31 May 2012

How to Save Oneself from the Fire


As it is kufr that will condemn a person to eternal Hell, the way to be saved from Hell is through eemaan and righteous deeds. So the Muslims pray to their Rabb with faith to save them from the Fire:

"Those who say, "Our Rabb! We have indeed believed, forgive us then, our sins and save us from the agony of the Fire". (3:16)

"...Our Rabb! Not for naught have You created [all] this, glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. Our Rabb! Any whom You admit to the Fire, truly You cover with shame, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers. Our Rabb! We have heard the call of one calling [us] to faith: "Believe in your Rabb," and we have believed. Our Rabb! Forgive us our sins and blot out from us our inequities, and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the righteous [al-Abraar]. Our Rabb! Grant us what You did promise unto us through Your Messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement, for You never break Your Promise". (3:191-194)

Many ahadith speak in detail about this matter and describe the deeds that will protect one from the Fire, for example, love of Allah (swt). In al-Haakim's al-Mustadrak, and Ahmad's al-Musnad, a report from Anas ibn Maalik (ra) states, "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "By Allah (swt), Allah will never thrown one whom He loves into the Fire" (sahih, See Sahih al-Jaami' 6/104)

Fasting is also a source of protection from the Fire, as Ahmad reports in al-Musnad and al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Imaan, with a hasan isnaad from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah: "The Prophet (saw) said, "Allah (swt) says, "Fasting is a shield with which one may protect oneself from the Fire". (Sahih al-Jaami, 4/114)

In Shu'ab al-Imaan, al-Bayhaqi reports from 'Uthmaan ibn Abil-Aas that the Prophet (saw) said, "Fasting is a shield from the punishment of Allah (swt)" It was reported by Ahmad, an-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah and its isnaad is saheeh (Sahih al-Jaami' 3/264).

If fasting is accomplished at the time of jihaad against the enemy, then that is a great victory, as it was reported from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Whoever fasts for one day when he is engaged in jihaad for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove him [lit. his face] seventy years distance from the Fire". (Ahmad, al-Bukhaari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa'ee - Sahih al-Jaami' 5/310)

Other means of salvation from the Fire are fear of Allah and jihaad for His sake:

"But for him who fears the standing before his Rabb, there will be two gardens [ie in Paradise]" (55:46)

at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa'ee reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah(saw) said: "No one who weeps out of fear of Allah will enter Hell until the milk goes back into the breast [i.e. never] and a man will never have both the dust from fighting in the way of Allah (swt) and the smoke of Hell". (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/356, no. 3828, isnaad is sahih)

al-Bukhaari reports from Abu 'Abs that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "No two feet that get dusty for the sake of Allah (swt) will never meet in the Fire of Hell". (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/349, no. 3794)

Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "A Kaafir and the one who kills him will never meet in the Fire of Hell." (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/349, no. 3795)

We may also be shielded from the Fire by seeking protection with Allah from it:

"Those who say, "our Rabb! Avert from us the wrath of Hell, for its wrath is indeed an affliction grievous." Evil indeed is it as an abode and as a place to rest in". (25:64-65)

Ahmad, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan, and al-Haakim report with a sahih isnaad from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "No one asks Allah (swt)) for Paradise three times, but Paradise will say, "O Allah (swt) admit him to Paradise". And no Muslim asks Allah for protection from Hell three times, but Hell will say, "O Allah save him from me"" (Sahih al-Jaami, 5/145, no.5506)

al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that when the Prophet (saw) was discussing the angels who seek out gatherings of dhikr he said, "Allah (swt) asks them and He knows best, "What are they seeking protection from?" They tell Him, "From the Fire". He asks, "And have they seen it." They say, "No, by Allah, O Rabb, They have not seen it." He says, "How would it be if they had seen it?" They say, "They would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it". He (swt) says, "Bear witness that I have forgiven them"". (Sahih al-Jaami', 2/233, no. 2169)

Source: Al-Jannah Wa An-Naar by 'Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar

23 May 2012

Is Islam unjust to women?


Question: Some people started believing in what the media of the enemies try to spread, which is an intellectual planned invasion. Like when they say: “ Islam is unjust to women, Islam has kept women at their homes and thus kept half of the society unemployed”. What is your answer and comment on this lie?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Answer: My comment on this is that these words can only come from one who is ignorant of sharee’ah, ignorant of Islam, ignorant of the rights of women, and is impressed by the attitudes and ways of the enemies of Allah who are far away from the truth. Islam – praise be to Allah – did not take away women’s rights, but Islam is the religion of wisdom which gives everyone his or her rightful status. Women’s work is in the home, and her staying at home is for the purpose of looking after her husband, raising her children, taking care the household affairs, and doing work that is suited to her. The man has his own work to do, which is usually earning a living and benefiting the ummah. When she stays at home to look after him and her children, and the interests of her children, that is the work that is suited to her. It is also a protection for her, as it keeps her far away from immorality which may occur if she goes out and works with men. It is well known that when women work with men that also adversely affects the man’s work, because the man has a natural inclination towards the woman. If he works with her he will be distracted by this woman, especially if she is young and beautiful. He will forget his work and if he does it, he will not do it properly. The one who studies the situation of the Muslims at the beginning of Islam will see how they protected their womenfolk and how they did their work in the best manner. End quote.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen.
Alfaaz wa Mafaaheem fi Meezaan al-Sharee’ah (p. 72-73).

13 May 2012

“I know exactly who you are…”


Abu Bakr said: “Let not any Muslim belittle another Muslim, for the lowest of the Muslims is great in the Sight of Allah.”

Wahb (bin al-Munabbih) said: “When Allah Created the Garden of Eden, He looked to it and said: “You are forbidden for every arrogant person!”“

al-Ahnaf bin Qays used to sit with Mus’ab bin az-Zubayr on his sleeping mat and talk. One day, he came to find Mus’ab extending his feet forward, so, he pushed his legs aside to make room for himself to sit. When he saw the signs of displeasure on Mus’ab’s face from this, he said: “How strange is the son of Adam! He is arrogant while he was originated from an organ that transports urine!”

al-Hasan (al-Basri) said: “I wonder at the son of Adam! He uses his hand to wash himself from his waste once or twice a day, yet he seeks to compete with the All-Mighty?”

Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin ‘Ali said: “The heart of a person is never afflicted with the slightest bit of arrogance except that his intelligence and sanity is decreased because of that in accordance with how much of that arrogance has entered his heart.”

Sulayman was asked about a bad deed that cannot be wiped away with a good dead, so he replied: “Arrogance.”

‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz went for Hajj before he became the khalifah, and Tawus saw him walking with a slight swing in his walk that he thought looked boastful. So, he went up to ‘Umar and nudged him in his side, saying to him: “Is this the walk of one whose stomach carries waste?”
 
Muhammad bin Wasi’ saw his son acting boastful, so, he called him over and said: “Do you know who you are? As for your mother, then I purchased her for a mere one hundred dirhams. As for your father, then may Allah not increase his likes amongst the Muslims!”

Mutraf bin ‘Abdullah saw al-Muhallab walking in a new overcoat he had bought, looking pleased with himself. So, he said to him: “O Abu ‘Abdullah! This is a type of walking that is hated by Allah and His Messenger!” So, al-Muhallab said to him: “Do you have any idea who I am?” So, Mutraf replied: “I know exactly who you are: your beginning is in the form of a tiny clot of sperm and egg, and your end is in the form of a rotten corpse!” So, al-Muhallab abandoned that type of walking from then on.

['Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din'; 3/400-402]

Link 

10 May 2012

Donot be proud of your knowledge


By: Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi
 
If you are proud of your knowledge, you should know that it is no credit to you, it is a pure gift that Allah has granted you. Do not receive it in a way that would anger the Almighty because He might wipe it from you by subjecting you to an illness which would make you forget all that you have learned and stored in your memory. I have been told that this happened to ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Tarif [d.400 AH, 1009 CE], who was a scholar, intelligent, moderate, exact in his researches, who had been allotted by fate such a prodigious memory that virtually nothing reached his ears that had to be said to him twice. Now he undertook a journey by ship and experienced such a terrible storm at sea that he lost the memory of most of what he had learnt and suffered considerable upset to his mind. He never recovered his full intelligence. I myself have been struck by illness. When I got up from it I had forgotten all my knowledge except for a few ideas of little value. I did not recover it until several years later.

Source: Al-Akhlâq wa’l-Siyar (Morals and Behaviour) By Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi