Practice Your Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate 

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

When you come across a useful piece of information don't immediately forward it instead of first intend and plan to implement it in your lives.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ’alayhi wasallam) said:

“No person’s feet will be allowed to move on the day of Qiyamah until he answers the following questions:

1. How he spent his life,
2. How he spent his youth
3. How he earned his wealth and where did he spend it
4. How much did he practice on the knowledge he acquired.”

(Sunan Tirmidhi)

Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal (rahimahullah) said:

“I have practiced upon every Hadith that I have written.” 

Note: Only his ‘Musnad’, consists of approximately thirty thousand Hadiths which is much less than the amount he actually acquired in his entire life!…

Imagine how far one would progress if he were to implement the above!

Khatib Baghdadi (rahimahullah) has a booklet entitled:

إقتضاء العلم العمل

‘Knowledge demands practice’

In his opening passage he writes: “…knowledge is the tree and practice is the fruit. One who doesn’t practice on what he knows is not considered an ‘Alim.

…Never be satisfied with practice that is void of knowledge, or knowledge that is not followed by practice. Join both even if you end up with a little of each (a bit of knowledge and a bit of practice).

There is nothing worse than an ‘Alim (scholar) who has been abandoned by the people because of his evil practice, and a jahil (non ‘Alim/ ignorant) whose ways have been adopted by the people due to his ‘ibadah (practice).

…Just as money is of no use unless it is spent, so too is knowledge unless it is used (practiced upon).

Sahl Ibn Muzahim (rahimahullah) says: “Although the ignorant one will not be excused for his ignorance, but the one who knows and didn’t practice will receive a worse punishment.”

One wise person said: “I prefer to leave out something due to ignorance instead of knowingly abandoning it.”

Hasan Basri (rahimahullah) says: “At one time, when people would acquire knowledge we would immediately see the effect of it in their manners and on their tongues, eyes and hands.”

Practice before sharing

:قال أبو قلابة لأيوب

إذا أحدث لك علم، فأحدث لله عبادة، ولا يكن من همك أن تحدث به الناس

 

Abu Qilabah told his student; Ayyub Sakhtiyani (rahimahumallah):

 

“When you acquire new knowledge, you should inculcate new ‘ibadah for Allah. Instead of thinking of merely relating it to the people.”

Imam Sufyan Thawri (rahimahullah) said: “Acquire Hadith, memorise and practice upon it. Only once you’ve implemented it in your life should you pass it on.”

So, practice (or at least intend to do so) before you forward, share or re-tweet any piece of knowledge.

This will, in sha Allah, have a greater effect on the ones we share it with.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the full understanding of the above. Amin.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all. 

Wassalaam

Learning Patience

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate 

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

One of the Salaf, al Imām Fudayl bin Iyād (رضي الله عنه) said,

 

“I learned patience from a small boy. On my way to the Masjid one day, I came across a woman beating her son at home. As he was yelling and screaming, he managed to open the door and flee. So his mother locked the door on him. When I returned from the Masjid, I found the boy after having cried and wept sleeping at the door of his home longing for his mother. So his mother’s heart softened and she opened the door for him.” Upon witnessing that, Fudayl bin Iyād cried until his beard became wet with tears, and then he said “SubhānAllāh! If only the servant was to be patient at the door of Allāh, Allāh would surely open it!”

 

[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (6/22)]

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all. 

Wassalaam

Knowledge and Action

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

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

The saying of Allah Ta’ala,

 

وَٱلْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ ﴿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)

 

Ash-Shafi'e – may Allah be pleased with him – said: ‘If all the people reflected over this Surah it would be sufficient for them.’

 

The explanation of this is that this Surah has four levels, and by completing these, a person can achieve the highest goal in being complete.

 

The first is: Knowing the truth.

 

The second: his acting upon the truth.

 

The third: Him teaching the one who is deficient in the truth.

 

The fourth: Being patient in learning the truth, and acting upon it, and teaching it.

 

Allah Ta’ala mentioned these four levels in this Surah, and Allah Subhanahu testified in this Surah by al-Asr (the time) that everyone is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous, good deeds and they are those who knew the truth, and they testified to the truth. So the above is a level.

 

They did righteous, good deeds and they are those who performed worship with what they knew about the truth. So this is a level.

 

They advise with the truth; they advise one another, teaching and guiding each other. So this is the third level.

 

They advise with patience; they were patient with the truth, and they advised each other with patience upon the truth, and to be steadfast. And this is the fourth level.

 

This is the end of completeness; indeed completeness is that a person is complete in himself, and completes others. His completeness is by correcting his two strengths, the strength of knowledge and the strength of actions. 

 

Correction of the strength of knowledge is with Imaan, and correction of the strength of actions is by doing righteous deeds, and by completing people other than himself, and by learning this knowledge, and being patient upon it, and his recommending with patience upon knowledge and action.

 

So this Surah, even though it is brief, is one of the most collective Surrahs of the Quran for goodness from all its different angles.

 

Praise be to Allah Who has made the Quran sufficient for everything, a cure from every disease, a guidance to all that is good.

 

By Shaykh ul–Islaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Translated by: Abbas Abu Yahya

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all. 

Wassalaam

Fast Mondays To Celebrate The Prophet's (Peace And Blessings Be Upon Him) Birthday

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

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

Many Muslims around the world are celebrating the birth of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasalaam.

One of the best ways to celebrate the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) birth is to fast on Mondays because when he was asked about his fasting on Mondays, he said because he was born on a Monday. 

Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

 

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was asked about fasting on Mondays. He said, "That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I received Revelation." [Muslim]

Also,

Abu Hurairah narrated that,

 

The Messenger of Allah said: "Deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, and I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting." 

Real love is to be dedicated throughout the year. Real love is to show that love every single day.

 

May Allah increase our love for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his family and companions and resurrect us with him and enter us into the highest Jannah with him. Aameen,

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all. 

Wassalaam

You Will Be With Those Whom You Love -- Study The Seerah Of The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him)

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

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

Anas bin Malik reported:

A Bedouin came to Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and said to him, “When will be the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)?” He (the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “What preparation have you made for it?” He said, “Only the love of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).” Then Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) of Allah said, “You will be with those whom you love.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The narration in Muslim is: The man replied: “I have made no significant preparation with regard to Salat (prayer), Saum (fasting) and Sadaqah (charity) but I love Allah and His Messenger”.

Let us have a genuine love for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Let's understand the sacrifice that he made for us. Let's us understand the great personality he is. Most importantly let's study his life and times so we can implement his teachings and follow his teachings and come closer to Allah.

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ 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."  [Quran, AleImran 3:31]

A sign of loving someone is to want to know everything about them. Anybody who claims to love the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam but he doesn't study his life and times it is a sign he doesn't love him.

The number one way to show our love for Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is to study the Seerah. When you study the Seerah our love goes up for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. In order for your love to go up, you need to study about him.

Understanding the Seerah helps us understand the Quran. 

May Allah make us of those who really follow the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and may He forgive our sins. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Old Ladies Cannot Enter Paradise

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

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was blessed with a great sense of humor. Having humor shows your humanity. All of the Prophet's jokes were pure and truthful.

One day an old lady came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and asked him to make du'a for Allah to cause her to enter Jannah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam then said,

O my Aunt, haven't you been informed that old ladies cannot enter Paradise? So she began crying. And he told her not to cry and said that old ladies cannot enter Jannah but Allah will make her into a young fair maiden and enter her into Jannah.

إِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَـٰهُنَّ إِنشَآءً ﴿٣٥﴾ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا ﴿٣٦﴾

Indeed, We have produced the women of Paradise in a [new] creation (35) And made them virgins, (36) (Quran, Al Waqi'ah 56:35-36)

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Surviving The Trial Of Wealth

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

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam is reported to have said:

"Whoever recites Surah al-Kahf on Friday, a light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays.”

"Whoever recites Surah al-Kahf as it was revealed, will have a light on the Day of Resurrection.”

So based on this, we can see the great benefits which lie in reciting Surah al-Kahf, and we should try our utmost to see that we do it. Ideally this Surah should be recited on Thursday night or on Friday morning before Jumu’ah but if that is not possible then it can be recited anytime during the day of Jumu’ah. This period of time stretches from after Maghrib on Thursday till Maghrib on Friday.

This Surah contains four major themes: the story of the companions of the Cave, the owner of the gardens, Musa and Khidr, and the narration of Dhul Qarnayn. This Surah is very blessed and it contains many benefits for us so we should try our best to recite it every Friday and to contemplate over its meanings, so that we may derive full benefit from it.

The second story in this Surah deals with the owner of the gardens and his companion. These were two people who lived close by to one another. To one of them Allah had granted two gardens with a river flowing between them. This made him very wealthy and he also had many children. However, he was a disbeliever in Allah and associated partners with Him. He denied the Last Day and boasted about his wealth to his companion, who was poor and without many children. But this companion did have belief in the Oneness of Allah. He warned the owner of the garden that if he continued to disobey Allah, Allah might destroy his wealth.

And this is exactly what happened. His garden was destroyed and he then became full of regret for his past wrong-doings. This story teaches us that worldly goods are of no real benefit to us. They are only temporary and can be lost in an instant. It is far better for us to have a garden in the Hereafter than a garden in this world.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in Surah An-Nahl,

مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ

Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. [Quran, Al-Nahl 16:96]

And we should be rushing to good deeds for that will help us in the Hereafter.

 

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says,

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦

 

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. [Quran, Al Kahf 18:46]

 

The story also teaches us not to be proud and arrogant for what we possess of worldly goods. All these things come only from Allah. He is the true Owner of everything and He can take them back at any time He pleases. Another point to note is that just because a person may have been favored with a lot of wealth and money that this does not necessarily mean that this is a sign of Allah being pleased with that person. 

 

May Allah grant us righteous deeds and protect us from arrogance. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Surviving The Test of Faith (Imaan)

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

The first few verses of Surah Kahf reveal the story of a few young men striving in a disbelieving town in order to sustain their Faith. They took refuge in cave and were rewarded by Allah’s mercy with the entire town converted into believers.

The moral of this story is trial of Faith. The youth were tested and succeeded. We too are being tested. How to survive the tests? Keep righteous company and don't follow the heedless. Allah Most High tells us,

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) [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:28]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was 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. We are influenced by our friends more than we might imagine. If the people we spend our time with speak politely, encourage us to do good, and advise us when we need guidance, then that will reflect in our own life through how we speak and encourage and advise as well. 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 of 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, “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), starting a book club by reading about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the Companions and share the information we read, starting a Hadith and Tafsir Quran group by reading some hadith and tafsir of Quran regularly with the group, starting a Quran khatam group by reading the Quran together regularly until khatam.

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 striving to improve themselves, and in the process it 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,” [Quran, 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 Creator and the purpose He created you, you should ask the One who possesses the hearts to bring you closer to hearts that remember Him often.

May Allah bless you with righteous companions who encourage you to do good deeds, and help you overcome your weaknesses. And may Allah make you a good companion to your companions and your family. And may Allah reunite you with your companions and family in the highest level of Jannah. Ameen.

 
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam