortune or disease befalls a Muslim, no worry or grief or harm or distress – not even a thorn that pricks him – but Allah will expiate for some of his sins because of that.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5641)
May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Source: Islamqa
Friday, February 19, 2016
Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Trial of Knowledge and Wisdom
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Surah Kahf mentions the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). He is the most named prophet in the Qur'an but how much do you know about him? What lessons can you extract from the life of Prophet Musa, especially from the story mentioned in Surah Kahf?
Prophet Musa once told his people that he is the most knowledgeable person on earth, possessing portals of knowledge and wisdom. And so Allah revealed to him that there is someone who knows more. After traveling with this man (Khidr), he could not be patient of the things he would do, and did not see the wisdom.
As recorded in the Qur'an, Khidr said to Prophet Musa:
قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا ﴿٦٧
Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience. [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:67]
Learning knowledge needs patience. Sometimes Allah might test our patience just to see whether we are worthy of the knowledge or not. The difference between us and Prophet Musa is that he couldn't be patient when he saw a boy being murdered in front of him. But we can't be patient when the internet connection is bad.
The way to survive the trial of knowledge and wisdom is to remain humble and not to let your knowledge delude you.
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا ﴿٦٩
[Musa] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:69] 64)
Knowing that Allah is the ultimate deity and His supremacy is infallible is the epitome of knowledge.
وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا ﴿٤٥ ...
... And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability. (45) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:45]
Prophet Musa learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad.
May Allah grant us patience in seeking knowledge and save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Surah Kahf mentions the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). He is the most named prophet in the Qur'an but how much do you know about him? What lessons can you extract from the life of Prophet Musa, especially from the story mentioned in Surah Kahf?
Prophet Musa once told his people that he is the most knowledgeable person on earth, possessing portals of knowledge and wisdom. And so Allah revealed to him that there is someone who knows more. After traveling with this man (Khidr), he could not be patient of the things he would do, and did not see the wisdom.
As recorded in the Qur'an, Khidr said to Prophet Musa:
قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا ﴿٦٧
Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience. [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:67]
Learning knowledge needs patience. Sometimes Allah might test our patience just to see whether we are worthy of the knowledge or not. The difference between us and Prophet Musa is that he couldn't be patient when he saw a boy being murdered in front of him. But we can't be patient when the internet connection is bad.
The way to survive the trial of knowledge and wisdom is to remain humble and not to let your knowledge delude you.
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا ﴿٦٩
[Musa] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:69] 64)
Knowing that Allah is the ultimate deity and His supremacy is infallible is the epitome of knowledge.
وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا ﴿٤٥ ...
... And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability. (45) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:45]
Prophet Musa learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad.
May Allah grant us patience in seeking knowledge and save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Thursday, February 18, 2016
The Intelligent Person Remembers Death Often and Follows Good and Avoids Evil
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
In this worldly life (dunya), we measure intelligence in many different ways. We like to consider ourselves as intelligent and like the company of those whom we consider intelligent. To gauge intelligence, we have various different exams and yardsticks, for example, IQ, qualifications, titles, profession, general knowledge, etc.
If a person is thought to be very intelligent, yet fails his exam after exam, soon all those around him will begin to think that he is not really very intelligent after all. To get through life with your faith intact, with good deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure and His Noble Face as your greatest goal, is the biggest exam you will ever face.
If you fail the exam of life you cannot call yourself intelligent, regardless of what else your “intelligence” allowed you to accumulate of education, wealth, fame, titles, or pleasure. These will all go to waste upon your death, while you will still have to stand before your Lord and face the consequences of your failure for eternity.
Your intelligence would have failed you if it didn’t give you the sense to properly attempt the biggest exam of your life. Such intelligence is cursed! In an examination hall if you start watching a movie, or listening to music, or calling or texting your friend, or discussing the score of a ballgame, or pull out a lavish meal to eat, would you be considered sensible? No matter what your IQ is, you would be considered crazy, mad or insane!
The most intelligent person is the one who gives the exam of life his full attention, since there are no re-takes. The people in Hell will regret,
وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١٠
Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire. [Qur'an, Al-Mulk 67:10]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The intelligent or wise person ( الكيس) is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish and incapable person (العاجز) is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires". [At-Tirmidhi].
This life is one big exam. Those who prepare and do well in the test of life are the intelligent ones for eternity. The most intelligent person is one who recognizes that he is here for a test and he does not take anything from this place. He came with nothing, he will leave with nothing. Thus, the most intelligent person is the one who remembers death often.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Remember the terminator of all pleasures i.e. death." [Tirmidhi]
We can't run away from death. Death will come unannounced and will happen whenever and wherever Allah decides. Allah Almighty says,
... أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction...[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:78]
But so many of us are so engrossed in our various worldly pursuits that the reality of death does not occur to us, as if we think that our death is far away while Allah is showing death every day. Constant remembrance of death would keep us from getting easily distracted by the glittery entertainment beckoning from all directions, preventing us from seriously attempting the test of life. Keeping death in mind would help us abstain from sin and motivate us to rush to do good deeds.
If the intelligent person wants to succeed, he should lower his animalistic desire or lower self (nafs). This world is an attraction, it is play and amusement. We have to fight our nafs to remind ourselves of that. As we feed the nafs, it becomes stronger and derails us from the path we want to tread. Every human has needs and desires. Needs are part of the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions), desires are where the nafs lies. For example, we all need to eat to survive. Sunnah states one third food, one third water, one third air but our nafs dictates that we eat until we are full or even beyond full. Simplistic decisions need to be considered in the paradigm of the nafs. Feeding your nafs makes you an animal.
The Sunnah is the best model of what to give your body e.g. sleep, eat, wear. How much dunya we should interact with in a healthy way and how much we should concentrate on the Hereafter. Intellectually and academically we know the target is Allah's Noble Countenance. And in order to see the Face of Allah, we have to get in Jannah first.
Allah Almighty says,
وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّـهِ إِلَـٰهًا آخَرَ ۘ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ۚ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٨٨
And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgment, and to Him you will be returned. (88) [Qur'an, Al-Qasas 28:88]
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ ﴿٢٧﴾ فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٢٨
Everyone upon the earth will perish, (26) And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor. (27) So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? (28) [Qur'an, Ar-Rahman 55:26-27]
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ ﴿١٩﴾ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ ﴿٢١
And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded (19) But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High. (20) And he is going to be satisfied. (21) [Qur'an, Al-Lail 92:19-21]
فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّبًا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ ﴿٣٩
So give the relative his right, as well as the needy and the traveler. That is best for those who desire the countenance of Allah, and it is they who will be the successful. (38) And whatever you give for interest to increase within the wealth of people will not increase with Allah. But what you give in zakah, desiring the countenance of Allah - those are the multipliers. (39) [Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:38-39]
وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧٢ ...
...And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah. And whatever you spend of good - it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged. (272) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:272]
وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ﴿٢٢
And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (22) [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:22]
The paths to Jannah are many but whichever path you take, you must leave disobedience and constantly strive to follow good and avoid evil. That is what makes you intelligent.
Bishra ibn Al-Harith reported: Sufyan ibn Uyaina, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The reasonable/intelligent person is not one who merely recognizes good and evil. Rather, the reasonable/intelligent person is only one who follows good when he sees it, and who avoids evil when he sees it.” [Hilyat al-Awliya 12893]
May Allah help us to leave our wrong doings and make us of those who say, "We listen and we obey" May Allah grant us steadfastness in this life and His Noble Countenance in the Hereafter. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
In this worldly life (dunya), we measure intelligence in many different ways. We like to consider ourselves as intelligent and like the company of those whom we consider intelligent. To gauge intelligence, we have various different exams and yardsticks, for example, IQ, qualifications, titles, profession, general knowledge, etc.
If a person is thought to be very intelligent, yet fails his exam after exam, soon all those around him will begin to think that he is not really very intelligent after all. To get through life with your faith intact, with good deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure and His Noble Face as your greatest goal, is the biggest exam you will ever face.
If you fail the exam of life you cannot call yourself intelligent, regardless of what else your “intelligence” allowed you to accumulate of education, wealth, fame, titles, or pleasure. These will all go to waste upon your death, while you will still have to stand before your Lord and face the consequences of your failure for eternity.
Your intelligence would have failed you if it didn’t give you the sense to properly attempt the biggest exam of your life. Such intelligence is cursed! In an examination hall if you start watching a movie, or listening to music, or calling or texting your friend, or discussing the score of a ballgame, or pull out a lavish meal to eat, would you be considered sensible? No matter what your IQ is, you would be considered crazy, mad or insane!
The most intelligent person is the one who gives the exam of life his full attention, since there are no re-takes. The people in Hell will regret,
وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١٠
Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire. [Qur'an, Al-Mulk 67:10]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The intelligent or wise person ( الكيس) is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish and incapable person (العاجز) is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires". [At-Tirmidhi].
This life is one big exam. Those who prepare and do well in the test of life are the intelligent ones for eternity. The most intelligent person is one who recognizes that he is here for a test and he does not take anything from this place. He came with nothing, he will leave with nothing. Thus, the most intelligent person is the one who remembers death often.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Remember the terminator of all pleasures i.e. death." [Tirmidhi]
We can't run away from death. Death will come unannounced and will happen whenever and wherever Allah decides. Allah Almighty says,
... أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction...[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:78]
But so many of us are so engrossed in our various worldly pursuits that the reality of death does not occur to us, as if we think that our death is far away while Allah is showing death every day. Constant remembrance of death would keep us from getting easily distracted by the glittery entertainment beckoning from all directions, preventing us from seriously attempting the test of life. Keeping death in mind would help us abstain from sin and motivate us to rush to do good deeds.
If the intelligent person wants to succeed, he should lower his animalistic desire or lower self (nafs). This world is an attraction, it is play and amusement. We have to fight our nafs to remind ourselves of that. As we feed the nafs, it becomes stronger and derails us from the path we want to tread. Every human has needs and desires. Needs are part of the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions), desires are where the nafs lies. For example, we all need to eat to survive. Sunnah states one third food, one third water, one third air but our nafs dictates that we eat until we are full or even beyond full. Simplistic decisions need to be considered in the paradigm of the nafs. Feeding your nafs makes you an animal.
The Sunnah is the best model of what to give your body e.g. sleep, eat, wear. How much dunya we should interact with in a healthy way and how much we should concentrate on the Hereafter. Intellectually and academically we know the target is Allah's Noble Countenance. And in order to see the Face of Allah, we have to get in Jannah first.
Allah Almighty says,
وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّـهِ إِلَـٰهًا آخَرَ ۘ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ۚ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٨٨
And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgment, and to Him you will be returned. (88) [Qur'an, Al-Qasas 28:88]
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ ﴿٢٧﴾ فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٢٨
Everyone upon the earth will perish, (26) And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor. (27) So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? (28) [Qur'an, Ar-Rahman 55:26-27]
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ ﴿١٩﴾ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ ﴿٢١
And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded (19) But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High. (20) And he is going to be satisfied. (21) [Qur'an, Al-Lail 92:19-21]
فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّبًا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ ﴿٣٩
So give the relative his right, as well as the needy and the traveler. That is best for those who desire the countenance of Allah, and it is they who will be the successful. (38) And whatever you give for interest to increase within the wealth of people will not increase with Allah. But what you give in zakah, desiring the countenance of Allah - those are the multipliers. (39) [Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:38-39]
وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧٢ ...
...And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah. And whatever you spend of good - it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged. (272) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:272]
وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ﴿٢٢
And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (22) [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:22]
The paths to Jannah are many but whichever path you take, you must leave disobedience and constantly strive to follow good and avoid evil. That is what makes you intelligent.
Bishra ibn Al-Harith reported: Sufyan ibn Uyaina, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The reasonable/intelligent person is not one who merely recognizes good and evil. Rather, the reasonable/intelligent person is only one who follows good when he sees it, and who avoids evil when he sees it.” [Hilyat al-Awliya 12893]
May Allah help us to leave our wrong doings and make us of those who say, "We listen and we obey" May Allah grant us steadfastness in this life and His Noble Countenance in the Hereafter. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
The Lover Who Is Truthful in His Love
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Love is indescribable. Words cannot explain the true essence of love. Pictures cannot display the nature of love. Actions fall short of exhibiting the quintessence of love. Life revolves around love. The Earth spins on the axis of love. Love is seen between a lioness and a cub. Love is sensed between a mother and a child, a student and his teacher. What is love?
Instead of defining love, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam described the implications of love. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said,
“Your love for something blinds and deafens.” [Abu Dawud]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, answered the question for us. When a person is underwater, he neither sees anything, nor does he hear anything. Just as water barricades a person from seeing and hearing his environs, similarly when a person dives in the ocean of love, he is blinded and deafened from all around him. Love submerges an individual into another realm; all he sees is the radiance of his beloved. All he smells is the sweetness of his beloved’s fragrance. Nights are cold without the remembrances of the beloved, sunny days are dark for the lover and sweet becomes bitter. The agony and cries of separation overcome every emotion crossing the heart.
Afflictions reveal the truthful person and the liar and distinguish between them. How excellent this piece of poetry by one of them is:
"It is at times of dissatisfaction not at times of satisfaction
that the lover becomes identifiable from the hater." [Shaykh ‘Ali Bin Wafā Ash‑Shādhilī 1359‑1405]
There is no route, no pathway nor bridge between us and Allah except for His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Allah has established a principle: Whosoever wants to be saved from the upcoming torment, the imminent horror of the Hellfire, then he has no other way out but to cling onto the life of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Once love is embedded in the heart for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, with every footstep and every breath, the Sunnah will be flowing from our lives. The moment we become observers of the Sunnah, Allah will wrap us in His love. This is how simple the formula of success is.
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (31) [Qur'an, AleImran 3:31]
The 8 steps to gain the love for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam:
1) Study the seerah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and the life of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
2) Study the characteristics (e.g the shamaa'il) of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
3) Recite salawaat (salutations) on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam in abundance
4) Memorize his Sunan (Sunnahs) and embody them through practice
5) Recite and learn the Qur'an
6) Read the stories of righteous predecessors and the books they wrote
7) Be in constant remembrance of Allah.
8) Do not forget what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam did for his ummah.
May Allah enable us to follow the footsteps of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam and increase our love for him sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Love is indescribable. Words cannot explain the true essence of love. Pictures cannot display the nature of love. Actions fall short of exhibiting the quintessence of love. Life revolves around love. The Earth spins on the axis of love. Love is seen between a lioness and a cub. Love is sensed between a mother and a child, a student and his teacher. What is love?
Instead of defining love, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam described the implications of love. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said,
“Your love for something blinds and deafens.” [Abu Dawud]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, answered the question for us. When a person is underwater, he neither sees anything, nor does he hear anything. Just as water barricades a person from seeing and hearing his environs, similarly when a person dives in the ocean of love, he is blinded and deafened from all around him. Love submerges an individual into another realm; all he sees is the radiance of his beloved. All he smells is the sweetness of his beloved’s fragrance. Nights are cold without the remembrances of the beloved, sunny days are dark for the lover and sweet becomes bitter. The agony and cries of separation overcome every emotion crossing the heart.
Afflictions reveal the truthful person and the liar and distinguish between them. How excellent this piece of poetry by one of them is:
"It is at times of dissatisfaction not at times of satisfaction
that the lover becomes identifiable from the hater." [Shaykh ‘Ali Bin Wafā Ash‑Shādhilī 1359‑1405]
There is no route, no pathway nor bridge between us and Allah except for His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Allah has established a principle: Whosoever wants to be saved from the upcoming torment, the imminent horror of the Hellfire, then he has no other way out but to cling onto the life of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Once love is embedded in the heart for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, with every footstep and every breath, the Sunnah will be flowing from our lives. The moment we become observers of the Sunnah, Allah will wrap us in His love. This is how simple the formula of success is.
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (31) [Qur'an, AleImran 3:31]
The 8 steps to gain the love for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam:
1) Study the seerah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and the life of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
2) Study the characteristics (e.g the shamaa'il) of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
3) Recite salawaat (salutations) on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam in abundance
4) Memorize his Sunan (Sunnahs) and embody them through practice
5) Recite and learn the Qur'an
6) Read the stories of righteous predecessors and the books they wrote
7) Be in constant remembrance of Allah.
8) Do not forget what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam did for his ummah.
May Allah enable us to follow the footsteps of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam and increase our love for him sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Monday, February 15, 2016
Talk Less, Do More
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
‘Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, Mufti of Makkah (d. 114/732), of the generation that followed that of the prophetic Companions (Sahaba) said of them, “They used to dislike talking more than necessary, and considered “more than necessary” to mean more than your reciting the Qur’an, enjoining the right, forbidding the wrong, or speaking about making a living, in the amount strictly necessary.”
Allah blessed us with a very precious gift: the gift of talking. The gift of language. The gift of being able to express our feelings, emotions, ideas or plans into something called words. But, alas, as with every gift, overusing it may lead to unexpected results.
The harm that can come out of our tongues is so immense that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) urged us to restrain our tongues.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily the slave will say a word he thinks nothing of that Allah loves, for which Allah raises him whole degrees. And verily the slave will say a word he thinks nothing of that Allah detests, for which he plummets into hell” [Bukhari].
Speaking and listening in a balanced way are imperative in our world. The noise of useless words that many of us are throwing away in an attempt to get a grip on someone else’s attention, creates a thick fog that makes it really difficult to actually understand each other. Ironically, the more we talk, the less we’re able to communicate.
Read on about these 6 benefits of speaking less and listening more and improve the way you communicate with the world.
Think Before You Speak
So obvious, yet so underused. Under the impulse of “taking the stage,” of speaking before the other one could make his moves, we often open our mouth without really knowing what we’re going to say. Sometimes we improvise and it may turn out right. But most of the time, we’re just shouting randomly about a topic, without any quality contribution to the conversation. The result: no one really listen to us.
Take a deep breathe before you respond, no matter how “urgent” the answer may look. Think for a while. Keep in mind the thought that you really have has many options, not just one. Ponder and your answer will not only be well thought out but people will be more apt to listen.
A believer acts with purpose. Whoever is careful with the consequences remain safe. Act only upon due consideration. Think through and play out in your mind first what you want to say before uttering a word.
Remember,
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it). [Qur'an, Qaf 50:18].
Listen Before Jumping To Conclusions
Again, the “need for speed” of our current world often forces us to simplify our interactions, to the point where they become useless. Based on just a few words, or a few sentences, we often create a perspective on some thing or some person, which may simply be inaccurate because we didn’t take the time to actually listen.
Really listening means not only giving to the other the time to finish his speech, but also the exercise of “borrowing” his perspective. Listening means to actually see things from their point of view.
Limit Yourself To What’s Important
The infamous “information overload” created by the internet revolution is not about the quantity of the information available out there. But merely about the relevance of that information. Every time you update your Facebook timeline, or you publish a blog post, or you simply open your mouth to say something, you’re adding up to this fog. Have you ever tried to contemplate if what you’re going to say is really that important? Sometimes, silence really IS golden.
Silence is dignified and pure. It also draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit together without speaking. It seems only the old are able to sit alone or next to one another and not say anything and still feel content, and the young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence.
When you are silent, you don't need to put yourself in a position to defend or apologize. If you talk too much, even talking about yourself, you can create fitnah, not only for yourself, but also for others. If it is something good, they might be envious or jealous of you. If you are silent, you will have less enemies and less headaches. Watch out talking while driving...how many times couples get into arguments in the car?
Abu Hurayrah relates that Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith is showing us three qualities that are among the many qualities of faith, the first to speak good or remain silent. A person who fails to fulfill any of the conditions mentioned in the hadith is a person whose faith is incomplete and in need of improvement.
He (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said, “Whoever is silent is saved” [Ahmad].
Too often, the reason is that we’re talking is simply just to hear our voices, no matter if we do this out loud, by writing emails or updating our Twitter or status on social media. Imagine how silent it would be out there if we could just limit ourselves only to what’s really important.
It is said that nine-tenths of well being are in silence and that tribulations are connected to speech. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Beware of being disobedient to Allah when you are alone, for surely the One who witnesses is also the One who judges. Well-being consists of ten parts; nine of them are in being silent – except in the remembrance of Allah – and one of them is in leaving the company of the foolish.
Get To Know Others Better
And that means doing things together, not only talking about things together. Getting up from the couch and do a short team jog, watching the sunset together, silently, playing a game, or having a meal. All these are actions that, apart from the main benefit of enjoying life, have also a secondary, very important outcome: they help you understand other people better.
Create A Better Reality
When you speak less, you do more. It’s obvious. Your focus switches from talking to doing. While talking and expressing your feelings is important, ‘doing’ is equally important. If you could refrain yourself from talking for 10 minutes a day, in a month you will have gained 30 days x 10 minutes = 300 minutes, 5 hours for yourself. What would you do with this time?
Whatever you want, of course within the limits of Islam. You can go to the gym, cook for your spouse, craft something in the garage, coach someone, help a neighbor, have fun with your children, read (the Qur'an, Seerah, hadith, etc), listen to Qur'an or Islamic lecture, memorize a few short du'as, memorize some Qur'an, learn some Arabic, you name it. As long as your goal is to make the world a better place, doing will always beat speaking.
One of the righteous said, “I imposed on myself to pray two cycles of prayer for every word that doesn’t concern me, but that proved easy for me, so then I imposed on myself to fast a day for every word that doesn’t concern me, but that proved easy for me and I didn’t desist, so then I imposed on myself to give one silver coin in charity for every word that doesn’t concern me, and I found that tough.”
Imam al-Ghazali mentions, “The definition of speech that does not concern you is that you say words that had you been silent instead you would neither sin, nor suffer in your state or wealth. An example of this is that you sit with a people and mention to them of your travels and what you saw in them of mountains and rivers and what circumstance you experienced, and what you enjoyed of food and clothing, and those Shaykhs and incidents that impressed you – these are all matters that had you been silent instead, you would neither sin nor suffer. Even if you exerted yourself to not mix this account with falsehood from addition or subtraction, nor praising yourself through boasting of the tremendous matters that you experienced, nor backbiting or speaking ill of something Allah created, you have still wasting your time – and how on earth can you be safe from the sins that we have mentioned?”
So, avoid talking too much, as plentiful speech is not free from mistakes. Excessive speech, beyond what is needed, is considered speech that doesn’t concern a person as is asking questions about what is not important. He shouldn’t deem his words of no consequence, even if they be few.
Write More
It’s still a form of expressing yourself, but it has a few perks. If you write, you’re more accountable. Written words last more than spoken words. Also, you will clear your mind without the help of somebody else. Writing in a journal or blogging, as long as you follow the number one rule of this list, (“think before you do it”).
And when you’re writing, something very interesting will happen: you will be forced to “listen” to yourself. You will be exposed to your own thoughts and emotions. You will get to know yourself better. Or, to be more precise, you will start to discover who you are.
We live in an interesting world. Too much overpromise and underdelivery. But world-class leaders and true believers are different. Remarkably so. They talk less. And do more. They are masterful at execution. They are acutely focused on what’s most important.
May Allah moist our tongues with His remembrance, help us talk less and do more good deeds, and grant us beautiful speech. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
‘Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, Mufti of Makkah (d. 114/732), of the generation that followed that of the prophetic Companions (Sahaba) said of them, “They used to dislike talking more than necessary, and considered “more than necessary” to mean more than your reciting the Qur’an, enjoining the right, forbidding the wrong, or speaking about making a living, in the amount strictly necessary.”
Allah blessed us with a very precious gift: the gift of talking. The gift of language. The gift of being able to express our feelings, emotions, ideas or plans into something called words. But, alas, as with every gift, overusing it may lead to unexpected results.
The harm that can come out of our tongues is so immense that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) urged us to restrain our tongues.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily the slave will say a word he thinks nothing of that Allah loves, for which Allah raises him whole degrees. And verily the slave will say a word he thinks nothing of that Allah detests, for which he plummets into hell” [Bukhari].
Speaking and listening in a balanced way are imperative in our world. The noise of useless words that many of us are throwing away in an attempt to get a grip on someone else’s attention, creates a thick fog that makes it really difficult to actually understand each other. Ironically, the more we talk, the less we’re able to communicate.
Read on about these 6 benefits of speaking less and listening more and improve the way you communicate with the world.
Think Before You Speak
So obvious, yet so underused. Under the impulse of “taking the stage,” of speaking before the other one could make his moves, we often open our mouth without really knowing what we’re going to say. Sometimes we improvise and it may turn out right. But most of the time, we’re just shouting randomly about a topic, without any quality contribution to the conversation. The result: no one really listen to us.
Take a deep breathe before you respond, no matter how “urgent” the answer may look. Think for a while. Keep in mind the thought that you really have has many options, not just one. Ponder and your answer will not only be well thought out but people will be more apt to listen.
A believer acts with purpose. Whoever is careful with the consequences remain safe. Act only upon due consideration. Think through and play out in your mind first what you want to say before uttering a word.
Remember,
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it). [Qur'an, Qaf 50:18].
Listen Before Jumping To Conclusions
Again, the “need for speed” of our current world often forces us to simplify our interactions, to the point where they become useless. Based on just a few words, or a few sentences, we often create a perspective on some thing or some person, which may simply be inaccurate because we didn’t take the time to actually listen.
Really listening means not only giving to the other the time to finish his speech, but also the exercise of “borrowing” his perspective. Listening means to actually see things from their point of view.
Limit Yourself To What’s Important
The infamous “information overload” created by the internet revolution is not about the quantity of the information available out there. But merely about the relevance of that information. Every time you update your Facebook timeline, or you publish a blog post, or you simply open your mouth to say something, you’re adding up to this fog. Have you ever tried to contemplate if what you’re going to say is really that important? Sometimes, silence really IS golden.
Silence is dignified and pure. It also draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit together without speaking. It seems only the old are able to sit alone or next to one another and not say anything and still feel content, and the young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence.
When you are silent, you don't need to put yourself in a position to defend or apologize. If you talk too much, even talking about yourself, you can create fitnah, not only for yourself, but also for others. If it is something good, they might be envious or jealous of you. If you are silent, you will have less enemies and less headaches. Watch out talking while driving...how many times couples get into arguments in the car?
Abu Hurayrah relates that Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith is showing us three qualities that are among the many qualities of faith, the first to speak good or remain silent. A person who fails to fulfill any of the conditions mentioned in the hadith is a person whose faith is incomplete and in need of improvement.
He (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said, “Whoever is silent is saved” [Ahmad].
Too often, the reason is that we’re talking is simply just to hear our voices, no matter if we do this out loud, by writing emails or updating our Twitter or status on social media. Imagine how silent it would be out there if we could just limit ourselves only to what’s really important.
It is said that nine-tenths of well being are in silence and that tribulations are connected to speech. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Beware of being disobedient to Allah when you are alone, for surely the One who witnesses is also the One who judges. Well-being consists of ten parts; nine of them are in being silent – except in the remembrance of Allah – and one of them is in leaving the company of the foolish.
Get To Know Others Better
And that means doing things together, not only talking about things together. Getting up from the couch and do a short team jog, watching the sunset together, silently, playing a game, or having a meal. All these are actions that, apart from the main benefit of enjoying life, have also a secondary, very important outcome: they help you understand other people better.
Create A Better Reality
When you speak less, you do more. It’s obvious. Your focus switches from talking to doing. While talking and expressing your feelings is important, ‘doing’ is equally important. If you could refrain yourself from talking for 10 minutes a day, in a month you will have gained 30 days x 10 minutes = 300 minutes, 5 hours for yourself. What would you do with this time?
Whatever you want, of course within the limits of Islam. You can go to the gym, cook for your spouse, craft something in the garage, coach someone, help a neighbor, have fun with your children, read (the Qur'an, Seerah, hadith, etc), listen to Qur'an or Islamic lecture, memorize a few short du'as, memorize some Qur'an, learn some Arabic, you name it. As long as your goal is to make the world a better place, doing will always beat speaking.
One of the righteous said, “I imposed on myself to pray two cycles of prayer for every word that doesn’t concern me, but that proved easy for me, so then I imposed on myself to fast a day for every word that doesn’t concern me, but that proved easy for me and I didn’t desist, so then I imposed on myself to give one silver coin in charity for every word that doesn’t concern me, and I found that tough.”
Imam al-Ghazali mentions, “The definition of speech that does not concern you is that you say words that had you been silent instead you would neither sin, nor suffer in your state or wealth. An example of this is that you sit with a people and mention to them of your travels and what you saw in them of mountains and rivers and what circumstance you experienced, and what you enjoyed of food and clothing, and those Shaykhs and incidents that impressed you – these are all matters that had you been silent instead, you would neither sin nor suffer. Even if you exerted yourself to not mix this account with falsehood from addition or subtraction, nor praising yourself through boasting of the tremendous matters that you experienced, nor backbiting or speaking ill of something Allah created, you have still wasting your time – and how on earth can you be safe from the sins that we have mentioned?”
So, avoid talking too much, as plentiful speech is not free from mistakes. Excessive speech, beyond what is needed, is considered speech that doesn’t concern a person as is asking questions about what is not important. He shouldn’t deem his words of no consequence, even if they be few.
Write More
It’s still a form of expressing yourself, but it has a few perks. If you write, you’re more accountable. Written words last more than spoken words. Also, you will clear your mind without the help of somebody else. Writing in a journal or blogging, as long as you follow the number one rule of this list, (“think before you do it”).
And when you’re writing, something very interesting will happen: you will be forced to “listen” to yourself. You will be exposed to your own thoughts and emotions. You will get to know yourself better. Or, to be more precise, you will start to discover who you are.
We live in an interesting world. Too much overpromise and underdelivery. But world-class leaders and true believers are different. Remarkably so. They talk less. And do more. They are masterful at execution. They are acutely focused on what’s most important.
May Allah moist our tongues with His remembrance, help us talk less and do more good deeds, and grant us beautiful speech. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Sunday, February 14, 2016
A Little Adab is Better Than A Lot of Good Actions
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Adab is the right way of doing something. Islam advocates adab so as to perfect the Islamic personality and bring harmony among people. You are this precious stones that are jagged all over- proper manners is part of chiseling this jewel so that it begins to become radiant. Proper adab bring us closer to the hearts and minds of others particularly from those who are calling to Allah (da'e), scholars and students of knowledge. Every Muslim living on this earth is an ambassador of their faith- in the way they act, not in what they say but how they are saying them.
Adab is not this marginal matter, rather it is central to Islam. A little adab is better than a lot of good actions. Why? Good manners is what bring excellence into one's actions. It is in excellence that one's good deeds are multiplied. Why you act with excellence? To seek the pleasure of Allah. A good deed is rewarded 10 times to 700 times and Allah gives more to whoever He wills. If you do something with excellence its reward is multiplied exponentially and its impact on our lives is much greater.
You can go and visit your parents every day of the week but if you don't uphold good character you get some reward for visiting your parents but it won't be like the one with good adab, outwardly and inwardly.
Good character will be the heaviest righteous deed to be placed on a person’s scale of deeds on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, “No deed that will be placed on the scale of deeds [on the Day of Judgment] will be heavier than good character. Indeed, a person with good character will attain the rank of those with a good record of voluntary fasts and prayers.” [Sunan At-Tirmidhi]
So, uphold good manners and always improve your manners.
It is of the adab of Islam to know the value of one’s word, not to give unless one intends to keep it, and to keep it once it has been given. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks it, and when entrusted with something he betrays it” [Bukhari]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to be honest when one speaks. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” [Muslim]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to completely abandon and shun guile, deceit, scornfulness, or sarcasm because these are unlawful. Allah Most High says, “O you who believe, let no men scorn other men, for they might well be better than they are. And let no women scorn other women, for they might well be better than they. And do not find fault with one another, or give each other insulting nicknames” [Qur’an 49:11]. And Allah Most High says, “Woe to whoever demeans others behind their back or to their face” [Qur’an 104:1]. And the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Let there be no harming another, or harming him back. Whoever harms another Allah shall harm, and whoever gives trouble to another Allah shall give trouble to” [Hakim]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to abandon lying, for it is unlawful. Allah Most High curses liars by saying, “May liars be slain.” [Qur’an 51:10], in which slain means “cursed” according to the Arabic idiom likening the accursed, who loses every good and happiness, to the slain, who loses life and every blessing. The Qur’anic exegete al-Khazin notes that “May liars be cursed” originally referred to those who sat on the various roads outside Makkah warning people against the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to keep them from becoming Muslim. The verse, however, like other Qur’anic verses, is not limited to the original circumstances in which it was revealed, but applies universally, to the end of time. Those who lie, except in circumstances in which Sacred Law permits it, are cursed by Allah.
It is unlawful to lie, except when making up between two people, or lying to an enemy in war, or to one’s wife. It is also unlawful to praise or blame another with an untruth. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Lying is wrong, except in three things: the lie of a man to his wife to make her content with him; a lie in war, for war is deception; or a lie to settle trouble between people” [Ahmad]. Ibn Jawzi has said, “The criterion for it is that every praiseworthy objective in Sacred Law that cannot be brought about without lying is permissible to lie for if the objective is permissible, and obligatory to lie for if the objective is obligatory.” When lying is the only way to attain one’s right, one may lie about oneself or another, provided it does not harm the other. And it is obligatory to lie to if necessary to protect a Muslim from being murdered. But whenever one can accomplish the objective by words that merely give a misleading impression with actually being false, it is unlawful to tell an outright lie, because it is unnecessary.
When Abu Bakr was dying, he sent for ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be well pleased with both of them), and told him, “O ‘Umar, if you are given authority over the people, fear Allah and hold fast to what is right. For the balance of those whose scale pans are heavy on Resurrection Day [with good deeds] shall only be heavy for their having followed what is right and its heaviness upon them; and it befits the balance scale when what is right is placed in it tomorrow to be heavy. And the balance of those whose scale pans are light on Resurrection Day [because of few good deeds] shall only be light for their having followed what is wrong and its ease upon them; and it befits the balance scale when what is wrong is placed in it tomorrow to be light. And know that there are works for Allah at night that He does not accept during the day, and that there are works during the day that He does not accept at night. And that He does not accept a supererogatory work of worship until the obligatory has been done.”
May Allah grant us noble character and help us follow the footsteps of His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his righteous companions. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Adab is the right way of doing something. Islam advocates adab so as to perfect the Islamic personality and bring harmony among people. You are this precious stones that are jagged all over- proper manners is part of chiseling this jewel so that it begins to become radiant. Proper adab bring us closer to the hearts and minds of others particularly from those who are calling to Allah (da'e), scholars and students of knowledge. Every Muslim living on this earth is an ambassador of their faith- in the way they act, not in what they say but how they are saying them.
Adab is not this marginal matter, rather it is central to Islam. A little adab is better than a lot of good actions. Why? Good manners is what bring excellence into one's actions. It is in excellence that one's good deeds are multiplied. Why you act with excellence? To seek the pleasure of Allah. A good deed is rewarded 10 times to 700 times and Allah gives more to whoever He wills. If you do something with excellence its reward is multiplied exponentially and its impact on our lives is much greater.
You can go and visit your parents every day of the week but if you don't uphold good character you get some reward for visiting your parents but it won't be like the one with good adab, outwardly and inwardly.
Good character will be the heaviest righteous deed to be placed on a person’s scale of deeds on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, “No deed that will be placed on the scale of deeds [on the Day of Judgment] will be heavier than good character. Indeed, a person with good character will attain the rank of those with a good record of voluntary fasts and prayers.” [Sunan At-Tirmidhi]
So, uphold good manners and always improve your manners.
It is of the adab of Islam to know the value of one’s word, not to give unless one intends to keep it, and to keep it once it has been given. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks it, and when entrusted with something he betrays it” [Bukhari]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to be honest when one speaks. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” [Muslim]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to completely abandon and shun guile, deceit, scornfulness, or sarcasm because these are unlawful. Allah Most High says, “O you who believe, let no men scorn other men, for they might well be better than they are. And let no women scorn other women, for they might well be better than they. And do not find fault with one another, or give each other insulting nicknames” [Qur’an 49:11]. And Allah Most High says, “Woe to whoever demeans others behind their back or to their face” [Qur’an 104:1]. And the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Let there be no harming another, or harming him back. Whoever harms another Allah shall harm, and whoever gives trouble to another Allah shall give trouble to” [Hakim]
It is of the adab of the high path of Islam to abandon lying, for it is unlawful. Allah Most High curses liars by saying, “May liars be slain.” [Qur’an 51:10], in which slain means “cursed” according to the Arabic idiom likening the accursed, who loses every good and happiness, to the slain, who loses life and every blessing. The Qur’anic exegete al-Khazin notes that “May liars be cursed” originally referred to those who sat on the various roads outside Makkah warning people against the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to keep them from becoming Muslim. The verse, however, like other Qur’anic verses, is not limited to the original circumstances in which it was revealed, but applies universally, to the end of time. Those who lie, except in circumstances in which Sacred Law permits it, are cursed by Allah.
It is unlawful to lie, except when making up between two people, or lying to an enemy in war, or to one’s wife. It is also unlawful to praise or blame another with an untruth. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Lying is wrong, except in three things: the lie of a man to his wife to make her content with him; a lie in war, for war is deception; or a lie to settle trouble between people” [Ahmad]. Ibn Jawzi has said, “The criterion for it is that every praiseworthy objective in Sacred Law that cannot be brought about without lying is permissible to lie for if the objective is permissible, and obligatory to lie for if the objective is obligatory.” When lying is the only way to attain one’s right, one may lie about oneself or another, provided it does not harm the other. And it is obligatory to lie to if necessary to protect a Muslim from being murdered. But whenever one can accomplish the objective by words that merely give a misleading impression with actually being false, it is unlawful to tell an outright lie, because it is unnecessary.
When Abu Bakr was dying, he sent for ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be well pleased with both of them), and told him, “O ‘Umar, if you are given authority over the people, fear Allah and hold fast to what is right. For the balance of those whose scale pans are heavy on Resurrection Day [with good deeds] shall only be heavy for their having followed what is right and its heaviness upon them; and it befits the balance scale when what is right is placed in it tomorrow to be heavy. And the balance of those whose scale pans are light on Resurrection Day [because of few good deeds] shall only be light for their having followed what is wrong and its ease upon them; and it befits the balance scale when what is wrong is placed in it tomorrow to be light. And know that there are works for Allah at night that He does not accept during the day, and that there are works during the day that He does not accept at night. And that He does not accept a supererogatory work of worship until the obligatory has been done.”
May Allah grant us noble character and help us follow the footsteps of His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his righteous companions. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Friday, February 12, 2016
Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Surviving Trial of Wealth and Children
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The second story in Surah Kahf is about a man who owned two fruitful and blessed gardens but never in return thanked Allah for His bounties.
كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَالَهُمَا نَهَرًا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا ﴿٣٤
Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river. (33) And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, "I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men." (34) [Qur'an, 18:33-34]
The man was skeptical about the Hereafter, thinking that his wealth will not perish.
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِ أَبَدًا ﴿٣٥﴾ وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا ﴿٣٦
He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever. (35) And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return." (36) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:35-36]
So, Allah inflicted him with the misery by destroying his gardens, even his repentance did not benefit him with what he has lost afterwards.
Allah reminds us in Surah Al-Kahf that wealth and children are only adornment in this life, which is perishing. So, don't get stuck with them and forget your Hereafter, the eternal life.
الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾ وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. (47)
Moral: Moral of the story is “Trial of Wealth and Children.” Thanking Allah for the favors can multiply blessings.
How to survive: Humbleness is key to seek Allah’s mercy as He Most High says,
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا ﴿٦٩
[Prophet Musa alayhissalaam] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:69]
May Allah make us among His thankful servants. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The second story in Surah Kahf is about a man who owned two fruitful and blessed gardens but never in return thanked Allah for His bounties.
كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَالَهُمَا نَهَرًا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا ﴿٣٤
Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river. (33) And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, "I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men." (34) [Qur'an, 18:33-34]
The man was skeptical about the Hereafter, thinking that his wealth will not perish.
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِ أَبَدًا ﴿٣٥﴾ وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا ﴿٣٦
He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever. (35) And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return." (36) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:35-36]
So, Allah inflicted him with the misery by destroying his gardens, even his repentance did not benefit him with what he has lost afterwards.
Allah reminds us in Surah Al-Kahf that wealth and children are only adornment in this life, which is perishing. So, don't get stuck with them and forget your Hereafter, the eternal life.
الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾ وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. (47)
Moral: Moral of the story is “Trial of Wealth and Children.” Thanking Allah for the favors can multiply blessings.
How to survive: Humbleness is key to seek Allah’s mercy as He Most High says,
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا ﴿٦٩
[Prophet Musa alayhissalaam] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:69]
May Allah make us among His thankful servants. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
If You Give Up Something For the Sake of Allah, Allah Will Substitute Them With Something Better.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Lustrous desires have power over souls; they seize and control hearts; hence to abandon or get rid of them is difficult. However, whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, Allah will suffice him, and whosoever seeks His aid, He will help him.
... وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ...
...And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him... [Qur'an, At-Talaq 65:3]
He who gives up desires sincerely for the sake of Allah will not find it difficult to give them up except at the beginning. This is for him to be tested: is he sincere in giving them up or not, so if he bears this hardship for a short period patiently, the hardship turns into pleasure. The greater the desire for the forbidden, the greater the soul is desirous to do it, and the more the reasons are there to commit it; then, the greater the reward is when abandoning it. In fact applying self-restraint and getting rid of desires double the reward.
Piety is not in contradiction with the natural tendencies to lustrous desires, if they are not committed, and if one strives with oneself to loath them. Rather, this is the gist of jihad and piety. Moreover, whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will substitute for him with something better. The substitutes from Allah are many; the greatest of them is to be in the companion of Allah, and to love Him, the peace of heart when remembering Him, its strength and vigor, the satisfaction with his Lord Glorified and Exalted, together with the reward he receives in this worldly life and what he expects of the full reward in the Hereafter.
Some examples of the things to be left for the sake of Allah and which Allah will substitute them with something better:
1. The one who gets rid of bad companions whom he thinks that in abandoning them he will attain Allah's utmost intimacy and pleasure, Allah will reward him with righteous companions, with them he will find pleasure and benefits, and by keeping their companion and association he will gain the best of this worldly life and the Hereafter.
2. The one who stops fearing other than Allah, and singles Allah alone with apprehension, he will be protected from illusions, and Allah will provide him with security against any dangers, so his worries will be turned into safety, coolness and peace.
3. The one who avoids being undutiful to his parents and becomes filial obedient, Allah will be pleased with him and will provide him with dutiful children, and He will let him enter Paradise in the Hereafter.
4. The one who abandons passionate love, and avoids the reasons leading to it; who bears the pangs and torment of the desertion and remoteness of the beloved, and turns wholly to Allah will be provided with consolation and comfort, self-dignity, he will be saved from the anguish, humiliation, and captivity of passionate love. His heart will be filled with freedom, and love of Allah Glorified and Exalted, a love that composes his heart and satisfies its hunger. As the heart is only pleased and content; it enjoys tranquility and serenity but with the worship and the love of its Lord and by returning to Him.
The story of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) is a great example of this. The wife of the governor sought to seduce him, but he denied her firmly and sought refuge in Allah, though many reasons have combined for him to disobey Him. He has such reasons that others have not. If these reasons or some of them become possible for another person, he may respond to the seduction. Rather there is an individual who may go by himself voluntary to the positions of temptations, seeking his own destruction, and returning with manifest loss in this worldly life and the Hereafter, unless Allah saves him with his mercy.
As for Yusuf there were many reasons to commit adultery but he was patient and exercised restraint, preferring and choosing what Allah has prepared for him. So he got happiness and power in this worldly life, and he would have Paradise in the Hereafter. He had become the master, and the wife of Al-'Aziz had become his maid. It was reported that she had said: "Glory to Allah who had made kings into slaves due to their sins, and made slaves into kings because of their acts of obedience". It behooves the wise firm man to be patient and ponder matters and consequences, preferring not present transient pleasure to the future remaining one.
5. The one who stops lying, and stick to truth in whatever he gets or leaves, he will be guided to Al-birr (piety, righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allah) and he will be before Allah one of the Siddiqun (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). He will be blessed with the tongue of truth among people, so they would confer honor and supremacy upon him and will lend hearing to what he says.
6. The one who manages his anger will preserve his pride and dignity; and will keep away from the humiliation of apology and the consequences of remorse. He will enter in the company of the righteous (who repress anger)
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٣٤
Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good; (134) [Qur'an, Ale'Imran 3:134]
A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said: O Messenger of Allah, advise me. So he has said: "Do not get angry..." [Bukhari]
Al-Mâwirdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The one who has sound mind and strong determination should receive the anger flurry patiently with his toleration so he can drive it away, and should meet his fits of anger resolvedly to drive them away; so that he would receive the most honorable goodness, and enjoy sound health.”
Abu 'Abla said: “One day 'Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz was very angry with a man. He ordered him to be punished, so the man was brought, disrobed and pulled in ropes; and whips were brought, but then he said: 'let him go' and addressing the man, he said 'were it not for my anger I would have hurt you.' Then he recited the above verse (who restrain anger).
7. The one who abandons seeking fame and exhibitionism, Allah will uplift him and fame will come to him dragging its wake.
8. The one who desists from imitating the fools, and turns away from the foolish will safeguard his honor, spare himself their trouble, and be saved from hearing what hurts him.
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ ﴿١٩٩
Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant. (199) [Qur'an, AleImran 3:199]
9. The one who leaves envy will be saved from its various harms. Envy is incurable disease, a lethal poison, an outrageous behavior and an evil moral. It is found in inferior relatives, peers, comrades, acquaintance, and friends.
A wise man said: "I have not seen an oppressor who is more resembling to the oppressed than the envier: permanent concerns, inseparable worries and a confused heart."
10. The one who stops consuming much food will be saved from gluttony and other various diseases, because he who eats too much, drinks too much; hence he sleeps too much, the result is that he will lose a lot.
11. The one who quits procrastination in paying his debts Allah will help him paying them off. In fact he is really entitled to invoke Allah’s help.
12. The one who abstains from backbiting and slandering people and looking for their flaws will be compensated with safety from their evils and is provided with insight into himself.
Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He who is fast in relating to people what they hate, they will say about him what they do not know".
A Bedouin woman, in recommending her son, said: "Beware of exposing the flaws of people, as in this case you will be taken as an aim. Surely an aim will not stand for many arrows. An aim which was afflicted alternately with arrows, immediately its force will be weakened.”
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a believer is pious, his piety will divert him from the shortcomings of people
Likewise, the pains of a sick man will distract him from the pains of all other people.
May Allah grant us deeds that are pleasing to Him and help us give up those things that would incur His wrath and displeasure. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Lustrous desires have power over souls; they seize and control hearts; hence to abandon or get rid of them is difficult. However, whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, Allah will suffice him, and whosoever seeks His aid, He will help him.
... وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ...
...And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him... [Qur'an, At-Talaq 65:3]
He who gives up desires sincerely for the sake of Allah will not find it difficult to give them up except at the beginning. This is for him to be tested: is he sincere in giving them up or not, so if he bears this hardship for a short period patiently, the hardship turns into pleasure. The greater the desire for the forbidden, the greater the soul is desirous to do it, and the more the reasons are there to commit it; then, the greater the reward is when abandoning it. In fact applying self-restraint and getting rid of desires double the reward.
Piety is not in contradiction with the natural tendencies to lustrous desires, if they are not committed, and if one strives with oneself to loath them. Rather, this is the gist of jihad and piety. Moreover, whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will substitute for him with something better. The substitutes from Allah are many; the greatest of them is to be in the companion of Allah, and to love Him, the peace of heart when remembering Him, its strength and vigor, the satisfaction with his Lord Glorified and Exalted, together with the reward he receives in this worldly life and what he expects of the full reward in the Hereafter.
Some examples of the things to be left for the sake of Allah and which Allah will substitute them with something better:
1. The one who gets rid of bad companions whom he thinks that in abandoning them he will attain Allah's utmost intimacy and pleasure, Allah will reward him with righteous companions, with them he will find pleasure and benefits, and by keeping their companion and association he will gain the best of this worldly life and the Hereafter.
2. The one who stops fearing other than Allah, and singles Allah alone with apprehension, he will be protected from illusions, and Allah will provide him with security against any dangers, so his worries will be turned into safety, coolness and peace.
3. The one who avoids being undutiful to his parents and becomes filial obedient, Allah will be pleased with him and will provide him with dutiful children, and He will let him enter Paradise in the Hereafter.
4. The one who abandons passionate love, and avoids the reasons leading to it; who bears the pangs and torment of the desertion and remoteness of the beloved, and turns wholly to Allah will be provided with consolation and comfort, self-dignity, he will be saved from the anguish, humiliation, and captivity of passionate love. His heart will be filled with freedom, and love of Allah Glorified and Exalted, a love that composes his heart and satisfies its hunger. As the heart is only pleased and content; it enjoys tranquility and serenity but with the worship and the love of its Lord and by returning to Him.
The story of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) is a great example of this. The wife of the governor sought to seduce him, but he denied her firmly and sought refuge in Allah, though many reasons have combined for him to disobey Him. He has such reasons that others have not. If these reasons or some of them become possible for another person, he may respond to the seduction. Rather there is an individual who may go by himself voluntary to the positions of temptations, seeking his own destruction, and returning with manifest loss in this worldly life and the Hereafter, unless Allah saves him with his mercy.
As for Yusuf there were many reasons to commit adultery but he was patient and exercised restraint, preferring and choosing what Allah has prepared for him. So he got happiness and power in this worldly life, and he would have Paradise in the Hereafter. He had become the master, and the wife of Al-'Aziz had become his maid. It was reported that she had said: "Glory to Allah who had made kings into slaves due to their sins, and made slaves into kings because of their acts of obedience". It behooves the wise firm man to be patient and ponder matters and consequences, preferring not present transient pleasure to the future remaining one.
5. The one who stops lying, and stick to truth in whatever he gets or leaves, he will be guided to Al-birr (piety, righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allah) and he will be before Allah one of the Siddiqun (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). He will be blessed with the tongue of truth among people, so they would confer honor and supremacy upon him and will lend hearing to what he says.
6. The one who manages his anger will preserve his pride and dignity; and will keep away from the humiliation of apology and the consequences of remorse. He will enter in the company of the righteous (who repress anger)
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٣٤
Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good; (134) [Qur'an, Ale'Imran 3:134]
A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said: O Messenger of Allah, advise me. So he has said: "Do not get angry..." [Bukhari]
Al-Mâwirdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The one who has sound mind and strong determination should receive the anger flurry patiently with his toleration so he can drive it away, and should meet his fits of anger resolvedly to drive them away; so that he would receive the most honorable goodness, and enjoy sound health.”
Abu 'Abla said: “One day 'Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz was very angry with a man. He ordered him to be punished, so the man was brought, disrobed and pulled in ropes; and whips were brought, but then he said: 'let him go' and addressing the man, he said 'were it not for my anger I would have hurt you.' Then he recited the above verse (who restrain anger).
7. The one who abandons seeking fame and exhibitionism, Allah will uplift him and fame will come to him dragging its wake.
8. The one who desists from imitating the fools, and turns away from the foolish will safeguard his honor, spare himself their trouble, and be saved from hearing what hurts him.
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ ﴿١٩٩
Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant. (199) [Qur'an, AleImran 3:199]
9. The one who leaves envy will be saved from its various harms. Envy is incurable disease, a lethal poison, an outrageous behavior and an evil moral. It is found in inferior relatives, peers, comrades, acquaintance, and friends.
A wise man said: "I have not seen an oppressor who is more resembling to the oppressed than the envier: permanent concerns, inseparable worries and a confused heart."
10. The one who stops consuming much food will be saved from gluttony and other various diseases, because he who eats too much, drinks too much; hence he sleeps too much, the result is that he will lose a lot.
11. The one who quits procrastination in paying his debts Allah will help him paying them off. In fact he is really entitled to invoke Allah’s help.
12. The one who abstains from backbiting and slandering people and looking for their flaws will be compensated with safety from their evils and is provided with insight into himself.
Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He who is fast in relating to people what they hate, they will say about him what they do not know".
A Bedouin woman, in recommending her son, said: "Beware of exposing the flaws of people, as in this case you will be taken as an aim. Surely an aim will not stand for many arrows. An aim which was afflicted alternately with arrows, immediately its force will be weakened.”
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a believer is pious, his piety will divert him from the shortcomings of people
Likewise, the pains of a sick man will distract him from the pains of all other people.
May Allah grant us deeds that are pleasing to Him and help us give up those things that would incur His wrath and displeasure. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Monday, February 8, 2016
How A Muslim Spend His Leisure
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Many people consider weekend or holiday as their leisure or spare time, when they can stay up late, sleep in, sit back and relax- watch TV, watch ballgame or watch movies. But a Muslim, after fulfilling his obligatory duties, he uses his spare time for beneficial and fruitful pursuits which will help him to draw closer to Allah, from the moment he wakes until he goes to sleep. This will leave him with no free time to pose a problem whereby he feels a need to fill it with activities that will drain his energy or squander it in inappropriate ways.
Leisure problem does not exist in the Islamic way of life. The one who constantly remembers Allah and worships Him cannot find any empty time that needs to be filled. He is busy remembering Allah and doing voluntary acts of worship after doing what is obligatory. He keeps himself busy learning and memorizing Qur’an and reciting it in worship of Allah, seeking knowledge, learning and memorizing the ahadith. He is busy visiting good scholars, family, friends, and visiting the sick among his relatives, friends and acquaintances, or spending time having innocent fun with his family, or with fellow-believers.
In Islam, leisure is not just what you do when you are not working or studying but is a way of being, a way of approaching life that brings you closer to Allah. It does not include the idea that there can be anytime time when a person is absolutely free of any responsibility to do something useful and when he can waste time in ways that are of no benefit. He has duties which he must perform, towards Allah, may He be glorified, and towards other people.
Free time is a grace bestowed by Allah to His servants. Allah endows His servants with many blessings as He says,
وَآتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣٤
And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (34) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:34]
In the midst of these abundant blessings are two favor's in which may people are deluded. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "There are two blessings which many people lose: Health and free time for doing righteous deeds." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]
So if Allah blesses someone with free time and he does not show the gratitude for this blessing through deeds that can elevate him, bring benefit and prosperity to his society or strengthen his nation, but instead he spends it in fun and pastime and sinful words and deeds thereby wasting that precious time, such a person is in a serious and irrevocable loss.
It is in the light of this that the Prophetic admonition came thus, “Seize the opportunity of five things before five things come to you: Your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before your time of occupation, your youthfulness before your old age and your time of wealth before your time of poverty.”
A Muslim should remember that time is his capital and if he does not make good use of it he will regret it later. So, one should utilize his time on what benefits him in this world as well as in the Hereafter.
There are many ways in which one can utilize his time in the manner required by shari'ah; these ways will bring him great rewards, and he is not hindered by difficult conditions or time restrictions.
One of the most beautiful and the most successful means of using free time is the habit of some wise people, who, during the end of session holidays, spend their time in things that benefit them physically and intellectually and in righteous deeds and in enjoying pleasant lawful things. They do not spend their holidays in keeping awake during nights engaging in gossips and rumors and spreading lies that lead to evil consequences, roaming about the malls and market places causing disturbance and bothering believing men and women, aimlessly browsing the internet or engaging in social media, or watching useless ballgames and immoral satellite programs that are abhorrent to Allah.
To these righteous people, weekends and holidays are not an opportunity to sleep for most hours of the day and as a result stay away from congregational prayers or abandon useful activities or give free reign to indolence. Rather, they regard holidays as reinforcement in competition in righteous deeds and to an opportunity to enjoy pleasant lawful things. This is because they understand the great responsibility of standing before the One Who endowed them with these blessings on the Day of Resurrection. This is a responsibility that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) referred to in his saying, “The feet of man will not slip on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked of five things: of his life as to how he spent it; his youth as to how he used it; his wealth as to where he got it and how he spent it; and of his knowledge as to what he did with it.”
They also realize the greatness of the responsibility that is upon their fathers, mothers and teachers as regards managing our youths’ free times, teaching them on how to use their time in the most fruitful way and making them the best youth ever evolved for mankind.
Above all, they certainly realize that the path of gratitude that they take leads to more blessings. For, Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧
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) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:7]
The responsibility of parents towards their sons and daughters should not be neglected at any time. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges. The ruler who has authority over people, is a guardian and is responsible for them, a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is a guardian of her husband's house and children and is responsible for them; a slave is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it; so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It is therefore incumbent upon every Muslim who hears this Prophetic declaration not to shirk his responsibility towards those who are under his guardianship. Holiday is not an occasion for overlooking children’s behaviors under the excuse of allowing them to have fun. Holiday should not be made a pretext to give children free rein to do whatever they like. It should rather be an avenue for giving them greater care. In fact, during the holiday the children need more of wise and judicious supervision and continuous follow-up. This is because; there are many dangers that are threatening our youth and they are more exposed to hazards.
Allah will shelter in His shade seven (types of people) on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: ‘I fear Allah’, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears. [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]
One thing we may do is to spend time in quiet worship, remembering Allah in our hearts, reflect upon the creation (the plants, trees, ants, bees, fish, birds, and so on) so we may know and appreciate our Lord, and looking at our self and uncover our faults. In terms of uncovering our faults, one way is to invite relatives over who don't particularly like you to point out things about you that your favorite aunts and best friends overlooked. Also, reflect on how our parents are/were because often times we pick up traits of our parents, and if we picked up bad ones, change them. This does not mean we should think negatively of our parents or show any form of disrespect. Other things include taking a nap after Dhuhr when it is hot; spending time chatting about decent topics with family or friends in the evening; visiting one another; joking in gentle and polite ways, and other forms of relaxation.
It is important not to leave gaps where a person has nothing to do, or which may be filled with evil, corrupt or foolish things. Islam abolished the customs, festivals, celebrations and ways of life of the Jaahiliyyah, but it did not leave a vacuum which the Muslims would not know how to fill, or which they may fill with useless things without realizing it. On the contrary, Islam replaced those things with other customs, festivals, celebrations and ways of life to fill the gap. During the Jaahiliyyah, people used to gather to drink and gamble, or to worship idols, or to listen to misguided poetry which did not speak of any worthwhile human concerns. But Islam brought people together to worship Allah by performing the prayer in congregation, to learn and recite the Qur’an together, to listen to the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to visit one another, etc. Previously, they had done evil and immoral acts during their festivals, but Islam abolished all that and gave them instead festivals which were noble, pure and filled with meaning and worthy aims.
During the early days of Islam, when family ties were cut with Mushrikeen who had not yet become Muslim, the gap was filled by the close ties between the believers, which took the place of kinship. The gap was truly filled, and the ties of faith became equivalent to the ties of blood for the believers. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established the mu’aakhah (brotherhood) between the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, it reached such a degree that the Ansaar shared everything they had with the Muhaajireen.
Allah Most High says,
وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩
And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in need of that. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. (9) [Qur'an, al-Hashr 59:9]
It reached the extent that the people between whom the bond of Mu’aakhah (brotherhood) was established could inherit from one another, and so the believers did not feel that there was anything missing.
(Muhammad Qutub, Manhaj al-Tarbiyyah al-Islamiyyah, 1/206)
In Islam, people are not allowed to overtax their bodies. Since bodily energy has a limit, it cannot withstand long excessive pressure. Even excessive ‘ibadah (worship) has been shunned for the same reasons. Whenever a person gets exhausted because of his work, study, or any other occupation which is aimed at fulfilling his needs and the needs of his family as well as the community (Ummah), he is to take a break and relax.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “...Your body too has its rights on you; your eyes too have their rights on you.”
Spending free time by practicing certain sports that entail no harm is strongly recommended by Islam, so that Muslims can keep fit and make their bodies healthy and sound. Once fit, the body is bound to contain a healthy mind too, and the cultivating of sound morals in it, then, becomes a less challenging proposition. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that children should be taught swimming, archery and horse-riding. He also said that a strong believer is better and more beloved by Allah than a weak one.
During the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Muslims used to spend their leisure time at home, in private gardens, in mosques, and in some open and public areas in the city of Madinah. Practicing archery, horsemanship, horse racing, camel racing, wrestling, fencing, high jumping, weight lifting, stone tossing and swimming -- by and large - were the most widespread outdoor leisure activities. Those were the forms of training for traveling, jihad, seeking provision, living healthy lifestyles, etc.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that a man’s training of his horse, his playing with his family, and his shooting with his bow and arrow, are the best forms of amusement. He denounced very much if one learned the art of archery only to neglect it afterwards.
The best recreation is that which is a family affair, where one spends his free time talking, joking, sporting and playing around with his household. Indeed, the best model to us in this regard is nobody else but the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). 'Aisha, one of the wives of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), said that while she was on a journey along with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), she had a race with him and she outstripped him on her feet. However, later when she gained weight, she again had a race with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), but now he outstripped her. He said to her afterward: “This is for that outstripping.”
May Allah bless our time, help us become productive Muslims, and make us of those who are grateful and thankful. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Many people consider weekend or holiday as their leisure or spare time, when they can stay up late, sleep in, sit back and relax- watch TV, watch ballgame or watch movies. But a Muslim, after fulfilling his obligatory duties, he uses his spare time for beneficial and fruitful pursuits which will help him to draw closer to Allah, from the moment he wakes until he goes to sleep. This will leave him with no free time to pose a problem whereby he feels a need to fill it with activities that will drain his energy or squander it in inappropriate ways.
Leisure problem does not exist in the Islamic way of life. The one who constantly remembers Allah and worships Him cannot find any empty time that needs to be filled. He is busy remembering Allah and doing voluntary acts of worship after doing what is obligatory. He keeps himself busy learning and memorizing Qur’an and reciting it in worship of Allah, seeking knowledge, learning and memorizing the ahadith. He is busy visiting good scholars, family, friends, and visiting the sick among his relatives, friends and acquaintances, or spending time having innocent fun with his family, or with fellow-believers.
In Islam, leisure is not just what you do when you are not working or studying but is a way of being, a way of approaching life that brings you closer to Allah. It does not include the idea that there can be anytime time when a person is absolutely free of any responsibility to do something useful and when he can waste time in ways that are of no benefit. He has duties which he must perform, towards Allah, may He be glorified, and towards other people.
Free time is a grace bestowed by Allah to His servants. Allah endows His servants with many blessings as He says,
وَآتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣٤
And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (34) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:34]
In the midst of these abundant blessings are two favor's in which may people are deluded. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "There are two blessings which many people lose: Health and free time for doing righteous deeds." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]
So if Allah blesses someone with free time and he does not show the gratitude for this blessing through deeds that can elevate him, bring benefit and prosperity to his society or strengthen his nation, but instead he spends it in fun and pastime and sinful words and deeds thereby wasting that precious time, such a person is in a serious and irrevocable loss.
It is in the light of this that the Prophetic admonition came thus, “Seize the opportunity of five things before five things come to you: Your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before your time of occupation, your youthfulness before your old age and your time of wealth before your time of poverty.”
A Muslim should remember that time is his capital and if he does not make good use of it he will regret it later. So, one should utilize his time on what benefits him in this world as well as in the Hereafter.
There are many ways in which one can utilize his time in the manner required by shari'ah; these ways will bring him great rewards, and he is not hindered by difficult conditions or time restrictions.
One of the most beautiful and the most successful means of using free time is the habit of some wise people, who, during the end of session holidays, spend their time in things that benefit them physically and intellectually and in righteous deeds and in enjoying pleasant lawful things. They do not spend their holidays in keeping awake during nights engaging in gossips and rumors and spreading lies that lead to evil consequences, roaming about the malls and market places causing disturbance and bothering believing men and women, aimlessly browsing the internet or engaging in social media, or watching useless ballgames and immoral satellite programs that are abhorrent to Allah.
To these righteous people, weekends and holidays are not an opportunity to sleep for most hours of the day and as a result stay away from congregational prayers or abandon useful activities or give free reign to indolence. Rather, they regard holidays as reinforcement in competition in righteous deeds and to an opportunity to enjoy pleasant lawful things. This is because they understand the great responsibility of standing before the One Who endowed them with these blessings on the Day of Resurrection. This is a responsibility that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) referred to in his saying, “The feet of man will not slip on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked of five things: of his life as to how he spent it; his youth as to how he used it; his wealth as to where he got it and how he spent it; and of his knowledge as to what he did with it.”
They also realize the greatness of the responsibility that is upon their fathers, mothers and teachers as regards managing our youths’ free times, teaching them on how to use their time in the most fruitful way and making them the best youth ever evolved for mankind.
Above all, they certainly realize that the path of gratitude that they take leads to more blessings. For, Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧
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) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:7]
The responsibility of parents towards their sons and daughters should not be neglected at any time. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges. The ruler who has authority over people, is a guardian and is responsible for them, a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is a guardian of her husband's house and children and is responsible for them; a slave is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it; so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It is therefore incumbent upon every Muslim who hears this Prophetic declaration not to shirk his responsibility towards those who are under his guardianship. Holiday is not an occasion for overlooking children’s behaviors under the excuse of allowing them to have fun. Holiday should not be made a pretext to give children free rein to do whatever they like. It should rather be an avenue for giving them greater care. In fact, during the holiday the children need more of wise and judicious supervision and continuous follow-up. This is because; there are many dangers that are threatening our youth and they are more exposed to hazards.
Allah will shelter in His shade seven (types of people) on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: ‘I fear Allah’, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears. [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]
One thing we may do is to spend time in quiet worship, remembering Allah in our hearts, reflect upon the creation (the plants, trees, ants, bees, fish, birds, and so on) so we may know and appreciate our Lord, and looking at our self and uncover our faults. In terms of uncovering our faults, one way is to invite relatives over who don't particularly like you to point out things about you that your favorite aunts and best friends overlooked. Also, reflect on how our parents are/were because often times we pick up traits of our parents, and if we picked up bad ones, change them. This does not mean we should think negatively of our parents or show any form of disrespect. Other things include taking a nap after Dhuhr when it is hot; spending time chatting about decent topics with family or friends in the evening; visiting one another; joking in gentle and polite ways, and other forms of relaxation.
It is important not to leave gaps where a person has nothing to do, or which may be filled with evil, corrupt or foolish things. Islam abolished the customs, festivals, celebrations and ways of life of the Jaahiliyyah, but it did not leave a vacuum which the Muslims would not know how to fill, or which they may fill with useless things without realizing it. On the contrary, Islam replaced those things with other customs, festivals, celebrations and ways of life to fill the gap. During the Jaahiliyyah, people used to gather to drink and gamble, or to worship idols, or to listen to misguided poetry which did not speak of any worthwhile human concerns. But Islam brought people together to worship Allah by performing the prayer in congregation, to learn and recite the Qur’an together, to listen to the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to visit one another, etc. Previously, they had done evil and immoral acts during their festivals, but Islam abolished all that and gave them instead festivals which were noble, pure and filled with meaning and worthy aims.
During the early days of Islam, when family ties were cut with Mushrikeen who had not yet become Muslim, the gap was filled by the close ties between the believers, which took the place of kinship. The gap was truly filled, and the ties of faith became equivalent to the ties of blood for the believers. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established the mu’aakhah (brotherhood) between the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, it reached such a degree that the Ansaar shared everything they had with the Muhaajireen.
Allah Most High says,
وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩
And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in need of that. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. (9) [Qur'an, al-Hashr 59:9]
It reached the extent that the people between whom the bond of Mu’aakhah (brotherhood) was established could inherit from one another, and so the believers did not feel that there was anything missing.
(Muhammad Qutub, Manhaj al-Tarbiyyah al-Islamiyyah, 1/206)
In Islam, people are not allowed to overtax their bodies. Since bodily energy has a limit, it cannot withstand long excessive pressure. Even excessive ‘ibadah (worship) has been shunned for the same reasons. Whenever a person gets exhausted because of his work, study, or any other occupation which is aimed at fulfilling his needs and the needs of his family as well as the community (Ummah), he is to take a break and relax.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “...Your body too has its rights on you; your eyes too have their rights on you.”
Spending free time by practicing certain sports that entail no harm is strongly recommended by Islam, so that Muslims can keep fit and make their bodies healthy and sound. Once fit, the body is bound to contain a healthy mind too, and the cultivating of sound morals in it, then, becomes a less challenging proposition. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that children should be taught swimming, archery and horse-riding. He also said that a strong believer is better and more beloved by Allah than a weak one.
During the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Muslims used to spend their leisure time at home, in private gardens, in mosques, and in some open and public areas in the city of Madinah. Practicing archery, horsemanship, horse racing, camel racing, wrestling, fencing, high jumping, weight lifting, stone tossing and swimming -- by and large - were the most widespread outdoor leisure activities. Those were the forms of training for traveling, jihad, seeking provision, living healthy lifestyles, etc.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that a man’s training of his horse, his playing with his family, and his shooting with his bow and arrow, are the best forms of amusement. He denounced very much if one learned the art of archery only to neglect it afterwards.
The best recreation is that which is a family affair, where one spends his free time talking, joking, sporting and playing around with his household. Indeed, the best model to us in this regard is nobody else but the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). 'Aisha, one of the wives of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), said that while she was on a journey along with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), she had a race with him and she outstripped him on her feet. However, later when she gained weight, she again had a race with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), but now he outstripped her. He said to her afterward: “This is for that outstripping.”
May Allah bless our time, help us become productive Muslims, and make us of those who are grateful and thankful. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Tears That Destroy
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Many of us have been stricken with grief and depression many times- losing a loved one, a financial downturn, a cheating spouse, a difficult child, academic failures, wars and natural disasters, and so on.
We must acknowledge that life is painful and full of problems. Learning how to cope with that reality is a means of survival. However, dwelling on problems by talking about them endlessly is the worst way to deal with the pain of living. When the world of professional psychology was telling us to “let it all out,” “talk it through,” and “share the pain,” the Qur'an was making a distinction between constructive sadness and destructive sadness and telling us not to despair.
The Qur'an doesn’t necessarily condemn those who grieve, weep, or experience despair. It does, however, makes a distinction between destructive sadness and the sadness that leads to joy.
What is destructive sadness? Quite simply, any sadness founded on a lie.
No one can ever love me, not even Allah!
I’ve sinned so badly that I can’t be forgiven!
I can’t be happy unless I get the thing I want!
I’ve lost something I love, and so I can never be happy again!
This is a line of thinking that believers must deliberately abandon.
The Qur'an portrays all of these as lies of the shaytan, the erroneous thinking of those who’ve turned away, and the last refuge of those who refuse to believe in the great compassion of their Creator. Before the coming of the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) this was the normal state of much of humanity.
وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ ﴿٤٩
Although they were, before it was sent down upon them - before that, in despair. (49) [Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:49]
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ ﴿٥٦
He said, "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?" (56) [Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:56]
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (53) [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:53]
قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ ﴿٥٥
They said, ‘We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing.’ [Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:55]
When calamity strikes us, we should not despair. Instead, we should feel honored because we are similar to the righteous servants of Allah, of whom were the Prophets; all of them were put through trials and tests. Prophet Ibrahim and his son (peace be upon them) were both tested in a most severe way. Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail. This command no doubt was very difficult for Prophet Ibrahim, and he no doubt was very saddened by the thought of losing his son again (when Ismail was an infant, Allah commanded Ibrahim to leave him and his mother in the uninhabited desert of Makkah). But Prophet Ibrahim patiently persevered and obeyed Allah. And Ismail was obedient to his father and remained patient.
This test that Allah put Prophet Ibrahim through was to test his determination. If Prophet Ibrahim or his son had been weak in faith, they would have both failed this severe test. Allah rewarded them with a great reward on account of their strong faith and obedience to Him; right before Prophet Ibrahim struck his son, a ram appeared and Allah told him to sacrifice it instead. As a reward, Allah promised to establish them as leaders on earth. Allah says of Prophet Ibrahim and his son:
فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ ﴿١٠٣﴾ وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ﴿١٠٤﴾ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٠٥﴾ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿١٠٦
And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, (103) We called to him, "O Abraham, (104) You have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. (105) Indeed, this was the clear trial. (106) [Qur'an, As-Saffat 37:103-106]
Allah Almighty says:
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٢٤
And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [Allah] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [Allah] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." (124) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:124]
No doubt when Prophet Ibrahim was instructed to sacrifice his son, he might have been reluctant in that regard, but he did it out of obedience to Allah Almighty. This goes to say that even if one may dislike something there may be good in it. Allah says:
وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢١٦ ....
... But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (216) (Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:216]
All of Allah's prophets were tested; this shows that Allah bestows trials upon His righteous servants, and we should feel honored to be in their company when we are being tested. We should also emulate their behavior, which was to remain steadfast in times of tribulation.
May Allah increase our iman and grant us patience and steadfastness. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Many of us have been stricken with grief and depression many times- losing a loved one, a financial downturn, a cheating spouse, a difficult child, academic failures, wars and natural disasters, and so on.
We must acknowledge that life is painful and full of problems. Learning how to cope with that reality is a means of survival. However, dwelling on problems by talking about them endlessly is the worst way to deal with the pain of living. When the world of professional psychology was telling us to “let it all out,” “talk it through,” and “share the pain,” the Qur'an was making a distinction between constructive sadness and destructive sadness and telling us not to despair.
The Qur'an doesn’t necessarily condemn those who grieve, weep, or experience despair. It does, however, makes a distinction between destructive sadness and the sadness that leads to joy.
What is destructive sadness? Quite simply, any sadness founded on a lie.
No one can ever love me, not even Allah!
I’ve sinned so badly that I can’t be forgiven!
I can’t be happy unless I get the thing I want!
I’ve lost something I love, and so I can never be happy again!
This is a line of thinking that believers must deliberately abandon.
The Qur'an portrays all of these as lies of the shaytan, the erroneous thinking of those who’ve turned away, and the last refuge of those who refuse to believe in the great compassion of their Creator. Before the coming of the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) this was the normal state of much of humanity.
وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ ﴿٤٩
Although they were, before it was sent down upon them - before that, in despair. (49) [Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:49]
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ ﴿٥٦
He said, "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?" (56) [Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:56]
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (53) [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:53]
قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ ﴿٥٥
They said, ‘We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing.’ [Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:55]
When calamity strikes us, we should not despair. Instead, we should feel honored because we are similar to the righteous servants of Allah, of whom were the Prophets; all of them were put through trials and tests. Prophet Ibrahim and his son (peace be upon them) were both tested in a most severe way. Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail. This command no doubt was very difficult for Prophet Ibrahim, and he no doubt was very saddened by the thought of losing his son again (when Ismail was an infant, Allah commanded Ibrahim to leave him and his mother in the uninhabited desert of Makkah). But Prophet Ibrahim patiently persevered and obeyed Allah. And Ismail was obedient to his father and remained patient.
This test that Allah put Prophet Ibrahim through was to test his determination. If Prophet Ibrahim or his son had been weak in faith, they would have both failed this severe test. Allah rewarded them with a great reward on account of their strong faith and obedience to Him; right before Prophet Ibrahim struck his son, a ram appeared and Allah told him to sacrifice it instead. As a reward, Allah promised to establish them as leaders on earth. Allah says of Prophet Ibrahim and his son:
فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ ﴿١٠٣﴾ وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ﴿١٠٤﴾ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٠٥﴾ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿١٠٦
And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, (103) We called to him, "O Abraham, (104) You have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. (105) Indeed, this was the clear trial. (106) [Qur'an, As-Saffat 37:103-106]
Allah Almighty says:
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٢٤
And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [Allah] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [Allah] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." (124) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:124]
No doubt when Prophet Ibrahim was instructed to sacrifice his son, he might have been reluctant in that regard, but he did it out of obedience to Allah Almighty. This goes to say that even if one may dislike something there may be good in it. Allah says:
وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢١٦ ....
... But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (216) (Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:216]
All of Allah's prophets were tested; this shows that Allah bestows trials upon His righteous servants, and we should feel honored to be in their company when we are being tested. We should also emulate their behavior, which was to remain steadfast in times of tribulation.
May Allah increase our iman and grant us patience and steadfastness. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Tears that Lead to Paradise
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
There is a kind of sadness that leads to joy; it’s the sadness of those who seek Allah. The tears that come contain within them both a consciousness of the pain of sadness as well as a profound gratitude that that’s not all there is.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ ﴿٨٣
And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses. (83) [Qur'an, Al-Ma'ida 5:83]
There is also a kind of sadness that comes from those filled with righteous zeal but who are somehow prevented from doing something good in the cause of Allah. This is another kind of hopeful sadness, because we can be sure that it will not be despised.
وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَا أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا مَا يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٩٢
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you that you might give them mounts, you said, "I can find nothing for you to ride upon." They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allah]. (92) [Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:92]
Before you start condemning yourself or criticizing your depressed friends, take a moment to reflect. Allah is infinitely patient and kind, and His slaves must show a tenderness of heart to those who suffer inner pain. When someone is hurting they may not be ready to hear criticism. Instead, give them the hope of truth.
Remember the opening words of Surat Al-Asr, reminding yourself that despair is the natural condition of that part of humanity that refuses truth and patience:
وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣
By time, (1) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (2) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (3) [Qur'an, Al-'Asr 103:1-3]
The news is all good. Despite what the world has been telling us, we don’t need to waste any time wallowing in our own misery. If Allah advises you to leave your unrighteous despair behind, He will provide a way out for you. Rest assured, and be glad.
May Allah guide us on the straight path and grant us the highest Jannah. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
There is a kind of sadness that leads to joy; it’s the sadness of those who seek Allah. The tears that come contain within them both a consciousness of the pain of sadness as well as a profound gratitude that that’s not all there is.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ ﴿٨٣
And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses. (83) [Qur'an, Al-Ma'ida 5:83]
There is also a kind of sadness that comes from those filled with righteous zeal but who are somehow prevented from doing something good in the cause of Allah. This is another kind of hopeful sadness, because we can be sure that it will not be despised.
وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَا أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا مَا يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٩٢
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you that you might give them mounts, you said, "I can find nothing for you to ride upon." They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allah]. (92) [Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:92]
Before you start condemning yourself or criticizing your depressed friends, take a moment to reflect. Allah is infinitely patient and kind, and His slaves must show a tenderness of heart to those who suffer inner pain. When someone is hurting they may not be ready to hear criticism. Instead, give them the hope of truth.
Remember the opening words of Surat Al-Asr, reminding yourself that despair is the natural condition of that part of humanity that refuses truth and patience:
وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣
By time, (1) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (2) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (3) [Qur'an, Al-'Asr 103:1-3]
The news is all good. Despite what the world has been telling us, we don’t need to waste any time wallowing in our own misery. If Allah advises you to leave your unrighteous despair behind, He will provide a way out for you. Rest assured, and be glad.
May Allah guide us on the straight path and grant us the highest Jannah. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Friday, February 5, 2016
Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Keep Good Company
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) asked us to recite Surah Kahf every Friday because of the withholding vitality intertwined in its Divine verses. A hadith narrates:
“Whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Friday, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.” [Al Bayhaqi]
The significance is imparted because of the stories that it entails, related to which are morals and virtues for surviving the trial of the Dajjal.
The first verses of Surah Kahf reveal the story of young men striving in the disbelieving town in order to sustain their faith. They took refuge in cave and were rewarded by Allah’s mercy by converting the entire town into believers.
Moral: Moral of the story is “Trial of faith.” Tested and succeeded.
How to survive: Keeping good company as Allah Most High states:
وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reportedly asked: “Which of our companions are best?” He replied: “One whose appearance reminds you of Allah, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter.” [Al-Musahibi]
Who do we spend the most time with? Chances are for many of us, they are our friends. If you are married, then your spouse and his/her family/friends are a big part of the circle. Friends are the people we share things with, talk to regularly, and experience a large part of our life with. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps.” [Tirmidhi] That is why it is critical to choose a good and righteous spouse because he/she and his/her family, relatives and friends will automatically enter your circle of companions, albeit positively or negatively.
An integral part to gaining tranquility of the heart is to be mindful of our surroundings and the people we spend most of our time with. Is it any wonder that we find our hearts perturbed, when it was reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Do not speak much without mentioning Allah, for too much speech without mentioning Allah hardens the heart, and the hardhearted are the farthest of all people from Allah Most High.” [Tirmidhi]
We need to be mindful of this because part of the reason for our lack of khushoo’ (devotion) in salah (prayer) is precisely because the time spent between prayers is spent in heedlessness. While wudhu' (ablution) and prayer wash away our minor sins, at times our hardened hearts prevent us from truly tasting the sweetness of prayer, due to the fact that we hardly remember Allah, Exalted is He, outside of prayer.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) reminds us of the importance of good company in this hadith (record of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam: “A good companion and a bad companion are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
Most of us know this hadith, but we rarely see it from the perspective of gaining tranquility of the heart. We may have amazing friends whom we have shared much with, yet we have not developed spiritually with them. When things go wrong in our life, we turn to people for advice but we are not reminded of the ultimate Source of Peace—as-Salaam [Allah]. Thus we need to try to create an environment. We can start with something simple, such as waking each other up for Tahajjud and Fajr (the pre-dawn prayer), or starting a book club by reading something about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and share the information we read.
If we start here, we could be of the people who are under the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us that one of the seven categories of people promised the shade of Allah are two persons who loved each other for the sake of Allah Most High, got together, and departed on this basis. [Bukhari, Muslim]
Good companions who prioritize their relationship with Allah will help us on the spiritual path. It is easier to pray and to do our everyday acts of worship because we have company to help us. Even when we face difficulties, these friends will support us; ultimately they will remind us of Allah during these tests and help us to rely on Him. No one is perfect, and this is why it is important to be around people who want to improve themselves, and in the process will help you to improve yourself too. Ibn Hazm stated: “Anyone who cares about your friendship is willing to criticize you, while those who make light of your faults show they do not care.” Allah Most High reminds us of this in Surah Al-Kahf, when He says:
"And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance..." [Qur’an, Al-Kahf 18:28]
When we are faced with a problem, wouldn't we want such friends? But due to circumstances outside our control, we don’t have that tight-knit group of people that help us on our path to Allah. Does that mean we will never be able to achieve tranquility of the heart? No, because Allah does not test us with more than we can bear, and truly we get what we intend. The first thing we should try to do is be that friend to others. If we find that we do not have religious people around us, then we should try to influence our environment. This does not mean being over-bearing; rather, we should try to make our existing friendships more meaningful. The Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran, said, “Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.” And the harder it is, the more our effort is appreciated by Allah.
Secondly, we should constantly seek avenues where we will meet such people. Whether it’s at a local masjid, or driving for an hour to attend a talk, this effort on our part shows that we are serious in trying to follow the advice and guidance of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Thirdly, du`a’ is key. We should never forget that when we recite, “You alone do we worship, and You alone do we seek for help,” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 1:5] we are essentially reminding ourselves that we cannot do anything except through seeking the help of Allah. So if you truly desire good companion and friends who remind you of your purpose and of your Creator, you should ask the One who possesses the hearts to bring you closer to hearts that remember Him often.
May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Adapted from The Best Companions
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) asked us to recite Surah Kahf every Friday because of the withholding vitality intertwined in its Divine verses. A hadith narrates:
“Whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Friday, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.” [Al Bayhaqi]
The significance is imparted because of the stories that it entails, related to which are morals and virtues for surviving the trial of the Dajjal.
The first verses of Surah Kahf reveal the story of young men striving in the disbelieving town in order to sustain their faith. They took refuge in cave and were rewarded by Allah’s mercy by converting the entire town into believers.
Moral: Moral of the story is “Trial of faith.” Tested and succeeded.
How to survive: Keeping good company as Allah Most High states:
وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reportedly asked: “Which of our companions are best?” He replied: “One whose appearance reminds you of Allah, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter.” [Al-Musahibi]
Who do we spend the most time with? Chances are for many of us, they are our friends. If you are married, then your spouse and his/her family/friends are a big part of the circle. Friends are the people we share things with, talk to regularly, and experience a large part of our life with. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps.” [Tirmidhi] That is why it is critical to choose a good and righteous spouse because he/she and his/her family, relatives and friends will automatically enter your circle of companions, albeit positively or negatively.
An integral part to gaining tranquility of the heart is to be mindful of our surroundings and the people we spend most of our time with. Is it any wonder that we find our hearts perturbed, when it was reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Do not speak much without mentioning Allah, for too much speech without mentioning Allah hardens the heart, and the hardhearted are the farthest of all people from Allah Most High.” [Tirmidhi]
We need to be mindful of this because part of the reason for our lack of khushoo’ (devotion) in salah (prayer) is precisely because the time spent between prayers is spent in heedlessness. While wudhu' (ablution) and prayer wash away our minor sins, at times our hardened hearts prevent us from truly tasting the sweetness of prayer, due to the fact that we hardly remember Allah, Exalted is He, outside of prayer.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) reminds us of the importance of good company in this hadith (record of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam: “A good companion and a bad companion are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
Most of us know this hadith, but we rarely see it from the perspective of gaining tranquility of the heart. We may have amazing friends whom we have shared much with, yet we have not developed spiritually with them. When things go wrong in our life, we turn to people for advice but we are not reminded of the ultimate Source of Peace—as-Salaam [Allah]. Thus we need to try to create an environment. We can start with something simple, such as waking each other up for Tahajjud and Fajr (the pre-dawn prayer), or starting a book club by reading something about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and share the information we read.
If we start here, we could be of the people who are under the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us that one of the seven categories of people promised the shade of Allah are two persons who loved each other for the sake of Allah Most High, got together, and departed on this basis. [Bukhari, Muslim]
Good companions who prioritize their relationship with Allah will help us on the spiritual path. It is easier to pray and to do our everyday acts of worship because we have company to help us. Even when we face difficulties, these friends will support us; ultimately they will remind us of Allah during these tests and help us to rely on Him. No one is perfect, and this is why it is important to be around people who want to improve themselves, and in the process will help you to improve yourself too. Ibn Hazm stated: “Anyone who cares about your friendship is willing to criticize you, while those who make light of your faults show they do not care.” Allah Most High reminds us of this in Surah Al-Kahf, when He says:
"And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance..." [Qur’an, Al-Kahf 18:28]
When we are faced with a problem, wouldn't we want such friends? But due to circumstances outside our control, we don’t have that tight-knit group of people that help us on our path to Allah. Does that mean we will never be able to achieve tranquility of the heart? No, because Allah does not test us with more than we can bear, and truly we get what we intend. The first thing we should try to do is be that friend to others. If we find that we do not have religious people around us, then we should try to influence our environment. This does not mean being over-bearing; rather, we should try to make our existing friendships more meaningful. The Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran, said, “Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.” And the harder it is, the more our effort is appreciated by Allah.
Secondly, we should constantly seek avenues where we will meet such people. Whether it’s at a local masjid, or driving for an hour to attend a talk, this effort on our part shows that we are serious in trying to follow the advice and guidance of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Thirdly, du`a’ is key. We should never forget that when we recite, “You alone do we worship, and You alone do we seek for help,” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 1:5] we are essentially reminding ourselves that we cannot do anything except through seeking the help of Allah. So if you truly desire good companion and friends who remind you of your purpose and of your Creator, you should ask the One who possesses the hearts to bring you closer to hearts that remember Him often.
May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Adapted from The Best Companions
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Why is the Heart Important?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The heart is much more that a muscle that pumps the blood around the body. The heart is something that can affect the whole body, if it is pure then the whole body is pure and if it is sick then the whole body is sick. The heart is the hidden secret between man and God and what happens there is only accessible to God. Although those with trained eyes can see quite clearly. The body can illustrate what the heart feels but heart can never illustrate what the body feels.
Heart attacks
Ibn Al-Nafis was the first to find out about the pulmonary circulation of the blood, then he was plagiarized by many who refused to divulge where they obtained this information from.
Heart disease remains America’s leading cause of death, killing one American every 34 seconds, or more than 2,500 people per day. But it also remains a highly preventable disease.
The grim statistics come from the American Heart Association’s new report, “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2005 Update.” The report shows that in 2002, more than 927,000 Americans died from heart disease-related conditions, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and congenital heart defects. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142436,00.html)
One in five deaths are caused by heart disease in the UK and if you are on a lower wage you are more likely to have heart problems. The statistics show that people who have money problems are sure to be in more in danger of having heart problems that those better off.
Worrying about provision and family can lead a person to have a perturbed or disturbed heart; this added to other factors can lead a person to problems.
Light and darkness
Both these things can affect a person in different ways. You can be affected by the light that someone has and by the light they contain. If someone has a lot of light greater than your light or your darkness then their light can affect you. Similarly, someone with more darkness than you can affect you as well.
Sometimes people with darkness and falsehood can affect your heart in the most despicable ways and you may even find yourself agreeing with their poison. Because your heart has been so affected by their darkness there is no room for light!
As can someone with truth and light can transform you if you are receptive to it. This is the point are we receptive to it or not? If we are then we can attain greater levels and if we are not because of the darkness we carry we will reject it.
The Prophets (upon them peace) came with light and the truth; some accepted and some rejected. The eyes and ears are channels to the heart and if we are not careful then we will have hearts that are not pure and open to the truth.
Look inward and purify that by taking the sins you see in people as your own. Why is the heart important?
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Allah does not look to your forms nor your wealth but He looks to your hearts and your deeds.” (Muslim 6221)
Another narration of this hadith mentions intentions in place of deeds. These are 'secrets' between one and Allah (the Exalted) even the angels who record good deeds do not have access to them.
You can change your heart but you cannot change mine. So be concerned about changing what you have access to instead of trying to change what you cannot! Merely looking at the outward does not give you the full picture of who that person is. His faith in Allah and the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) are the most important thing, and you have no way to know that. How often is it that you see a person dressed outwardly like a sheep but the wolf can still be seen underneath. Be concerned about changing what is between you and Allah (the Exalted) first before getting your dress sense right!
Types of heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Hearts are four; a pure heart with a shining lamp; that is the heart of the believer; a black heart covered which is the heart of the disbeliever; a covered heart, linked to its cover that is the heart of the hypocrite and the heart with layers faith and hypocrisy.” (Imam Ahmed).
There are four types of heart mentioned here:
1. Pure heart
2. Black heart
3. Covered heart
4. Layered heart.
The pure heart is the healthy one and the ideal one in this list. The pure heart is to aim for and to work for but how do we work to get this type of heart? Some of us are blessed to be born with pure hearts and some of us have to work on ourselves.
Remembrance
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨
Those who believe, their hearts being at rest in Allah's remembrance -- in Allah's remembrance are at rest the hearts (28) [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:28]
By performing remembrance does the heart find rest and then it can become pure. How do we know this?
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Is there not a morsel of flesh; if it is sound then the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt then the whole body is corrupt; it is not the heart?” (Bukhari 25 and Muslim 1599).
This hadith is a miracle because the Arabic word used is Mudghah which is something similar to a morsel. Almost like a piece of partially chewed meat and this accurately described the shape of the heart. It is nothing like the fantasy picture that we see everywhere especially on valentine cards and the like. It’s like a piece of flesh but it has a life beyond what people can measure with their medical equipment.
Bringing it to a state of purification is something that benefits us beyond this world.
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (89) [Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
We are not busy purifying our hearts for no benefit rather we are doing something that has infinite benefits. So this is not some new matter that has been ‘invented’ or ‘innovated’ this is part of the Qur'anic narrative and if adhered to brings a wealth of benefits.
Remembrance or dhikr is a way to purify the heart but hearts have to be emptied from other things.
Three stages
The spiritual masters mention three stages in spiritual development:
1. Ridding oneself of bad characteristics تخلى
2. Adorning oneself with good character تحلى
3. Manifesting the good character تجلى
The Arabic words used above have very small differences but these differences are massive in reality. If you want to decorate a room in your house properly you have to remove everything out of it that is the first level. The second level is about adding and the final level is the manifestation when the room is finally finished but this can take time, it’s not an easy process by anyone’s standards.
You see the heart can be sick and if it is starved from the remembrance of Allah then it will die. Especially, if it is allowed to follow its passions.
Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir said, “The heart dies from passions of the soul; the more you refuse the passions you attain from life its shares; so listen to the living and not to the dead.” Allah, the exalted, states, “You cannot listen to the dead.” (Qur'an, An-Naml 27:80). (Awarif Al-Mararif Imam Sarawardi p.17).
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَمَا أَنتَ بِهَادِي الْعُمْيِ عَن ضَلَالَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨١
Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating. (80) And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [submitting to Allah]. (81) [Qur'an, An-Naml 26:80-81]
Weak heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “A strong believer is better than a weak believer; and in each is goodness.” (Muslim, Ahmed and Ibn Majah). Ibn Ata Allah says that the strong believer is he whose heart is illuminated by the light of certainty. (Taj Al-Aroos p.96-7).
Black spot
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, "Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity." (Muslim Book of faith 2/170).
When a white cloth has a black stain on it, it can be seen clearly and most people will notice the black spot more than they will notice the rest of the cloth being white! Similarly, the dark heart recognises darkness and is attached by it.
A reminder placed into the heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “If Allah wishes goodness to his servant then he places admonition in his heart.” (Abu Mansor Ad-Dalami with a good chain).
This is something that can happen when they are about to do something that they shouldn’t the heart is reminded. Then at that moment it can chose to follow it or not.
The place of knowledge
Imam Ghazali said, “The place of knowledge is the heart.” (Ihya Ulum Ud-Deen Vol 3 p.17).
This is where knowledge is kept and if there is light in there it will be displayed for all to see and if it is not present then the knowledge will be darkened and won’t shine through.
The heart is something amazing if it is worked upon with remembrance of Allah or it is something sick if someone gives in to its whims. In one sense it has to be trained to love the Divine and love and follow the sacred law. This can only be done by following the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).
Following a spiritual path allows one to make progress by the means of admonition and obedience to a spiritual master. We are talking about those who follow the sacred law correctly. A spiritual master can take you further than you can go on your own so bear that in mind.
Hearts are attracted to things that are similar and they will go for what is similar so be careful because that untrained morsel of flesh needs to be cleaned. Only then will it give its true benefits.
May Allah make us of people of remembrance and who constantly purifying themselves. May Allah purify our hearts. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Adapted from Sheikhy Notes
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The heart is much more that a muscle that pumps the blood around the body. The heart is something that can affect the whole body, if it is pure then the whole body is pure and if it is sick then the whole body is sick. The heart is the hidden secret between man and God and what happens there is only accessible to God. Although those with trained eyes can see quite clearly. The body can illustrate what the heart feels but heart can never illustrate what the body feels.
Heart attacks
Ibn Al-Nafis was the first to find out about the pulmonary circulation of the blood, then he was plagiarized by many who refused to divulge where they obtained this information from.
Heart disease remains America’s leading cause of death, killing one American every 34 seconds, or more than 2,500 people per day. But it also remains a highly preventable disease.
The grim statistics come from the American Heart Association’s new report, “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2005 Update.” The report shows that in 2002, more than 927,000 Americans died from heart disease-related conditions, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and congenital heart defects. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142436,00.html)
One in five deaths are caused by heart disease in the UK and if you are on a lower wage you are more likely to have heart problems. The statistics show that people who have money problems are sure to be in more in danger of having heart problems that those better off.
Worrying about provision and family can lead a person to have a perturbed or disturbed heart; this added to other factors can lead a person to problems.
Light and darkness
Both these things can affect a person in different ways. You can be affected by the light that someone has and by the light they contain. If someone has a lot of light greater than your light or your darkness then their light can affect you. Similarly, someone with more darkness than you can affect you as well.
Sometimes people with darkness and falsehood can affect your heart in the most despicable ways and you may even find yourself agreeing with their poison. Because your heart has been so affected by their darkness there is no room for light!
As can someone with truth and light can transform you if you are receptive to it. This is the point are we receptive to it or not? If we are then we can attain greater levels and if we are not because of the darkness we carry we will reject it.
The Prophets (upon them peace) came with light and the truth; some accepted and some rejected. The eyes and ears are channels to the heart and if we are not careful then we will have hearts that are not pure and open to the truth.
Look inward and purify that by taking the sins you see in people as your own. Why is the heart important?
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Allah does not look to your forms nor your wealth but He looks to your hearts and your deeds.” (Muslim 6221)
Another narration of this hadith mentions intentions in place of deeds. These are 'secrets' between one and Allah (the Exalted) even the angels who record good deeds do not have access to them.
You can change your heart but you cannot change mine. So be concerned about changing what you have access to instead of trying to change what you cannot! Merely looking at the outward does not give you the full picture of who that person is. His faith in Allah and the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) are the most important thing, and you have no way to know that. How often is it that you see a person dressed outwardly like a sheep but the wolf can still be seen underneath. Be concerned about changing what is between you and Allah (the Exalted) first before getting your dress sense right!
Types of heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Hearts are four; a pure heart with a shining lamp; that is the heart of the believer; a black heart covered which is the heart of the disbeliever; a covered heart, linked to its cover that is the heart of the hypocrite and the heart with layers faith and hypocrisy.” (Imam Ahmed).
There are four types of heart mentioned here:
1. Pure heart
2. Black heart
3. Covered heart
4. Layered heart.
The pure heart is the healthy one and the ideal one in this list. The pure heart is to aim for and to work for but how do we work to get this type of heart? Some of us are blessed to be born with pure hearts and some of us have to work on ourselves.
Remembrance
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨
Those who believe, their hearts being at rest in Allah's remembrance -- in Allah's remembrance are at rest the hearts (28) [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:28]
By performing remembrance does the heart find rest and then it can become pure. How do we know this?
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Is there not a morsel of flesh; if it is sound then the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt then the whole body is corrupt; it is not the heart?” (Bukhari 25 and Muslim 1599).
This hadith is a miracle because the Arabic word used is Mudghah which is something similar to a morsel. Almost like a piece of partially chewed meat and this accurately described the shape of the heart. It is nothing like the fantasy picture that we see everywhere especially on valentine cards and the like. It’s like a piece of flesh but it has a life beyond what people can measure with their medical equipment.
Bringing it to a state of purification is something that benefits us beyond this world.
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (89) [Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
We are not busy purifying our hearts for no benefit rather we are doing something that has infinite benefits. So this is not some new matter that has been ‘invented’ or ‘innovated’ this is part of the Qur'anic narrative and if adhered to brings a wealth of benefits.
Remembrance or dhikr is a way to purify the heart but hearts have to be emptied from other things.
Three stages
The spiritual masters mention three stages in spiritual development:
1. Ridding oneself of bad characteristics تخلى
2. Adorning oneself with good character تحلى
3. Manifesting the good character تجلى
The Arabic words used above have very small differences but these differences are massive in reality. If you want to decorate a room in your house properly you have to remove everything out of it that is the first level. The second level is about adding and the final level is the manifestation when the room is finally finished but this can take time, it’s not an easy process by anyone’s standards.
You see the heart can be sick and if it is starved from the remembrance of Allah then it will die. Especially, if it is allowed to follow its passions.
Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir said, “The heart dies from passions of the soul; the more you refuse the passions you attain from life its shares; so listen to the living and not to the dead.” Allah, the exalted, states, “You cannot listen to the dead.” (Qur'an, An-Naml 27:80). (Awarif Al-Mararif Imam Sarawardi p.17).
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَمَا أَنتَ بِهَادِي الْعُمْيِ عَن ضَلَالَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨١
Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating. (80) And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [submitting to Allah]. (81) [Qur'an, An-Naml 26:80-81]
Weak heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “A strong believer is better than a weak believer; and in each is goodness.” (Muslim, Ahmed and Ibn Majah). Ibn Ata Allah says that the strong believer is he whose heart is illuminated by the light of certainty. (Taj Al-Aroos p.96-7).
Black spot
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, "Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity." (Muslim Book of faith 2/170).
When a white cloth has a black stain on it, it can be seen clearly and most people will notice the black spot more than they will notice the rest of the cloth being white! Similarly, the dark heart recognises darkness and is attached by it.
A reminder placed into the heart
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “If Allah wishes goodness to his servant then he places admonition in his heart.” (Abu Mansor Ad-Dalami with a good chain).
This is something that can happen when they are about to do something that they shouldn’t the heart is reminded. Then at that moment it can chose to follow it or not.
The place of knowledge
Imam Ghazali said, “The place of knowledge is the heart.” (Ihya Ulum Ud-Deen Vol 3 p.17).
This is where knowledge is kept and if there is light in there it will be displayed for all to see and if it is not present then the knowledge will be darkened and won’t shine through.
The heart is something amazing if it is worked upon with remembrance of Allah or it is something sick if someone gives in to its whims. In one sense it has to be trained to love the Divine and love and follow the sacred law. This can only be done by following the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).
Following a spiritual path allows one to make progress by the means of admonition and obedience to a spiritual master. We are talking about those who follow the sacred law correctly. A spiritual master can take you further than you can go on your own so bear that in mind.
Hearts are attracted to things that are similar and they will go for what is similar so be careful because that untrained morsel of flesh needs to be cleaned. Only then will it give its true benefits.
May Allah make us of people of remembrance and who constantly purifying themselves. May Allah purify our hearts. Ameen.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
Adapted from Sheikhy Notes
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