Reaching the Hearts

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Calling people to Allah (da'wah) is about reaching the hearts, not about quoting a lot.

In the Qur'an Allah orders us to call people to Him with wisdom.

ٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَـٰدِلْهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٢٥

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (125)

[Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:125]

Unfortunately, these days it has sadly become all too common to find da'wah that is very unwise and counter productive. Rather than bringing people closer to Allah, they actually have the potential to drive people away from the faith.

The following are some common unwise ways of doing da'wah that we should all avoid.

Talking about divisions

Divisions do exist. But who benefit when we divide? Shaytan. Allah has clearly and unequivocally ordered us to avoid divisions. When a non-Muslim, a new Muslim, or a person who newly started practicing Islam, we should be guiding them toward knowing Allah, and helping them perfecting their prayer. Do not pollute their minds by talking only about divisions because that might very well turn them off about Islam.

Highlighting other people’s mistakes

We see lots of this especially in the advent of internet, social media and smartphones. Whenever someone gets a bit popular and is actually benefiting the Muslim community, there appears to be a concerted effort within the community to absolutely tear them down.

We have to remember that our scholars, teachers and students of knowledge are human too. And every single human beings make mistakes. How is that we can go through five hours of a speaker’s lectures to find out the three minutes of it in which he made a mistake and then vilify him?

Why do we spend so much of our time, effort, and energy on putting other people down? Use that same energy, effort, and time in inviting your non-Muslim neighbors to Islam, in helping your not-so-practicing family member learn about Islam and the Qur'an.

Judging people

We tend to judge people often. Why not just leave the judging to the Most Wise, Most Merciful, who created them. Our job on this earth is not to judge people but to deliver Allah's Message, to continue the mission that was given to His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in the best manner, following his footsteps.

With google-made knowledge we place the labels halal and haram on other people’s behavior. Remember, no one is going to Hell nor Paradise by your pronouncement. So, save our time, save the potential agonies, and do what we can do best...worship Allah. That is what we are created for.

It is important to remember that the laws of halal and haram are the laws of Allah— and are thus sacred. Most of us don't even have the knowledge of Arabic or the Qur'an and Sunnah. How then we are qualified to pass judgments on people?

However, it is important to remember that if we do find out something that is completely and absolutely haram for sure and we find someone doing it, then we should give them da'wah. We should find a good and polite way of giving them advice. We need tact and wisdom.

Shallow conversations about the Qur'an and Sunnah

The depth of the Qur'an and the Sunnah are deep, deep literature. When we do not discuss something in-depth, there is a lot of room for misunderstanding. Many a times, all we do is to keep quoting narrations, hadiths and verses from the Qur'an.

This is a way of denigrating the Qur'an.

Sometimes we have concepts in our heads, and we try to force the verses and narrations to fit our concepts. This is one of the biggest injustice to the Book of Allah. This is an insult, because we have put our concepts above the Book of Allah, and we want to push the Book and the Sunnah to fit into our thinking rather than us fitting ourselves into the Book.

A man came and asked, “Who is Allah?” Allah revealed Surah al-Ikhlas to respond to him, one of the shortest Surahs of the Qur'an. Allah did not reveal multiple Surahs for that purpose, or a long-winded response.

Rather Allah revealed a Surah that is so deep that volumes upon volumes of tafsir have been written on this Surah alone, while on the other hand even a child can understand the basic meaning of it.

May Allah grant us righteous works and make us keys to unlock good and lock evil. 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

This is My Way -- I Invite to Allah with Insight

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Among the best deeds that a person can do in this life for their benefit here and hereafter is the work of calling others to Allah (da'wah). All the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) were sent with the sole mission of proclaiming the Message of Allah to their people. Allah asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to narrate to the world,

قُلْ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى ۖ وَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٠٨

Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him." (108)

[Qur'an, Yusuf 12:108].

So, then, how can calling people to Allah is not among the best of deeds?

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “If Allah guides a person through you, it is better for you than all that is on the earth.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The da'wah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is not based on some summary view of things, instead, it is the outcome of insight, reason and wisdom. In this act of 'full cognition," the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has included his followers as well. According to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, it refers to the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). They are the soldiers of Allah. 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said: The Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are the best people of this whole Ummah. Their hearts are pure and their knowledge is deep. They are far removed from formality. Allah has chosen them to accompany and serve the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). We should learn their morals, habits and ways because they are the ones who are on the straight path.

It is also possible to take the expression: "I and those who follow me" in the general sense whereby it would mean every person who is doing the duty of conveying the da'wah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to his Ummah right through the last Day. According to Kalbi and Ibn Zayd, this verse also makes it necessary for one who claims to follow the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that he should spread his da'wah among people and make the teaching of the Qur'an available to all. (Mazhari)

You should always have this in mind, especially when you are with your family, friends and other circles of influence, and use that opportunity to do some form of da'wah.

For many of us da'wah seems like a very difficult task. But if we use the methods that Allah Himself used, and utilize the Qur'an to give da'wah, things will become a lot easier insha Allah.

This will also make us part of the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), “The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.” [Bukhari]

Let's look at Surah Al-Ikhlas which most of us already know by heart.

قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١

Say: He is Allah, One and Only

The first point of dawah that we always need to focus on, regardless of what we are talking about is that Allah is One. Allah is free of any partners or intermediaries both physically and metaphorically. For non-Muslims it is important to use this to make it clear to them that God cannot have a son, and that there can be no other “demi-gods” besides God. God is One, and He is the Only one. Many of the disbelievers believe in Allah, but they believe in other gods as well. This teaches us that Allah is One. He is the One and only God worthy of our worship and devotion. He is the One who is above everything and should be above everything in our lives as well. Our life should be devoted to Allah, because it is He who is deserving of it. The Creator, the Sustainer, the Nourisher is One and Only, al-Ahad, and so the first part of da'wah is clarifying to the people the importance of placing Allah as the most important Being in our lives. No one- parent, child, spouse, idol, Jesus or anything else is more important or as important as He is. And so who is He?

ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢

He is as-Samad

He is as-Samad, the One who is free of any need but upon whom all of creation depends on. Many a times many people understand that Allah is One, and that He is deserving of worship, but then say “Oh well, what is the point? I don’t need God in my life at the moment.” For them, it is important to remind them, and to remind ourselves that He is as-Samad. He is not in need of us, but we are fully dependent on Him. For whatever we want in this world, Allah is all that we have. Everyday, every second, we are in deep need of Him. It is important to make people understand the necessity of obeying Allah, and to love Him and worship Him. It is important to understand not only the necessity for this life but also for our eternal hereafter.

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣

He begets not, nor is He begotten

Many religions and ideologies, even among so-called Muslims have attributed sons and daughters to Allah. This one verse nullifies that. It is a clear indicator that Allah is separate from His creation. He doesn’t have a father or mother, and He doesn’t have a son or a daughter. He is separate from His creation, and He is independent of any human-like properties.

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤

And He is incomparable to anything

This is the last verse of the Surah and is an emphatic denunciation of any and every comparison made about Allah. He is not like anything or anyone we compare Him to. He is not like Jesus, He is not like any idol, not like any saint or a rock or a tree. He is not comparable to what is on the Earth (and the entire Universe), and in any of His creation. Allah is the One and only, who is free of need, and incomparable to anything and everything else. Because the world and all of creation depends on Him. That is a short message and a short introduction to who Allah is. Surah Ikhlas is a very easy and quick way of giving da'wah to the general masses of the people, regardless of their knowledge.

So, learn the Qur'an, and find the time to learn Arabic so you can delve into more depth of each Surah in the Qur'an. If you can't travel, this is a good resource to learn Arabic online for free. (Download classes here)

May Allah make learning Qur'an and Arabic easy for us and grant us sound understanding of the Qur'an, and enable us to call others to Him. 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

How Do You Know That You Are In Love With The Qur'an?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Narrated Masruq:

`Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) was mentioned before `Abdullah bin `Amr. The latter said, "That is a man I continue to love because I heard Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, 'Learn the recitation of the Qur'an from (any of these) four persons: `Abdullah bin Masud, Salim the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Ubai bin Ka`b, and Mu`adh bin Jabal." I do not remember whether he mentioned Ubai first or Mu`adh.

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ ذُكِرَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، فَقَالَ ذَاكَ رَجُلٌ لاَ أَزَالُ أُحِبُّهُ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ اسْتَقْرِئُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، فَبَدَأَ بِهِ، وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي بَدَأَ بِأُبَىٍّ أَوْ بِمُعَاذٍ‏.‏

[Bukhari]

"Anyone who has learned the Qur'an and holds it lovingly in his heart will ‘value his nights when people are asleep, his days when people are given to excess, his grief when people are joyful, his weeping when people laugh, his silence when people chatter and his humility when people are arrogant’. In other words every moment of life will be precious to him, and he should therefore be ‘gentle’, never harsh nor quarrelsome, ‘nor one who makes a clamor in the market nor one who is quick to anger." Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud

How can we know that we are in love with the Qur'an?

Attachment to Allah:

You will have a feeling that Allah is very close to you. You will sense His presence and it will gradually develop your closeness to Him.

Personal Development:

Your individual traits will reflect positivity and there will be a great improvement in your character.

Contentment and Peace:

You will be happy and satisfied with what you are. Tranquility will surround you and you will be ease at heart.

Encourage good and forbid evil:

You will be conscious of evil without falling into a pit of sin and will encourage yourself to do good deeds. You will do the same when you come across a person; you will prevent him from doing sins and will motivate him to perform good deeds.

Self-confidence:

You will be full of hope, and even if you didn’t receive what you had intended to receive, you will still be hopeful of receiving a reward in the hereafter. You will attain success in everything you do. Even if you didn’t get it instantly, you will see it in the latter part of your life, or you will be sure that it will be hoarded to make you successful in the hereafter.

May Allah make us fall in love with the Qur'an and live by the Qur'an. 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

Making True Friendships

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Almighty says,

ٱلْأَخِلَّآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٦٧

Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except the righteous.

[Qur'an Az-Zumar 43:67]

The object of friendship is to get benefit in the next world.

True friendship inspires one’s devotion to Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and loyalty to one’s parents and family, as they are aware that their own children would inherit their qualities.

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radhiAllahu anhu narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Obey your parents and treat them kindly, for if you do so then your own children will be obedient and kind to you."(Tabari)

You probably have heard these ancient proverbs, “We can live without a brother, but not without a friend.” “A life without a friend is a life without a sun”. Indeed, everyone need a good companion. That's one of the reasons why people get married, but unfortunately more and more couples end up becoming enemies.

Maintaining friendliness to all human beings is vital for all. A Muslim should be a good friend to Allah's creatures. But we should choose close friends (Qur’anic term awliya) on the basis of their personal integrity, trustworthiness, and other good human traits. We should keep away from making those our close friends who are not well mannered and who do not give attention to what pleases or displeases Allah. A close friend will always behave like a mirror who gives an honest undistorted image of a friend. They forgive mistakes, but do not hide or exaggerate strengths and weaknesses.

The Prophet (Allah bless and him and grant him peace) said, “The believer is like a mirror to other believers.”

Friendship based upon belief and taqwa (God-consciousness, God-Fearingness, piety) is the true and lasting one. On the other hand, friendship based on materialistic reasons is transient and a losing concern for this world and the Hereafter. Kindness to and love for one another are the pillars of a long lasting friendship. A good friend is someone whose company brings blessings, reminds practice of Islam, increases knowledge, enhances spirituality, and encourages dutifulness to the Muslim community and motivates to work for all.

The best example of true friendship can be found in the one between the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radhiAllahu anhu. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was migrating (hijrah) from Makkah to Madinah he would not leave until he had chosen a companion to accompany him on his way. Abu Bakr offered himself to accompany him, and he accepted it after Allah approved it. Abu Bakr, the most trusted friend and companion of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah and to the service of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was given the title As-Siddiq (the trustworthy).

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that seven persons will get shade under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection. There are two persons out of them who love each other for the sake of Allah.

Make friendship having a look to one's character, conduct and qualities. The person with whom companionship is to be kept should have five qualities in the person -- intellect, good conduct, not to be a sinner, not to be an innovator, not to be a worldly addicted person.

Allah Almighty says,

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّـهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِىَ ٱللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حِزْبُ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزْبَ ٱللَّـهِ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٢

You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful. (22)

[Qur'an Al-Mujadila 58:22]

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا ﴿٢٧﴾ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا ﴿٢٨﴾ لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا ﴿٢٩

And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. (27) Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. (28) He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter." (29)

[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:27-29]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave us a clear message in regard to friendship. "A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend." [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidi]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, urges us to “Mix with the noble people, you become one of them; and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, shows us between a good friendship and a bad friendship in the following hadith: "The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.: [Bukhari and Muslim]

Friendship is about reciprocating good manners, good and sincere advice and being a role model to one another overlooking small mistakes but not abdicating the task of reminding each other of goodness, righteousness and patience.

Anyone who criticizes you cares about your friendship. Anyone who makes light of your faults cares nothing about you. [Abu Dawud, Hasan Hadith]

Friendship is about cheerfulness of the face, softness of the tongue and largeness of the heart. Agreement on everything is not the condition of friendship, but dignified disagreement is essential. Maintaining and spreading of modesty (haya) and practicing of cleanliness and purity (taharah) are vital.

Choosing friends maybe simple but finding true friends needs some intuition and simple testing. Ancient proverbs say:

"An untried friend is like an uncracked nut."
"Prove a friend before you seek him."

Once the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, “What person can be the best friend?” He counseled, “He who helps you remember Allah, and reminds you when you forget Him.” He was further asked, “Who is the best among people?” He replied, “He who, when you look at him, you remember Allah”. Such a friend reflects qualities of love, mercy, honesty, patience, optimism, professionalism, and the entire lifestyle taught by Islam.

Ali ibn Abi Talib radhiAllahu anhu mentioned the types of friends for a Muslim,
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you whether you are alive or dead’, and this is his deed.
• The friend who says: ‘I am with you unto the threshold of your grave and then I will leave you’, and this is his children.
• The friend who says: ‘I will be with you until when you die’, and this is his wealth which will belong to the inheritors when he dies’.

Wise sayings:
• Be not friend with a fool, for he will harm you while meaning to do good to you.
• It is better to listen to a wise enemy than to seek counsel from a foolish friend.
• If a friend envies you, then he is not a true friend.

Being happy with a friend’s success, and not being envious, is essential. Allah censures the envious one, "Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them from His bounty." [Qur’an 4:54]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not envy one another." [Muslim]

Keeping promise of one another is vital. Sufyan ath-Thawri (d.164H) said, "Do not make a promise to your companion and then break it, so that love turns to hate."

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: One Muslim is brother to another Muslim. The tie of friendship and brotherhood is like that of husband and wife. He does not treat him bad, he does not spoil his honor and does not surrender him to the hands of his enemy.

Allah Almighty says,

... وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟

And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided...

[Qur'an AleImran 3:103]

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٠

The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy. (10)

[Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:10]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The right of a Muslim upon a Muslim are six: It was asked what are they? He replied, "When you meet him, salute him; when he calls you, respond to him; when he seeks advice, give him advice; when he sneezes and praises Allah, respond to him; when he falls ill, visit him; when he dies, follow him (the funeral bier)." [Muslim]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "You shall not enter Paradise until you believe; and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to a thing? Which when done , will make you love one another: Spread the greeting of Salam among you." [Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim: Neither he wrongs him, nor hands him over (to another). And whoso comes in need of his brother, Allah comes in his need; and whoso removes a calamity of a Muslim, Allah will remove a calamity from the calamities of the Resurrection Day, and whoso conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his sins on the Resurrection Day'. (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Two friends are like two hands, one of which washes the other. Friendship is completed when one of them keeps the other, as if they are one and the same and they share the enjoyments of each other.

A wise man said, when a man does four works in the house of his friend his friendship becomes perfect: 1) when he eats with him, 2) when he does necessary works with him, 3) when he prays with him, 4) and when he sleeps over.

Among the characteristics of good friendship are as follows:
• They leave each other’s company with a higher level of faith (in Allah).
• They always meet each other or start talk with the Islamic greeting ‘Assalamu Alaykum’ with reciprocal response.
• They exchange useful and mature ideas and thoughts.
• They do not shun in reforming each other’s mistakes or bad habits, but do this with politeness and humility.
• The do not waste each other’s time in vain talk or useless activities.
• They never encourage each other to do wrong and invite to a place or gathering of sin.
• They stand firm on each other’s side when needed – ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’

Be true to your friends.

Accord your friend with good treatment in words and deeds. Tell such words which your friend loves, use words of love and share his sorrows and happiness.

Forgive the faults of your friend. If he commit sin and continues, advise him with tender and sweet words. Don't backbite your friend as Allah likened backbiting to eating the flesh of a dead brother. Do not disclose any secret talk which your friends tell you, even to their close friends.

Help a friend before asking in times of need.

Keep friendship lasting till the death of friend and to keep it even after his death with his wife, children, relatives and friends and to take care of them, and to fulfill the duties of friendship selflessly for the sake of Allah.

Pray for your friend in his life time and even after his death. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: If a man prays for his friend in his absence, the angels say: Similar prayer is for you.

May Allah grant us excellent companions in this world and the Hereafter and guide us to excellence. 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

I Love You For The Sake of Allah

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

When you say "I love you", what does that mean? I love you because you are my family, I love you because you are beautiful, or I love you because you help me out? How many people actually love simply for the sake of Allah?

Love for the sake of Allah brings rewards which the minds can’t even grasp, but unfortunately it has become a a lost trait among many Muslims.

Allah Almighty says about the brotherly love of the people of the Ansaar:

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّآ أُوتُوا۟ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿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 privation. 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]

What does “loving for the sake of Allah” really mean?

Loving someone for the sake of Allah comes in two ways: in your heart and with your deeds. You love someone for the sake of Allah in your heart because of their position with Allah, and this starts with loving the prophets and messengers and everyone who follows them. You should have this love in your heart for other Muslims. Outwardly means that you support that person in the good deeds they do, and you respect and defend them according to their good deeds.

This means you don’t love them because you know them very well, or because they brought you a direct benefit or because they have a nice appearance: you love and support them because of their efforts to please Allah.

Four huge rewards to gain by loving for the sake of Allah

1. Taste the sweetness of faith.

This is invaluable in this world. The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of iman:

--to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else;
--to love a slave (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah;
--and to abhor returning to infidelity after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell). [Bukhari, Muslim]

We have to realize that of everything you can have in this world, a taste of the sweetness of iman is the most precious.

2. Enjoy the shade of Allah.

Moving to the Day of Judgment, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah will ask on this day: Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today, on a day when there is no shade but Mine, I shall shade them with My shade. [Muslim]

You will only understand your intense need of this Shade when you are there. You can work for it now, by loving someone for the sake of Allah.

3. The Prophets and martyrs will envy you.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Allah, the Exalted, has said: For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs. [At-Tirmidhi]

Imagine yourself sitting on seats of light and the best of the best envying you because you made it a priority to love others for the sake of Allah.

4. You will have a high rank with Allah.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: A man set out to visit a brother (in faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him: Where do you intend to go? He said: I intend to visit my brother in this town. The angel said: Have you done any favor to him? He said: No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious. Thereupon the angel said: I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake). [Muslim]

Isn’t this breath taking? By loving someone for the sake of Allah, you gain the love of the Highest and which love is better than His?

How to love someone for the sake of Allah

1. Be patient with the person and strive for a clean heart.

In your relationship with other believers don’t try to seek the negative side of each word or gesture, be fast in accepting apologies and don’t be selfish. A common issue is the more ‘religious’ some people get, their hatred for others increases. Try to seek the good side in others and always try to find a good explanation or interpretation of certain behavior or the speech of the other.

وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّـهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٧١

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (71)

[Qur'an At-Tawba 9:71]

2. Be a person on whom others can rely in times of need, and don't wait to help until they ask.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: The believers, in their mutual friendship, mercy and affection, are like one body: if any part of it complains, the rest of the body will also stay awake in pain. [Bukhari, Muslim]

You might know this hadith, but try to truly reflect on it. Do you truly feel the pain of other believers, does it affect you? As this is a sign of your actual love for another.

There was an example of a man who loaned his friend money and walked back home crying. When his wife asked him why he was crying and if it was because he needed the money himself he said: No I am crying at my brother in faith’s state of affairs. How could I not have known what he was going through? If I had, I would have offered my help before he was compelled to ask for it.

He was crying because he had seen his friend sighing, and even though he had seen something was wrong, he had never bothered to ask. This brother was crying because he hadn’t been there to prevent his brother in Islam from going through the pain of having to ask for a loan.

3. You are happy with their success, and not being envious. Allah censures the envious one.

... أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ

Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them from His bounty...

[Qur’an, An-Nisa 4:54]

4. Don't ask anything of his wealth and properties. Don't hope to benefit from his name and fame. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), said: A believer is a brother to another believer. He does not seek advantage over him and does not inflict trouble on him.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: I am the God fearing men of my followers are free from inflicting troubles.

4. Pray for him in his life time and even after his death.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: If a man prays for his friend in his absence, the angels say: Similar prayer is for you.

5. Tell them you love them for Allah’s sake.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: If any of you loves his brother then he should inform him. [At-Tirmidhi]

It increases love. If he knows that you love him, he will surely love you. When you come to know that he also loves you, your love for him will increase. Love will increase from both sides. The existence of love among the believers is the object of Shari'a and religion.

Revive this sunnah by telling the ones you love for His sake by saying:

أحبك في الله

– Uhibbuka fil-llaahi (or to a female: uhibukki fil-llaahi), which means: I love you for the sake of Allah.

The plural is:

أحبكم في الله

– Uhibbukum fil-llaahi ( to a group of men or a mix of men and women) or

أحبكنّ في الله

– Uhibbukunna fil-llaahi (to a group women).

When someone tells you they love you for the sake of Allah, you can respond by:

أَحَبَّكَ الَّذِي أَحْبَبْتَنِي لَهُ

– Ahabbak-alladhee ahbabtanee lah (for a male) or Ahabakk-illadhee ahhabtinee lah (for a female), which means: may the One for whom you have loved me, love you, in return.

[Above phrases as narrated in Abu Dawood]

Call or send a message and say the above to someone you love for the sake of Allah.

And I start with you all, for your eagerness to read about Islam and your efforts to please Allah: Uhibbukum fil-llaah – I love you for the sake of Allah.

May Allah help us love one another for His sake and grant us the sweetness of faith and shade us with His shade when there is no other shade except His shade.

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