31 December 2011

A beautiful Hadith regarding a man who abused his slaves

'Aisha (RadiyAllah Anhuma) said: "A man sat in front of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) verily I have slaves, they lie to me, are disloyal to me and disobey me. When I came to know about this I scold them and beat them. So tell me how have I been with them?" The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) replied: "What they were disloyal to you about, what they disobeyed you in, and what they lied to you about is measured, and the punishment which you inflicted upon them is also measured. If your punishment was equal to their sins, then the scale of balance is equal, it is not for you and nor is it against you. If your punishment to them was not to the extent of their sins (i.e. less than they deserved) then that is against you".

The man then fell back and began to weep and scream. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: "Haven’t you read the verse in the Book of Allah:

"And we shall set up balances on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything..."(21:47)

The man replied; "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) I do not see anything better for me and them than they leave me, I call you to witness that all of them are free". (Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

Source: Weeping from the fear of Allah

30 December 2011

One day....

By: Yosuf Rilwan

    One day you will wake up not knowing that you will have your last day in this worldly life. For some people that day will come suddenly and for some it will come through a long sickness. For some people it will come when they are infants. For some it will come when they are youthful and for some it may come when the old age had eaten up their youth. That day you will eat your last meal in this world or probably you won’t. 

     That day you will utter your last words or probably you won’t. That day you will inhale the last gasp of air from this worldly life. That day you will have your last glance of your family or probably you won’t. That day you will come to know the reality of this transient life. A day that you will come to know that the words of Allah (swa) is the truth. A day that you will meet the Angel s of death with wrath. That day the Angels of death will take your soul like a branch full of thorns being pulled through wet wool. That day you will leave the care of your family. That day the beautiful wives and handsome husbands you adored will leave you. That day the children you raised with so much effort will leave you. That day the wealth you accumulated will not avail what is about to fall on you. That day your whole life will flash in front of your eyes like a second.  That day you will cry because you didn’t believe in Allah (swa).  

    That day you will cry because you didn’t believe in the last Messenger Muhammad (saw). That day you will cry because you mistreated your Mother and Father. That day you will cry over the obligatory prayers that you omitted purposely. That day you will cry over the obligatory fasts that you thought were useless and tiring. That day you will cry over the wealth you hoarded without paying alms. That day when you will cry at the countless sins you committed. That day you will cry over the lies you spoke. That day you will cry over the time that you wasted uselessly. That day you will cry over being unfaithful to your husbands and wives. That day you will cry for the fact that you used your status and power to oppress the laws of Allah (swa). That day you will cry over all the unlawful sexual acts you committed. 

    That day you will be shrouded in a white cloth. That day all your relatives and friends will cry over your passing by not knowing how much you cry. That day your relatives and friends will pray for you before you have performed a single prayer for your own self. That day they will place you in your coffin or probably won’t. That day they will place you in your grave or probably won’t. That day you will be buried in your grave with darkness upon darkness. That day you will hear the footsteps of your friends and relatives leaving you. That day the Earth will squeeze you till your ribs get crushed. That day the Angels will descend upon you to question about how you spent your life. That day you won’t be able to answer these questions. That day you will face the severe punishment from Allah (swa). That day poisonous snakes and scorpions will sting you so severely that the pain cannot be explained. That day the beautiful body you adored will start to rot and decay.

    Soon you will be forgotten by your friends and relatives. Soon maggots will eat your sinful body. Soon your wives and husbands will merry other men or women. Soon your wealth will be distributed among your family. Soon you will be dust.

   This is the life we hoard transgressing the laws of Allah (swa). This life is only a dream with delusions. So be mindful of this day because it might be setting its direction towards you now. So believe and repent to Allah (swa) before its too late !

27 December 2011

A Du'a which made the Angels confuse

إِنَّ عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِ اللهِ قَالَ:يَا رَبِّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ وَعَظِيمِ سُلْطَانِكَ. فَعَضَلَتْ بِالْمَلَكَيْنِ فَلَمْ يَدْرِيَا كَيْفَ يَكْتُبَانِهَا فَصَعِدَا إِلَى اللهِ فَقَالَا: يَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّ عَبْدًا قَدْ قَالَ مَقَالَةً لَا نَدْرِي كَيْفَ نَكْتُبُهَا، قَالَ اللهُ، وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا قَالَ عَبْدُهُ: مَاذَا قَالَ عَبْدِي؟ قَالَا: يَا رَبِّ إِنَّهُ قَالَ: لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا رَبِّ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ وَعَظِيمِ سُلْطَانِكَ. فَقَالَ اللهُ لَهُمَا: اكْتُبَاهَا كَمَا قَالَ عَبْدِي، حَتَّى يَلْقَانِي فَأَجْزِيهِ بِهَا.» 


A servant of Allah once said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' The two angels were confused as to how to write these words. They ascended to Allah and said, `O our Lord! A servant has just uttered a statement and we are unsure how to record it for him.' Allah said while having more knowledge in what His servant has said, 'What did My servant say' They said, `He said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' Allah said to them, `Write it as My servant has said it, until he meets Me and then I shall reward him for it.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Tafsir of Soorah Al-Fatiha. 

25 December 2011

The man who was deceived by two dinars

Hasan al-Basri narrated that there was a tree that was worshipped instead of Allah. One man decided to chop down that tree. He was going to chop down the tree out of anger for the sake of Allah. On the way to the tree he met Iblees (Satan) who was in the form of a man. Iblees asked him “What do you plan on doing?”  The man answered, “I am going to chop down that tree that is worshipped instead of Allah”. Satan said, “If you do not worship it, why should it harm you if others do so?”  The man replied, “I will chop it down”. Satan then told him, “Would you like something better than that? Do not cut it and you will get two dinars every morning under your pillow”. “From where will I get that?” The man asked. “I will give it to you”, said Iblees. The man returned and the next morning he found two dinars under his pillow. The following morning he again found two dinars under his pillow. 


On the following morning he did not find anything. He got upset and went to chop down the tree again. Satan again appeared to him in the shape of the same man. Satan asked him, “What do you want to do?”  The man answered,” I plan on cutting down that tree that is worshipped instead of Allah!”  Iblees said, “You have lied. There is no way you will be able to do it” The man left to chop it down. The earth swallowed him and choked him until it almost killed him. Iblees asked, “Do you know who I. I am Satan. I met you for the first time when you were angry for the sake of Allah and I had no power over you. I deceived you by two dinars and you stopped what you had intended to do [for the sake of Allah]. Now you have come because you are angry about the two dinars, and I have gotten mastery over you”


Source: The world of Jinn and Devils by Dr. Umar S. Al-Ashqar

21 December 2011

The evil scholar who craves for wealth and status

Aboo Bakr al-Aajurree, who was one of the wise scholars and teachers at the start of the fourth century, wrote at treatise about the manners and the sentiments of the scholars and it is one of the best works on this topic. One who studies it will know from it the way of the scholars of the Salaf, and will know the innovated ways contrary to their way.

So he describes the evil scholar at length, from this description is that:

"He has become infatuated with love of this world, and with praise, honor and position with the people of this world. He uses knowledge as an adornment just as a beautiful woman adorns herself with jewellery for this world, but he does not adorn his knowledge with action upon it.” He then mentions a lengthy speech and then says, “So these characteristics and their like predominate in the heart of one who does not benefit from knowledge, so whilst he carries these attributes his soul will come to have love of status and position – so that he loves to sit with kings and the sons of this world. The he loves to share in their opulent lifestyle, sharing their lavish attire, their comfortable transport, servants, fine clothing, delicate bedding and delicious food. He will love that people throng to his door, that his saying is listened to, and that he is obeyed – and he can only attain the latter by becoming a judge (qaadee) – so he seeks to become one. Then he is unable to attain it except at the expense of his Religion, so he debases himself to the rulers and their helpers, serving them himself and giving them his wealth as a tribute. He remains silent when he sees their evil actions after entering their palaces and homes.

Then on top of this he may praise their evil actions and declare them good due to some false interpretation in order to raise his position with them. So when he has accustomed himself to doing this over a long period of time and falsehood has taken root in him – then they appoint him to the position of judge (qaadee) and in so doing slaughter him without a knife.”

Then they have bestowed such a favour upon him that he is obliged and has to show his gratitude to them – so he takes great pains to make sure that he does not anger them and cause them to remove him from his position. But he has no concern about whether he angers his Lord, the Most High, so he misappropriates the wealth of orphans, widows, the poor and the needy, and wealth bequested as waaf (religious endowment) for those fighting Jihad and the nobles of Makkah and al-Madeenah, and wealth which is supposed to be of benefit to all the Muslims – but instead he uses it to satisfy his clerk, chamberlain and servant. So he eats that which is haram and feeds with that which is haram and increases that which is a proof against him. So woe to the one whose knowledge which the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sought refuge from and ordered us to seek refuge from.

This is the knowledge which the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mentioned, saying, “Those amongst the people receiving the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection is the scholar who is not given benefit through his knowledge by Allaah.”

He (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say,

(Allaahumma innee a’oodhubika minal arba’i, min `ilmin laa yanfa`u, wa min qalbin laa yakhsha`u, wa min nafsin laa tashba`u, wa min du`aa in laa yusma`u)

“O Allaah I seek Your refuge from knowledge which does not benefit; from a heart which does not fear; from a soul which is never satisfied; and from a supplication which is not heard."

And he (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say:

(Allaahumma inne as`aluka `ilman naafi`an, wa a`oodhubika min `ilman laa yanfa`u)

“O Allaah I ask You for beneficial knowledge, and I seek Your refuge from knowledge which does not benefit.”

This was said by Imaam Aboo Bakr al-Aajuree, rahimahullaahu ta`aala who lived at the end of the fourth century and corruption increased and multiplied greatly since his time – and there is no might and no strength except by Allah's will.

Source: The Evil Of Craving For Wealth And Status By: al-Haafidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (d.795H) rahimahullah Translated By: Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank

18 December 2011

The Story of the Cow and the Dutiful Son

Among the Children of Israel there lived a very rich man; he had a cousin who was poor and who was also his only inheritor. The latter felt that the former was slow to die, and so killed him in order to acquire his estate. He then carried him to another village and hid his body there. 

Pretending that he was seeking revenge, he took some people to Moses (alayhis salaam), accusing them of the murder. They proclaimed their innocence before Moses, who was not sure of what really happened. They asked him to invoke Allah to expose the true murderer. He ordered them to slaughter a cow, the story of which is related in the Qur’an:

“They said, ‘Do you make fun of us?’” ( Holy Quran 2:67)

Meaning, ‘we ask you about the murderer, yet you order us to slaughter a cow!’ They said that because of the apparent disparity between the two matters and because they did not know the wisdom behind his request. Moses said:

“I take Allah’s Refuge from being among Al-Jahiloon (the ignorant or foolish ones).” (Holy Quran 2:67)

Meaning, ‘I seek refuge in Allah from being among those who mock the believers.’

When the people realized that the command to slaughter a cow was really from Allah (the Exalted), they asked Moses to describe it for them. Had they gone to any cow and slaughtered it, that would have been enough for them; however, they were severe upon themselves, and so Allah was severe in dealing with them. And there was wisdom behind that.

Prior to that time, there was a righteous man whose son was still a young boy. The father owned a young cow, which he took to a field, and said, “O Allah, I leave this with You for safekeeping until my son grows up.” The man died and the cow remained in the field. At the time of the story, the cow was neither old nor young, and it fled from all those who saw it or came near it. The son, now of age, was dutiful to his mother. He would divide his nights into three parts: he would pray for one-third of the night, he would sleep for one third, and he would sit with his mother for one-third.

In the mornings, he would go to gather wood, which he would then carry on his back until he reached the marketplace, where he would sell the wood for whatever price Allah willed. He would then give one-third of the profits to charity, he would eat from the proceeds of one-third, and he would give one-third to his mother.

One day, his mother said to him, “Your father has left behind for you a young cow, and he asked Allah to keep it safe for you in such and such field, so go there and invoke the Lord of Ibrahim, Isma’il, Ishaq and Ya’qub to return that cow to you. The sign that it is the right cow is that when you look at it, you will imagine that the rays of the sun are coming out from its skin.” It was called the golden one because of its yellowness and its beauty.

The boy went to the field indicated to him. There he saw a cow grazing, and it was the very one that his mother described to him. He called out loud, “I ask you (to come) by the Lord of Ibrahim, Isma’il, Ishaq and Ya’qub.” It came to him in a hurry until it was standing in front of him; he took hold of its neck in order to lead it. By the Will of Allah, the cow spoke, saying, “O young man who is dutiful to his mother! Ride me, for that is easier for you.”

The young man said, “My mother did not order me to do that; rather she said: ‘take it by its neck’.”

The cow said, “Go, for indeed, if you ordered for a mountain to be cut from its roots so that it would go with you, it would have gone with you because of your dutifulness to your mother.”

The young man then took the cow to his mother, and she said to him, “Indeed you are poor, you have no wealth, and gathering wood during the daytime is very difficult upon you, and so is standing in the night. So go and sell this cow.”

The young man said, “And how much should I sell it for?” She said, “For three dinars, and do not sell it without first seeking counsel with me.” The cow was as his mother said, worth three dinars; when the boy reached the marketplace, Allah sent to him an angel, in order to see his ability and in order to test him – how dutiful was he to his mother, though Allah had full knowledge of that.

The angel said to him, “For how much will you sell this cow?” He said, “For three dinars, and I stipulate the pleasure of my mother (in this transaction).”

The angel said, “I will pay six dinars, but you must not seek the counsel of your mother.”

He said, “If you gave me money that weighed as much as this cow, I would not take it except with the pleasure of my mother.” He then returned with the cow to his mother and told her of what had happened. She said, “Return and sell it for six dinars, but stipulate my pleasure.”

He went to the marketplace and the angel came again and said, “You sought the command of your mother?” He said, “She ordered me not to sell it for less than six, on condition that I first seek her order.”

The angel said, “Then I will give you twelve, on the condition that you do not first seek her command.” He refused, returned to his mother, and informed her of what happened. She said, “Indeed the one who was coming to you is an angel in the shape of a man in order to test you.” She instructed her son to ask him if he comes again: “Do you order us to sell this cow or not?” The young man did in fact pose that question, and the angel asked him to go to his mother and say to her: “Keep this cow! For indeed Moses, the son of ‘Imran, will buy it from you for one who was murdered from the Children of Israel. Do not sell it except for enough dinars that can fill its skin.”

Allah decreed that the Children of Israel had to slaughter that exact cow. As they continued to ask after the description of the cow that they were supposed to slaughter, Moses described the cow that belonged to the dutiful son, which was his reward for his dutifulness to his mother – a blessing, favor and mercy from Allah. When he stipulated the said price, which was of course very high, they had no choice but to buy it from him.

Allah ordered Moses to command his people to strike the corpse of the one who was murdered, and when they did that, he stood alive by the Will of Allah. And he said: “Such and such person killed me,” referring to his cousin, and then he died again in that very place. His murderer was thus prevented from inheriting his estate.

Source: http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=26412 quoted from Gems and Jewels by Abdul Malik Mujahid

17 December 2011

The reality of our existance

Al-Asma'i reported that the ruler ar-Rashid once ordered for many delicacies to be prepared for him. He wanted to have a party for himself, so he had a hall decorated for him and invited the famous poet Abul-'Ataahiyyah.

When the party began, ar-Rashid looked at Abul-'Ataahiyah and said, "Describe the pleasures of the world that we are enjoying."

Abul-'Ataahiyyah began:
"Live in comfort as long as you please
Under the shades of high and wonderful castles"

"Wonderful, wonderful. Please continue," said ar-Rashid.
Abul-'Ataahiyyah continued,

"All that you desire is brought to you
Quickly, both in the morning and in the evening"

"Wonderful, wonderful," chimed in ar-Rashid. "Please continue."

He resumed thus:
"Then when the souls are parting
Through the breast with a croaking sound
It is then that one comes to know
I have lived nothing but a life of deception"

Ar-Rashid began to weep profusely, and some of those present looked reproachfully at Abul-'Ataahiyyah and said, "The Leader of the believers has invited you to make him happy, yet all that you have succeded in doing is making him sad!"

"Leave him alone," said ar-Rashid. "He simply noticed that we were in a state of blindness, and disliked adding to it with even more blindness."

Source: Stories of repentance by Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri

14 December 2011

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) and the Bedouin

Anas – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “There was a man from amongst the Bedouins whose name was Zahir bin Haram. Whenever he came to Madinah for a need, he brought something for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as a gift, like cottage cheese or butter. Likewise, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would prepare something to give to him whenever he wanted to leave, such as dates and so on. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to love him and say: “Zahir is our Bedouin and we are his city-dwellers.” Zahir was not very good looking. One day, Zahir – may Allah be pleased with him – left the desert and came to Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) but did not find him. He had some merchandise to sell so he went on to the marketplace.

When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) found out about his arrival, he went to the marketplace looking for him. When he arrived, he saw him selling his merchandise with sweat pouring down from his face, and he wore Bedouin clothes which did not smell good either. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) hugged him tightly from behind, while Zahir was unaware and could not see who it was. Zahir became scared and said: “Let me go! Who is this?” But the Prophet (Peace be upon him) remained silent. Zahir tried to release himself from his grip and started to look right and left. When he saw the Prophet (Peace be upon him) he relaxed and calmed down, placing his back against the Prophet’s chest. The Prophet (Peace be upon him)  began to joke with him, saying to the public: “Who will buy this slave?! Who will buy this slave?!”

Thereupon, Zahir looked at himself and thought of his extreme poverty, for he had neither wealth nor good looks. He said: “You will find me unmarketable, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “But you are not unmarketable with Allah. You are very precious to Allah.”

Source: Enjoy your life by Dr. Mohammad Abdulrahman Al-Arifi

12 December 2011

The Soul Shall Rise Tomorrow: The Story of Marwan Hadid

by 'Abdullah 'Azzam


"It was the year 1963 when it was announced in Damascus:

I believe in the Ba'th as a lord, without any partners

And with Arabism as a religion, with no religion other than it

And the Ba'this and Nusayris began to attack Islam. In Hamah, it happened that a professor spoke against Islam, so, one of the youth got up and hit him. The rest of the youth then got up and beat him to death inside the classroom. So, the police officer came and killed the youth. When Shaykh Marwan Hadid requested the officer so that he would implement the punishment of relatilation on him, they said to him: "One for one (meaning, the boy was killed for killing the teacher)." Marwan replied: "No, the boy was a Muslim, and the teacher was a disbeliever! His blood is permissible! As for the Muslim, then his blood must be avenged!"

The state refused, so, Marwan said: "OK," and went and gathered the youth who were around him. There was a mosque right at the foot of his apartment building where the youth would usually sleep, as he would bring them up and teach them there. He went to Masjid as-Sultan and gathered them, each one of them carrying a grenade and a gun. Some of the youth were still in high school! They began saying 'Allahu Akbar!' and announcing their fight against the state. So, the tanks came to Masjid as-Sultan and fired on it, with the youth standing on the minaret. The minaret fell with the youth in it, and the mosque was demolished with them inside.

By Allah, some of the trustworthy residents of Hamah narrated to me - and Allah Knows best - that, after a few days, when they were removing the rubble from on top of these youth who had been killed, they could hear tasbih and takbir from underneath the rubble.

Anyway, it was Written for Shaykh Marwan that he remain alive, so, they took him to court. This was done in the open, so that the Ba'this could claim that they implement justice. They allowed some foreign journalists to attend the hearing. The judges in this case were Mustafa Tallas and Salah Jadid. Mustafa Tallas was the defense minister in Syria, and Salah Jadid was the most powerful Nusayri to have any position in the country.

They said to him: "Why did you carry weapons and go against the state?"

Shaykh Marwan answered: "Because there is a Nusayri dog named Salah Jadid - he is saying this to Salah Jadid! - and there is a dog who ascribes himself to Ahl as-Sunnah named Mustafa Tallas, and they desire to kill off Islam in this land, and we reject and will fight against Islam being wiped out in this land as long as we're alive."

He then dared the Revolutionary Guards to kill him inside the courthouse, but the police guarded Shaykh Marwan in front of the foreign journalists, so that it would not be said to the world that he was killed in the courthouse.

They said to him: "You are working for someone else."

He replied: "I am working for Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. As for the one who is serving others, then he is the leader of your party."

They said: "You say that Muhammad al-Hamid is with you, but he hates you."

Marwan replied: "{"But if they turn away, then say: 'Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship except He. Upon Him I depend, and He is the Lord of the mighty Throne.'"} [at-Tawbah; 129]"

It was a powerful court case. He was sentenced to death along with a group of the youth. Some of the youth were acquitted, however. Those who were acquitted began to weep, and those who were sentenced to death began to smile. The foreign journalists were in a state of shock: those who are acquitted are weeping, and those who are sentenced to death are smiling? So, the youth sentenced to death said to them: "We are being granted Paradise, and they are being prevented from Paradise," and they were taken to prison to await their executions.

Shaykh Marwan later said to me: "I never lived a time in my life that was sweeter to my heart and soul than those days in which the youth and I were awaiting our executions." And it might have been during those days that Shaykh Marwan wrote:

The soul shall rise tomorrow * And it shall meet Allah at its appointed time

These are the words of Marwan Hadid. Anyway, one of the scholars of Hamah, Shaykh Muhammad al-Hamid, went to Amin al-Hafidh - who was the Syrian president at the time, from Hamah, as well - and said to him: "What do you want to do with Marwan Hadid?"

He replied: "We sentenced him to death."

Muhammad al-Hamid said: "Are you saying this with a sane mind? Do you think that Hamah will remain silent against you if you execute Marwan Hadid? You will face unending problems!"

Amin replied: "What do you think, Shaykh?"

He said: "I think you should release him and acquit him."

Amin said: "Go and release him yourself."

Shaykh Marwan Hadid later said to me: "So, Shaykh Muhammad al-Hamid came and said: "My children - and he was their teacher, whom they all loved - come!" They said: "To where?" He said: "The state has acquitted you." So, we said to him: "May Allah Forgive you, as you have prevented us from Paradise.""

Shaykh Marwan returned, and he knew no rest. He was basically a bomb about to explode...he was quite strange. In the year 1973, they announced a new constitution in which they officially abrogated that Syria is an Islamic republic. So, Marwan Hadid got up and said: "Who will give me the bay'ah for death in the mosque?" When Shaykh Marwan began to preach, the people began to exit the mosque, one by one, as his words were quite dangerous, and to hear his words were also dangerous. The mashayikh left, one after the other. Some of his followers, from the zeal that they had, pulled out guns and began firing off shots inside the mosque.

I heard the tape myself, yes. I can recognize those who fire guns who are from Hamah. The people of Hamah are just like the Afghans. They are bedouins who do not play around, just like the Afghans.

Anyway, after a while, he disappeared, only to reappear in Damascus. He lived in an apartment, and began to gather and collect weapons. Allahu Akbar - he did not know of something called free time or boredom, and he did not know of fear. He gathered machineguns and grenades. Whenever he would hear of a place in Damascus where there was a grenade available, he would send one of the youth to go purchase it.

At this time, the intelligence was searching for him - ya Salam! - and at this time, I was at the University of Damascus. I was seeking to complete my degree at the university; I got my Bachelor's in Shari'ah from Damascus, and my Master's and Doctorate from al-Azhar. While I was standing in the university, a youth - one of Shaykh Marwan's students - came up to me and said: "Do you wish to see Shaykh Marwan?" I said: "What? Right away!" So, I went to him and entered his residence, and I looked at a face that did not belong to the people of this dunya. It was so pure and strange; the light emanating from his face. The first words he said to me - and he knew me from our days in Palestine - were: "O Abu Muhammad! Do you not long for Paradise?" And this was the last time I ever saw him.

Anyway, the police were searching for him, and what was he doing? Gathering weapons. He was searching for weapons that he could use to get rid of the Nusayris. One day, the intelligence discovered his apartment and surrounded it. Shaykh Marwan had two of his students with him, as well as his wife, with whom he had not yet consummated the marriage. He had said to her: "I do not wish to consummate with you, as I feel that this would prevent me from other things," so, he remained a virgin. Yes, he married, but did not consummate.

One of his students went down to buy some breakfast for them. He saw the cars waiting outside, so, he retreated. He saw six cars used by the intelligence, waiting. He tried to go back into the apartment building, but they caught him. This youth was carrying a pocketknife - the residents of Hamah usually carry knives in their back pockets - and the car was filled with six intelligence officers. So, his youth stood next to them, pulled out his knife, slaughtered each one of them, then he excaped. The sirens then began going off all over Damascus. The police began chasing him until they finally caught up with him in a building, where he jumped from the third or fourth floor to escape. He managed to get away from them, finally making it to Jordan.

Back to Shaykh Marwan: the police cars began surrounding his apartment building after the Fajr, and they began calling out through the microphone: "O residents of this building! Get out, as there is an Iraqi spy who we wish to arrest!" - at this time, there were disputes between Syria and Iraq. So, Shaykh Marwan grabbed his own microphone (he had his own microphone that he would use to call to prayer), saying: "O intelligece officers! O police! O you who are surrounding the building! We will give you fifteen minutes, and you must leave within these fifteen minutes. After this, we will begin fighting you if you do not leave." And he actually waited fifteen minutes, and after fifteen minutes, he began with the grenades and machinegun fire. Calls were being made to local police stations, and, eventually, over 1,000 police and intelligence officers were surrounding the house, against Marwan and one other brother with him, along with his wife. They tried entering the building, so, the other brother went down and met them at the entrance with some TNT. They then tried entering from above, landing on the building's roof with a helicopter - but who would be the brave one to enter first? One thousand against two.

By the time it was afternoon, they were still unable to enter the apartment building. They would fire from below, and he would fire back from above. After the afternoon, they finally entered the apartment. This was the excuse of Shaykh Marwan: he became injured in his hand, rendering it useless. He came out with his head up high. They took along with them his wife, who he had not consummated his marriage with.

The news was relayed to Hafidh al-Asad, who went crazy, as many officers were killed in the process. Hafidh al-Asad said: "I wish to solve this with him personally." So, he went to him personally, saying to him: "O Marwan! Let us open a new page with each other! Let Allah Forgive what has happened, and we will not take you to account for anything you did, with one condition: that you abandon your weapons." Marwan replied: "I agree, with one condition: that you assist me in establishing an Islamic state in Syria." Hafidh al-Asad gathered himself and left the room.

The Military Council gathered, including Naji Jamil - the commander of the Air Force - and Mustafa Tallas was also present, as well as a large group of the Nusayri officers and generals. They came to Shaykh Marwan. He sat down, looked to Naji Jamil and Mustafa Tallas, and said: "Woe to you, you dog, Naji Jamil! Do you think that we will let you live? I made the youth promise that they would start with you, you and Mustafa Tallas. Because of you, you dogs, we have been humiliated by these Nusayris; they violated our honor. As for you, you Nusayri generals, I made the youth promise that they would kill at least 5,000 of you." Naji Jamil said: "Take this insane man; take him away from me."

Afterwards, they would bring his wife into the cell next to him, trying to violate her while he was in captivity, and his soul began to tighten. Someone like this, with a free and honorable soul, sees her honor being violated, and he can do nothing about it. He is in captivity.

He lost so much weight that he reached 45 kg (99 lbs), and his weight used to be around 100 kg (around 220 lbs).

He finally died in prison, without anyone knowing whether he was killed or had died a natural death. Towards the end, his veins would not even accept glucose. When he died, they sent to his father to take his body. He asked them: "Did you kill him?" They replied: "No," and they buried his body in a graveyard in Damascus, with a hundred soldiers guarding his funeral, out of fear that the youth would take his body and demonstrate in Damascus."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 21-25]

11 December 2011

Doing without the life of this world in preference for the Hereafter

Allah (Subu’haanhu Wata’aala) says (which means):
"Whatever is with you will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allah [of good deeds] will remain.” [Surah An-Nahl (16), Ayah 96.]

"And the life of this world is but amusement and play! Verily, the home in the Hereafter, that is the life indeed, if they but knew." [Surah Al-'Ankabut
(29), Ayah 64.]

"The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception.” [Surah Ale- Imran (3), Ayah 185.]

"Say: ‘Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is [far] better for him who fears Allah, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly in the very least.'"[Surah An-Nisa (4), Ayah 77.]

"Nay, you prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more lasting." [Surah Al-A'la (87), Ayat 16-17.]

The Qur'an is replete with verses which tell us to do without the life of this world and its fleeting, short-lived pleasures and which encourage us to work for the Hereafter, which is better and more lasting.

Abstaining from the transitory pleasures of this life and preferring the Hereafter are by no means inseparable, for only those who forsake the pleasures of this world long for the Hereafter. Ibn-Taymiyyah said, "To eschew [the pleasures of this] life is [in fact] to forsake what is of no benefit to the Hereafter."

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "By Allah, the life of this world, compared to that in the Hereafter, is but like someone who puts his finger in the sea, so let him see what it brings out. "

He (Peace be upon him) also said, "The most truthful word ever uttered by a poet is that in which [the poet] Labeed says, ‘Verily, everything apart from Allah is but falsehood'."

And, "What have I to do with this world! I am no more in this world than a traveler who sought the shade of a tree then left it and continued [his journey]. "

And, "If this world had the value of a mosquito's wing in the sight of Allah, no disbeliever would have had a drink of water from it."

And, "Eschew the life of this world and Allah will love you."

The Qur'an and the Sunnah both encourage people to eschew this evanescent life and long for the everlasting bliss of the Hereafter.

Allah (Subu’haanhu Wata’aala)  says (which means),
"The description of Paradise which the righteous are promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and forgiveness from their Lord." [Surah Muhammad (47), Ayah 15.]

"[It will be said to the true believers]. My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve, [you] who believed in Our Signs and were Muslims. Enter Paradise, you and your wives, in happiness. Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them, [there will be] therein all that the one's inner-selves could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and therein will you abide forever. And this is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of your [good] deeds which you used to do [in the life of the world]. Therein for you will be fruits in plenty, of which you will eat [as you desire]." [Surah Az-Zukhruf (43), Ayat 68-73.]

"Verily, al-muttaqoon (the pious and righteous) will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers (paradise). In a seat of truth (Paradise), near the Omnipotent King (Allah, the All-Blessed, the Most High, the Owner of Majesty and Honour).” [Surah Al-Qamar (54), Ayat 54-55.]

"Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty) – looking at their Lord." [Surah Al-Qiyaamah (75), Ayat 22-23.]

[Other] faces, that Day, will be joyful, pleased with their striving [for their good deeds which they did in this world, along with the true faith of Islamic monotheism]. In a High Garden (Paradise), where they shall hear no harmful speech nor falsehood; therein will be a running spring; therein will be thrones [of dignity] raised high, and cups set at hand, and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all] spread out.” [Surah Al-Ghaashiyah (88), Ayat 8-16.]

The Prophet(Peace be upon him)  said, "You will see your Lord with your own eyes, just as you see the moon, never tiring of seeing Him."

He (Peace be upon him) also said, "The space taken up in the Hereafter by something as little as the whip of one of you is better than the whole of this earth and what is on it."

He (Peace be upon him) also said, "The smallest distance from Paradise is better than all the land over which the sun rises and sets."

The life of this world, therefore, is not a place of abode for a Muslim. It is rather a place of testing and trials. The Prophet said, "This world is the prison of a believer and the paradise of a disbeliever."

Indeed a Muslim has another abode, of which he is aware and for which he longs. He wants no more of this life than the provisions of good works necessary for completing the journey to his true home and that of Adam (as) before him. A journey towards Paradise, the width of which is as the width of the Heavens and the Earth. And if this life, with its pleasures and joys, stands as an obstacle on the road to Paradise, the believer will step over it by eschewing it and emptying the heart of any desire for it.

Az-Zuhd is to abandon all that is of no benefit in the Hereafter. It is therefore of utmost importance to forsake this life, which is bound to stand as a barrier between us and the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad said, "Eschewing worldly pleasures (Az-Zuhd) is to shorten the hopes."

It has also been said that Az-Zuhd is belittling the world and wiping affection for it from the heart. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Those who possess knowledge are in accord that the Eschewing of the world means the departure of the heart from the abode of this world to that of the Hereafter."

He also said, "Desiring the Hereafter can only be achieved by eschewing life of this world; and eschewing life of this world could only be achieved after taking two correct looks. The first is to look at the shortness of life, its quick disappearance and vileness. The second is to look at the Hereafter, its inevitability, eternity, constancy, the excellence and honour of its pleasures and joys, and the difference between it and what is here in this life. Allah (Subu’haanhu Wata’aala)  says (which means), "But the Hereafter is better and more lasting." [Surah Al-A'la (87), Ayah 17.]

Ibn Al-Qayyim also said, "The servant's love for this life and his acceptance of it is proportionately related to his slowness and prevarication in obeying Allah and seeking the Hereafter." How true are Ibn Al-Qayyim's words! This is why we have said that eschewing the worldly pleasures and seeking success in the Hereafter are important provisions for a Muslim who seeks to serve his religion, a provision without which there could be no sacrifice or selfless offering of the self required for the victory and superiority of Islam.
Once this provision is lacking, all efforts come to an end.

The Qur'an has chided those believers who have taken pleasure in this life, saying (which means),
"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that, when you are asked to march forth in the Cause of Allah (Jihad), you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world, as compared with the Hereafter." [Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 38.]

Then Allah (Subu’haanhu Wata’aala) promised them the severest punishment if they neglect this duty, saying (which means),
"If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment and will replace you by another people, and you cannot harm Him at all, and Allah is Able to do all things." [Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 39.]

Love for the life of this world, the attachment of the heart to it and the striving of the limbs for its sake all deter the servant to fight Jihad in the way of Allah. On the other hand, selling this life for the Hereafter is the catalyst for fighting in the way of Allah,

"Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter.” [Surah An-Nisa (4), Ayah 74.]

Indeed, it is the selling of this life for the Hereafter which makes one disdain all the harm one might suffer for the sake of Allah, "So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) the life of this world." [Surah Ta-Ha (20), Ayah 72.]

It is the selling of this life for the Hereafter which enticed Anas bin Nadhir to fight bravely in the Battle of Uhud until he sustained over eighty injuries, before finally falling as a martyr in the way of Allah. He sensed the winds of Paradise near Uhud, so he rushed towards it and Allah honored him with martyrdom before anyone else. It is the forsaking of life of this world in preference to the , Hereafter which filled the heart of ‘Umair bin Al-Hamam when he heard the Messenger of Allah(Peace be upon him)  , saying on the day of the Battle of Badr, "Rise to a Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heavens and the Earth." He said, "O Messenger of Allah, is Paradise as wide as the heavens and the Earth?" He (Peace be upon him) replied "Yes." To which he said: "Excellent! Excellent!". So he(Peace be upon him)  said: "What induced you to say ‘Excellent! Excellent!’", he said "O Messenger of Allah, I hope to be of its inhabitants." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "You shall be of them!" ‘Umair then produced some dates and started eating them, then he said, "If I were to live for as long as it would take me to eat these dates, it would be too long a life." He threw the dates to one side and then fought until he was killed.

This is the type of men that we lack today. It is the only type capable of working for Islam. We will never be able to be like these men in their courage, daring and sacrifice unless we become like them in their forsaking of this life in preference to the Hereafter. Books of Hadeeth and Seerah are replete with shining examples of such personalities who have sold this world for the Hereafter. We can only acquire their qualities of bravery, boldness and selfless sacrifice when we follow in their footsteps regarding their eschewing of this world. We will surely fail, however, if we wish to fight Jihad and strive hard for the cause of this religion without employing the ways and means to achieve such a goal and without severing the material ties that hold us down to the earth.

What we mean by eschewing worldly pleasures (Az-Zuhd) is not the forbidding of the permissible and lawful, such as money, food and marriage. Nor does it mean lowering our heads, keeping low profiles and insisting on assuming inferior appearances. The type of Az Zuhd which we mean is represented in three points:

1.    Forsaking what is forbidden

This is an obligation of individual responsibility (Fard Ain) for every single Muslim.

2.    Eschewing undesirable things and the peripheral aspects of the legally acceptable things

This type of Az-Zuhd is commendable and necessary for members of the Muslim Jama'ah if they wish to prevail in this life. We have little time for such peripherals, besides the fact that they will distract us from firmly adhering to and working for our faith.

3.    Eschewing life in general by `having it in the hands' and not making it a preoccupation of the heart

If worldly gains disappear after having enjoyed them, one is not saddened by the loss, nor does one rejoice in making such gains after long having been deprived of them.

Source: In Pursuit of Allah’s Pleasure by Dr. Naajeh Ibrahim, Sheikh 'Aasim 'Abdul Maajid, Sheikh 'Esaam-ud-Deen Darbaalah /Supervised by: Dr. Sheikh Umar Abdur Rahman /Translated by: A. Ibrahim Al-Arabi Ben Razzaq

06 December 2011

The biography of Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Mohamed (Peace be upon him)

She was the youngest daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his favorite. She married his cousin 'Ali bin Abi Talib and was the mother of the great martyrs of Islam, Hasan and Hussein. She was born in Makkah a few years before her father was granted Prophethood. Though both Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and Khadijah already had three daughters before her they expressed great happiness at her birth. Going against the accepted custom, her mother did not send her beloved youngest daughter away to be breast fed in any of the surrounding villages, but kept her with her and nursed her herself. She loved her too much to entrust her to anyone else's care. Some years later her father was declared by Allah to be His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and last Messenger.

She and her mother and sisters Zaynab, Ruqayya, and Umm Kulthum accepted Islam. She spent her early years under the loving and tender care of her parents. Zeal for the defense of what is sacred and love of the righteous was ingrained in her.

Before Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed himself the Last Prophet of Allah Almighty, he was the most popular, loved and respected man among the Quraysh. But once he announced himself to be the Allah's Prophet and Messenger, his whole life seemed to turn around. The streets he previously frequented were strewn with thorns and filth and garbage was thrown on him from balconies and rooftops. Elaborate plans were made to murder him. Naturally, all these trials and tribulations could not but leave a mark on his home life. Fatimah was passing the impressionable years of her childhood in the shadow of these events. Yet, her maturity was such that she faced all this with remarkable patience and determination. She fought like a courageous little tigress to defend her father and protect him. She would stand in front of him to shield him from the attacks of devilish men like Abu Jahl, 'Utbah and Shaybah.

On one occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into the sanctuary of Makkah with some of his Companions and started to pray, the disbelievers had just then sacrificed a camel. The filth and bowels of the camel were lying there, when a horrible idea came to Abu Jahl. He asked who among his friends would like to lift all that filth and pile it on the back of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'it, the lowest of the low among his friends, got up shrugged his shoulders with satanic glee, and said he would perform the task. And he lifted up the bloody filthy mess and piled it on the Prophet's back while he was in the act of prostrating before Allah. All of them then broke into peals of uncontrollable devilish laughter. When news of this dastardly act reached Fatimah, she rushed to the sanctuary. Removing with her little hands the impurity, furious at the brutal treatment given to her beloved father, she scolded the disbelievers. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayers, he lifted his hands in supplication and appealed to Allah to hold these men, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, Shaybah bin Rabi'ah, 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'it and Umayyah bin Khalaf, in His relentless grip. These devils became very nervous because they knew that any supplication made at the sanctuary in Makkah is never rejected by Allah Almighty. And the Prophet's prayers were answered.

Once Abu Jahl was sitting with the disbelievers in front of the Ka'bah, they were planning how to eliminate this man for the 'crime' of rejecting the idols. They hated him for propagating the Oneness of Allah and for proclaiming himself as His Last Prophet and Messenger. Fatimah happened to pass by and heard him. She was so terrified of what these barbarians could do to her father that she went running to tell him of their dastardly plot. As she wept she told him they had sworn in the names of their most famous idols to kill him. All of them would attack him the moment he stepped out of his house. Innocently she asked him what would happen now. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her to have faith in Allah, as He was her father's Protector.

Once Fatimah passed by Abu Jahl bin Hisham on the street and he, for no reason, gave her a slap across the face. She went to Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraysh, and complained to him about Abu Jahl's uncivilized behavior. Abu Sufyan took her with him to the place where the barbarian was still sitting, and told her to slap him in exactly the same way as he had done. When she went home and narrated this incident to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) he was very pleased at Abu Sufyan's sense of justice and fair play. He then prayed that he should accept Islam as the true religion. His supplications for Abu Sufyan were accepted and he finally swore allegiance to Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

Seven years had passed since Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) declared himself to be Allah's chosen Prophet. The whole might of the Quraysh had not been able to silence him and his Message; the people who answered the call of Allah were persecuted and tortured in every way possible. When Hamzah bin 'Abdul Muttalib and 'Umar bin Khattab accepted Islam the whole of Makkah was shaken. The people started pushing the leaders to take some action. They decided to boycott the Muslims, socially and economically, even food and water was withheld. The Muslims went into a state of siege in Shi'b Abi Talib which lasted for three years.

The richest woman of Makkah, Khadijah, and her daughters the youngest stood like rocks by their father. They would give their lives for him. And in a sense little Fatimah did, because this mental and physical ordeal affected her health and physique for the rest of her life.

Soon after the siege of was lifted, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Fatimah and her sisters went through the trauma of losing their beloved Khadijah, and his greatest supporter and defender, his uncle Abi Talib. Fatimah was facing all these troubles and experiencing them first hand side by side with her father. It was also at this time that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to Ta'if with the Message of Islam. they welcomed him with stones and he left injured and bleeding, he prayed to Allah to guide them to the right path.

Umm Kulthum and Fatimah started weeping when they saw his condition. He affectionately wiped away their tears and consoled them. He said it was inevitable that Allah would help to spread His religion and make it triumph against all odds. Easier times were bound to follow the hard and difficult days.

And sure enough Mus'ab bin 'Umair who was the Prophet's ambassador to Al-Madinah gave the good news that the people there were being drawn into the fold of Islam. They invited Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to settle in their city, and promised to help him in any way they could. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their invitation and with the consent of Allah Almighty decided to migrate to Al-Madinah. He left his two daughters at home in Makkah, with his new wife Sawdah bint Zam'ah.

He sent for them later, and thus these three ladies also had the privilege of becoming migrants for the cause. But the disbelievers could not bear to see them all moving out either. Some mischievous elements caught hold of them on the outskirts of Makkah. One evil Qurayshi youth, Huwayrith bin Naqith started jabbing at the camel on which the Prophet's daughters were riding, and the camel reared up in the air, and the two girls fell down. When he saw this he ran away.

When they reached their destination, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received them. He was very happy to see them alive and well. Those whom Allah Almighty protects, no one can harm them.
When Fatimah was eighteen years old and prominent personalities started proposing for her, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said he was waiting for a sign from Allah. One day 'Ali came to see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) but he was very shy and diffident and seemed to be holding something back. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) realized what was on his mind and asked him if he came to propose marriage to Fatimah. 'Ali answered that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Fatimah what she thought of the proposal. She started to weep silently. He then told her that 'Ali was a learned, kind-hearted and brave young man. Fatimah accepted her father's decision. He then asked 'Ali if he had some money for the dowry. 'Ali replied that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had seen his life from the cradle and knew his financial position very well. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him where his shield was, and said that would be the dowry for Fatimah. 'Ali sent it to the market with his slave to be sold and got four hundred Dirhams for it. This he gave to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who asked him to keep the money and buy some things for the house and perfume for the wedding. Then he asked his esteemed companions to attend the ceremony.

Ali read out a speech for the occasion: 'All Praise is for Allah. We are grateful to Him for His Bounties and His Blessings. I bear witness that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, vouching for Him so it will reach Him and gain His Favor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has married his daughter, Fatimah to me and the Mahr has been fixed at four hundred Dirhams. Now all those present please listen to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has to say and bear witness.'

After that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) praised Allah Almighty and recited the marriage ceremony, after asking Fatimah for her consent. He announced the Mahr and told all those present that Allah had commanded him to have Fatimah married to 'Ali. After that he prayed for a happy and blessed future for the bride and groom.

Some basic things were purchased for the house to which 'Ali and Fatimah moved. A bed, a pillow filled with the leaves of dried date palm, a plate, a glass, a water bag and a grinding stone, these were the few things with which the daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set up her new home. The house that was available was quite a distance from the Prophet's Mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wished his daughter could live closer to him, so that he could see her daily. When one of the Companion Harithah bin Nu'man Ansari, came to know of this he approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) very respectfully, saying he had a number of houses close to the Prophet's Mosque and he was welcome to choose any one of them. This would make that particular house dearer to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was very moved by this offer and chose one for Fatimah So, 'Ali and Fatimah moved in and started the routine of daily life. It was usual for her to grind the wheat, fetch water from the well and cook their meals.

Since she was not very healthy, the siege having left its mark on her, Fatimah used to get very tired with all this hard work. On one occasion after a battle, a lot of money, precious jewelry and prisoners of war, both men and women, were taken by the Muslim army. 'Ali suggested that she should go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and ask him for a maid to help.

Fatimah went to see her father and request him for some help. He was not at home and she left a message with 'A'ishah. At night, before going to sleep, her father came to visit her. He told her that he would give her something much better than a slave girl. And he taught her some phrases in praise of Almighty Allah. These, he said, were better than any maid. And he taught her to recite thirty-three times Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah), thirty-three times Alhumdulillah (All praise is for Allah), thirty-three times Allah-u-Akbar (Allah is the greatest).

Fatimah spent her entire life as a pious servant of Allah, always patient and grateful to her Maker, there was not a word of complaint from her, however difficult the circumstances. The world and its attractions held no charm for her. Her motto in life was always service for Islam. In the battles she was at the front nursing the wound the sick. When her father was injured in the battle of Uhud, it was she who burnt a part of a straw mat and used its ashes to stem the flow of blood. There is a narration in Sahih Al-Bukhari that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked on one occasion whom he loved best in the world he named his youngest daughter, Fatimah.

05 December 2011

Feeling the world not to be precious , A characteristic of the salaf

From the morals and manners of the Salaf (Pious predecessors) was that they would feel that the world was insignificant as the Messenger of Allah(  Peace be upon him) said, “What is the world compared to the Afterlife except like one of you was to put his finger in a sea and see how much water it retains'" He (Peace be upon him) also said, 'If the world meant as much as a wing of a mosquito to Allah, He would, not have let the disbeliever take a drink of water (from it).

Maalik ibn Deenar (Rahimahullah) said, "Beware of the sorcerer (the world) who enchant the hearts of the scholars distracting them from Allah the Most High. Its nature is uglier than the magic Haarut and Maarut came with, since their magic separated a man from his wife, where as the world separates a slave from his Master."

Hasan al-Basri used to say, 'We have met a certain people to whom the world was like something entrusted to them which they would have to give back to its owner. They saw that they did not own anything therein, so they traveled lightly to the hereafter’.

‘Abdullah ibn Mubarak would say “The world is the believers’ prison.  The best action in the prison is patience and control of one’s anger. The believer has no country in the world. His land will be there tomorrow in the afterlife.

One of the Salaf used to say:”If you want to be close to Allah then put an iron wall between yourself and your desires”. 

Source: from the characteristics of the salaf

03 December 2011

Taking Advantage of Youth, Health and Free Time

Taking Advantage of Youth, Health and Free Time and Hastening to do Good Deeds before the Occurrence of that which will cause these Things to Cease



The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:
"Free time and good health are two blessings (from Allah) that many people take for granted."

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said to a man, while admonishing him:
"Take advantage of five before five: Your youth before you become old; your health before you become sick; your wealth before you become poor; your free time before you become busy; and your life before you die".

Ghaneem bin Qays said:
"We would take admonition in the beginning of Islam from the following: 'O son of Adam! Perform deeds in your free time for the time when you will be preoccupied; in your youth for the time when you will become elderly; in your health for the time when you will be sick; in your worldly life for the time when you will be in the Hereafter; and in your life for the time when you will be dead."

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:
"The person with the worst reckoning on the Day of Judgment is the one with sufficient means, the one with free time."

Shuraih once saw some of his neighbors wandering about aimlessly, so he said to them:
"What is the matter with you?" They replied: "We have free time today." So he said: "Is this what the one with free time was ordered to do?"

Abud-Dardaa wrote to Salmaan:
"From Abud-Dardaa to Salmaan: O my brother, take advantage of your health and your free time before some affliction befalls you which none of the people will be able to remove from you."

Al Awzaa'ee wrote to one of his brothers:
"To proceed: You are surrounded from all sides (by the Devil) and he is constantly whispering to you every day. So be fearful of Allah and of standing in front of Him."

I was with Sufyaan Ath-Thawree in Al-Masjid Al Haram, when he said:
"O 'Ataa, we are sitting while the day is busy doing its affairs." I said: "I am in a good state, if Allah wills." He said: "Yes, but it is about hastening to take advantage (of one's time)." Then he told me: "0 'Ataa, verily when the believer is in his final place of standing, he will see with his eyes what Allah has prepared for him in Paradise, but yet (in spite of this), he will wish that he was never created due to the state of fright he will be in."

Ibn As Samaak entered into the presence of Abu Bakr An Nahshalee while he was in the marketplace praying with head motions, so he (Ibn AsSamaak) said: ' SubhanAllaah over such a state of being!' So he (i.e. Abu Bakr) said:
"O Ibn As-Samaak, I am taking advantage of (my time before) the closing of my book (of deeds)."

'Abdaan bin 'Uthmaan narrated saying: I heard Ibn Al-Mubaarak say:
"Take advantage of performing two prayer units (rak'ah) to draw closer to Allah when you are in a relaxed state and not preoccupied. And when you feel like uttering words of falsehood, replace that instead with tasbeeh (i.e. saying SubhaanAllaah)."

As-Sarree As-Saqatee said:
"Every day that has passed by, you will not find anymore
So if you are upon one (now, i.e. another day), then treat it greatly."

Sa'eed bin Saalim said:
"Rawh bin Zinbaa' came upon a home between Makkah and Madeenah on a summer day and brought his food home with him. At that point a shepherd was descending from a hill, so he said to him: 'O shepherd, come here to eat.' The man replied: 'I'm fasting.' Rawh said: 'Are you fasting in this intense heat?' So the shepherd said: 'Should I then let (all) my days go in vain?' So Rawh recited the following poetic verses:
'You have been stingy with your days, O shepherd
Whereas Rawh bin Zinbaa' is generous with his.'"

 'Abdullaah bin Al-Mu'taz said:
"Seize the available opportunity, and do not anticipate tomorrow. For who can guarantee that tomorrow will occur?"

Hafsah bint Sireen used to say:
"O gathering of youth! Perform (righteous) deeds, for indeed the time for performing actions is during the age of adolescence."

One wise man once wrote to one of his brothers who was young:
"To proceed: Indeed, I see that the majority of those who die are the youth. And the proof for this is that the elders are few”.

A man from the family of Dawood At-Taa'ee, said: "I said to Dawood At-Taa'ee: 'O Abu Sulaymaan! You are aware of the family ties between us and you, so advise us.' So his eyes filled with tears. Then he said:
'O my brother, verily, the night and the day are stages that the people pass through - stage by stage - until this takes them to the end of their journey. So if you are able to put forth a provision during every day's stage, then do so, for indeed, the end of the journey is as near as it can get, and the affair (i.e. Day of Judgment) is quicker than that. So take provisions for your journey. And take yourself to account, for indeed (on that Day), you will not be able judge in your affair. So it is as if your affair has come upon you all of a sudden. And I don't know anyone that is more heedless of this than me.' Then he got up and left me."

'Umar bin Muhammad bin Ahmad once recited the following poetic verses:
"You are immersed in reckless hopes
You don't know when your time (i.e. death) will come
Do not let good health deceive you
For it is from the most painful of illnesses
Every soul is dependent upon its (present) day
For in the morning (i.e. tomorrow), his hopes are cut off
Therefore, do good and strive hard in that
Before you are prevented from deeds."

AlWaleed bin Saalih narrated from a man who said: I saw the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in a dream and he said to me:
"Whoever treats his two days (i.e. today and tomorrow) equally is cheated. Whoever's tomorrow is the worst of his two days is cursed. Whoever doesn't acknowledge the deficiency in him is given into deficiency. And whoever is given into deficiency, death is better for him."

Abu 'Abdillaah Ahmad bin Ayoob once recited :
"Take advantage of your free time by exceeding in prayer
For perhaps your death will befall you all of a sudden
How many a healthy person have you seen not having any illness
Yet his healthy soul has departed (in death) unexpectedly."


Abridged from the book Iqtidaa-ul-‘Ilm al-‘Amal (Knowledge Mandates Action) By Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin ‘Alee Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee [Died: 463H]