Khushoo in prostration

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Try to feel modesty in your bowing and humility in your prostration because in such a position you have placed the soul in its proper place. In prostration you have returned the limbs to their place of origin-upon the dust from which they were created. Understand also the meaning of the remembrances with inclination and zeal."

Al-Qaasimee (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "It is desirable  that you renew the mention of the Greatness of Allah, the Sublime,  during them, that you strive to soften your heart, renew your  khushoo' and that you sense and realize the power of your Master  and His transcendency, then your own lowliness and insignificance.

Seek help from Allah to establish all of that in your heart and upon your tongue. Glorify Allah (above all defects) then give testimony for His Grandeur and that He is Mightier than every single thing. Repeat this so that it is confirmed and established (in your heart).  By saying, "Allah listens to the one who praises Him..." which means He will respond to the one who is grateful to Him, you raise your head from the bowing with certain hope. Then follow that with additional gratefulness by saying, "O Lord! To You belongs all praise." Then fall into prostration which is the highest form of submission and yielding oneself (to Allah). Place and fix the noblest of your limbs, the face, upon the lowest of things, the dust. Along  with this renew in your heart the greatness of Allah and say,  "Glorified is my Lord the Highest," then raise your head while  declaring His greatness and asking Him for your need by saying, "O Lord! Forgive me and show mercy to me." Confirm your modesty and humility by repeating this a number of times and then return to the prostration for a second time.

Source: The Path to Guidance by Ibn Al-Qayyim

Four kinds of companionship

Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimu Allah cites four different kinds of companionship.

They are: 

a) People whose company is like food. It is indispensable, night or day. Once we have taken our need from this company we can leave it until we need it again. These are people with knowledge of Allah, who are pious, who wish well for Allah, His prophet and His servants. Associating with them is an achievement in itself.

b) People whose company is like a medicine. Their company is only needed when a disease sets in. When you are healthy you have no need for them, but mixing with them is sometimes necessary such as livelihood, business and consultation. Once what you need has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.

c) People whose company is harmful. Mixing with these people is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees. You will never benefit from them in this life or in the next life if you have them for company. You will lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established then it becomes fatal.

Among such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor  listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls. Their words are like lashes, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words. They cause distress to their company, while believe they are the center of attraction. Mixing with such a person will inevitably come to an end and is destined to be doomed. In such cases a person should just hold on to good behavior, only presenting such company with his outward appearance, until Allah subhana wa ta'ala offers him a way out of this company and out of its afflictions.

d) People whose company is evil in itself. This is like taking poison, its victim either finds an antidote for it or dies. Many belong to this category. They are people of shirk and misguidance who abandon the Sunnah and bring their personal beliefs as the truth. A Muslim should not sit in their company nor mix with them. The result of which will be a death of the heart.

With these kinds of companionships, we need to be more aware of what we choose to surround ourselvers with. In addition, Hasan al Basri said "The heart becomes corrupt in six ways: commiting sins in the hope of repenting, seeking knowledge and not applying it, practice without ikhlas (sincerity), eating the sustenance of Allah without appreciating Him, not being please with Allah's decree and burying the dead without learning from them."

Thus, in our effort to have increased taqwa we must surround ourselves with company who only seek to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala in speech and in actions. We must also take time to acquire knowledge from the pious of the past and of the present. And  finally, we likewise must make an effort to keep company of those who are hungry for knowledge about Allah subhana wa ta'ala and Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Source

Do not feel secure of Allah's Punishment

O you who are deceived by false hopes! Satan was cursed and descended from the glorious abode by neglecting one prostration he was ordered to perform. Adam descended from Paradise because of a mouthful he ate. The criminal was separated by a handful of blood. Moreover, the adulterer is supposed to be killed in the most awful way because he committed an unlawful act. Flogging is enjoined on him who says a word of slander, or drinks a drop of liquor. He (Allah) ordered that one of your hands should be cut in case theft is committed, so do not feel secure, for He might cast you into Hellfire because of only one sin.
Allah, the Almighty says,

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا 

(Meaning of the Ayah), "And He (Allah) feared not the consequences thereof." (Ash-Shams, 91:15)

A woman was cast into Hellfire because of a cat. One may utter a word carelessly, which displeases Allah. This might be done without thinking about the gravity of the word, and then because of that he will be thrown into the Hellfire, like the distance between the east and the west. And one may obey Allah for sixty years, and at his death he misjudges, and this will be the reason for his being thrown into Hellfire. The person’s lifetime is judged by its end, and man's actions are regarded by their final deeds. Whoever breaks his ablution before the final salutation, surely his prayer becomes invalid, and whoever breaks his fast before sunset, surely his fast is invalid, and whoever is sinful at the end of his life, surely he will meet Allah in that state. If you give charity, surely you will find the blessings thereof, but beware of greed. How many times do you seek a good reward but it is rejected because of procrastination?

Verily, no salvation is found when faith is incomplete, when false hope is overestimated, when a disease has no remedy or visitor, when one insists on vain desires, when a sleeping heedless mind wanders blindly in wild intoxication, overwhelmed by its ignorance, feeling alienated from his Lord, and finding delight with his servants, and remembering people is his power and pleasure, while remembering Allah is his prison and death. To Allah he offers superficial acts of worship, and to people his devotion and trust are directed.

Taken from Al Fawaid by Ibn al-Qayyim 

Some beautiful sayings of Ibn Mas'ud

One of the sayings of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was that a man said in his presence, "I do not like to be from among the companions of the right hand, but I would like to be from among those who are nearest to Allah." 'Abdullah said, "But there is a servant here, who wishes that when he dies he will not be resurrected again (meaning himself)."

He went out one day, and some people followed him, so he asked them, "Do you need anything?" They said, "No, but we want to walk with you (as your followers)." He said, "Go back; you are humiliating yourselves and may do so to me." 

And he said, "If you knew about me what I knew about myself,you would pour dust upon my head." 

And he said, "I preferred the two unpleasant matters: death and poverty; by Allah they are in reality wealth and life, and I do not care which of them I may be afflicted with, as I will seek Allah in each of them; if it is wealth, it means I am going to meet Allah, and if it is poverty, I will be patient."

And he said, "As you walk in the night and day your age decreases and your deeds are recorded, and death will come suddenly. Whoever sows good deeds, he will harvest goodness, and whoever sows evil deeds, he will harvest regret. Everyone will reap what he sows; he will neither precede a slow man according to his fortune nor catch up with an eager man unless it is destined for him.”

“Whoever does good, must know that it is Allah, who allowed him to do so, and whoever is protected from evil, must know that it is Allah, who protected him”.

“Pious people are masters, jurists are leaders, and accompanying them will increase your good.”

“They are two: guidance and speech. The best speech is the words of Allah and the best guidance is that of Muhammad (peace be upon him). The worst matter of all is innovations and every innovation is a novelty, so do not be disturbed by hopes and do not waste time.”

“Whatever is coming is near at hand and whatever is far will not come. Whoever is unhappy was destined to be so, when he was in his mother's womb and the happy servant is the one who takes the examples of others.”

"Killing a Muslim is disbelief, abusing him is an evil doing and the Muslim is not allowed to abandon his brother for more than three days; he must greet him when he meets him, answer him when he calls him, and visit him when he is ill. The most evil account is that of lying. Lying contains no good, neither in cases of seriousness nor joking nor when a man promises his son something and does not fulfill it. Falsehood leads to wickedness and evil doing, and wickedness leads to the Hellfire and Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. It would be said to the truthful person that he was truthful and pious, and it would be said to the lying person that he was lying and wicked. Muhammad (peace be upon him) said to us,
"And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person and a man may keep on telling lies until he is written before Allah as a liar.”

“The most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the most correct word is the word of piety, the best religion is that of Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him), the best Sunnah is the sunnah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), the best guidance is the guidance of the Prophets,
the most honorable talk is remembering Allah, the best account is the Our'an, the best matters are its consequences, and the worst matter is innovation. Whatever is little but sufficient is better than what is a lot but distracting. A soul that you save from evil is better than an emirate that you cannot control. The worst excuse is when it is the time of death and the worst regret is on the Day of Resurrection. The worst error is that which is done after guidance. The best wealth is the wealth of the soul. The best provision is piety. The best content of the heart is certainty, and doubt is disbelief. The worst blindness is blindness of the heart. Wine is a collection of evil, and unrighteous women are the traps of Satan. Adolescence is a kind of insanity, and wailing is a deed from the pre-Islamic era.”

“Among people are those who attend Friday prayer and hardly pay attention to it and remember Allah with his tongue but not with his heart. The gravest sin is lying, and whoever pardons people Allah will pardon him. Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will reward him, and whoever forgives, Allah will forgive him. Whoever is patient during disasters, Allah will recompense him. The worst of profits is usury, and the worst kind of eating is devouring an orphan's property. Whatever satisfies the soul is enough for you. The destiny of each of you is the grave. Matters depend upon their consequences. The most honorable way of dying is the death of a martyr. Whoever is proud, Allah will humiliate him, and whoever disobeys Allah, will obey Satan.

People who have memorized the Our'an should be known by the night when people are sleeping and he is awake, and by the morning when people are not fasting but he is, by his sadness when they are happy, by his crying when they are laughing, by his silence when they are slandering, and by his piety and humility when they are arrogant. He who has memorized the Our'an should be tearful, sad, wise, patient, and calm, he should not be rude, inattentive, loud or cruel.

Whoever assaults others because of his authority, Allah will degrade him. Whoever is humble because of his piety, Allah will elevate him. Allah has a gathering and Satan has a gathering. The gathering of Allah promises good and believes in right, while the gathering of Satan threatens evil and doubts right. If you see such gatherings seek refuge with Allah.

“People have many good sayings, and whoever's words agree with his deeds, he would have been granted goodness, and whoever's sayings contradict his deeds, he is simply scolding himself.”

“I hate to find a lazy, empty man, who neither works for his worldly living nor for the Hereafter. He whose prayer did not command him to do right and did not forbid him from doing wrong. It will not be of any use to him; it will only increase the distance between him and Allah.”

“Undoubtedly one should never please people by displeasing Allah, should not praise anyone for that which Allah had bestowed on you, and never blame anyone for that which Allah did not grant you. The blessings of Allah will not be gained according to someone's desires nor will they be removed because of someone's hatred. Allah in His justice and patience makes the soul happy by being content, and makes sadness and grief when one doubts and is discontent.”

“As long as you are performing prayer, you are knocking at the door of Allah, and whoever is knocking at the door of Allah, Allah will open it for him.”

“Man almost forgets the knowledge he has gained because of the sins he has committed.”

“Do not neglect knowledge and guidance, or the light of night, renewed hearts, and wearing worn clothes. In this way you will be known in the heavens and hidden from the people of the earth.”

“The hearts of man pass through two phases: activity and inactivity, so seek your hearts while they are in the state of activity and control them in the phase of inactivity.”

“Knowledge is not being able to narrate several accounts but by being pious.”

“The disbeliever may have a stronger and healthier body but he has the sickest heart among them, and the believer has the healthiest heart among people but perhaps the weakest body. By Allah, if your hearts are sick and your bodies are healthy, you would be lower than an insect in the sight of Allah.”

“The servant of Allah will not reach the reality of faith until he reaches its top, and he will not reach its top until poverty becomes preferable to him more than wealth, humility more preferable than honor, and until the one who praises or dispraises him are equal in his sight. Man comes out of his house with his religion and returns with nothing. A person comes to you while he cannot do anything for you nor your soul, either good or bad, and swore by Allah to others that he is good and he flatters you, and he returns and does nothing from what he wanted and Allah is not pleased with him.”

“If I mocked at a dog, I would be afraid of being changed into one.”

“Sin is whatever the heart is not comfortable with.”

“In every look, Satan will seduce you.”

“With happiness comes sadness. Every house that once was filled with joy will be faced with examples and each one of you is a guest and his money is a loan; the guest will travel and the loan will be repaid.”

“Later in time there will be nations whose best deeds will be reciting among themselves and listening to evil reciters.”

“If man wanted to be treated justly by his soul, he should visit those whom he would like to be visited by. The right is heavy but healthy, and evil is light but harmful.”

“Perhaps one desire causes long term sadness.”

“There is nothing on earth that badly needs to be imprisoned more than the tongue.”

“If adultery and usury appeared in a town or village, it is a sign of its coming destruction.”

“Whoever could put his treasure in heaven so that it would neither be eaten by worms nor stolen by thieves; he must do so, as the heart of man is his treasure.”

“Do not imitate anyone concerning religion; if he believes you, you believe and if he disbelieves you, you will disbelieve. If you must imitate, you should imitate dead people as the living are not protected from seduction.”

“None of you should be weak. They said, "What do you mean by weak?" He said, "He says, 'I am with the people; if they are on the right way I will be on the right way and if they go astray I will go astray. One should adjust himself to adhere to Islam even when people disbelieve."

A man said to him, "Teach me words that are complete and useful." He said, "Worship Allah and do not worship any partners with Him, adhere to the Our'an whatever it says, and whoever calls you to the right accept it from him even if he is far from you and odious, and whoever calls you to what is wrong reject him even if he is a lover and close to you."

“The servant of Allah will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and he would be ordered to render back his trust, and he would say, "0 My Lord! From where? The worldly life has gone." Then this trust would be shaped as it had been during this worldly life but it will be in the bottom of Hellfire, and he would fall down after it, put it on his shoulder, and begin to come up until he thought that he is about to come out, but it would fall again and he would fall after it forever."

“Submit your heart in three situations: when listening to the Our'an, during gatherings of remembering Allah, and during times of solitude. If you do not find your heart in these three situations, ask Allah to grant you with a heart, as you do not have one.”

AI-Junaid said, "I visited a youth, who asked me about repentance and its reality. I answered him and said, 'To put your sin between your eyes (never to forget it) until death comes to you', and he said to me, 'No this is not the reality of repentance', so I said to him, 'What is the reality of repentance according to you?' He said, 'To forget your sin.' And he left me and went away.' So I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) "0 Abu Al Qasim! What is it according to you?' He said, 'It is like what the youth said.' He said, 'How is that?' He said, 'If I was in a state of alienation then Allah moved me from this to a state of devotion, then remembering alienation when one is devoted, is alienation."
Source: Al Fawaid by Imam ibn Al-Qayyim

Some stories from early Muslims regarding death and grave

Fadala b. Dinar said, "I was with Muhammad b.Wasi' when he was very near to death. He began to say, "Welcome to my Lord's angels! There is no strength nor power except by Allah!" I smelled the sweetest fragrance that I had ever smelled. Then his eyes glazed over and he died”.

Ibn Abi'd-Dunya mentions that on the day 'Umar b. 'Abdu'l-'Aziz died, he said to those with him, 'Sit with me.' When they sat down next to him, he said, 'I am the one you commanded and I failed you.You forbade me and I rebelled.' He said this three times. Then he said, 'But there is no god but Allah.' Then he lifted his head and stared. They said, 'You are looking very intently, Amir al-Mu'minin,' He replied, 'I see a presence which is neither man nor jinn.' Then he died.

Thabit al-Bunani said, 'Once I was walking among the graves and I heard a voice behind me, saying, "Thabit! Do not be deceived by their stillness. How many people in them are suffering!" I turned around, but did not see anyone.'

A girl died in the al-Jarif plague. Her father met her in a dream after her death and asked her to tell him about the Next World. She replied, “My father, this is a big subject you have raised. We know but cannot act. You can act but do not know. By Allah, one or two acts of glorification and one or two rak'ats of the prayer in the book of my actions are preferable to me than the world and all it contains.”

When Abdul Azeez b.Sulayman al-abdi died one of his companions saw him in a dream wearing a green garment with a crown of pearls on his head. He asked him how he was and what the experience of the taste of death was like and what things were like where he was. He replied, 'Do not ask about the intensity of the grief and sorrow of death! However, Allah's mercy concealed all our faults and we encountered nothing but His bounty.'

Ibn Abi'd Dunya mentioned that one of his companions said, “ My brother died and I saw him in a dream. I said, "How was it when you were placed in your grave?" He replied, "Someone brought me a fiery flame and if it had not been that someone else made supplication for me, I think he would have hit me with it.”

Bashar b. Ghalib said, “ I saw Rabia on whose half I make frequent supplication, in a dream. She said to me, "Bashar b. Ghalib! Your gifts have been brought to me on plates of light, covered in silken cloths." I asked, "How can that be?" She replied, "That is what the supplication of living believers is like. When they make supplication for a dead person, that supplication is answered for them on plates of light, veiled in silken cloths. Then they are brought to the dead person for whom the supplication was said and they are told, 'This is the gift of so-and-so to you.' "

Amr bin Dinar said “ the sister of one of the men of Medina died and he buried her. When he came back from the burial, he remembered that he had left something in the grave. He asked one of his companions to help him. His companion related that they had dug up the grave and found what they were looking for. Then the man said, "Let us dig further and find out what has happened to my sister."He lifted up one of the stones covering the burial cavity and found the grave filled with fire. He replaced it and filled in the grave again. Then he returned to his mother and asked, "What was my sister really like?" She replied, "Why do you ask about her when she is dead?" He said, "Tell me."She said, "She used to delay the prayer and she also used to go to our neighbors' doors, put her ear to them and then tell other people what they said!"'

One of the early Muslims said, "We passed by a watering-place on the way to Basra. We heard the braying of a donkey and asked the people there what the braying was. They replied that it was one of the men who used to be with them whose mother had asked him for something and he had told her to bray like a donkey. Since his death, this braying had been heard every night from his grave.”

Source: "The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh

This life of deception

by Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim

This worldly life is like an unchaste woman, who is not satisfied with one husband. So! be satisfied with whatever Allah grants you from this worldly life.

Walking thereon is like walking in a land that is filled with beasts, and water that teams with crocodiles. That which causes delight, turns to be the source of grief. Pain is found in the midst of pleasures, and delights are derived from its sorrows. As a bird sees the wheat, so does one’s insight perceive polytheism, while vain desires render its holder blind.

Lusts were granted in abundance to humans, but those who believed in the unseen turned away from them, while those who follow their lusts were caused to regret.

The first category, are those, in which Allah says,

(They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful.)(Al-Baqarah, 2:5)

However, the other category, are those to whom Allah says

(0 you disbelievers)! Eat and enjoy yourselves (in this worldly life) for a little while. Verily, you are the Mujrimun (polytheists, disbelievers, sinners, criminals, etc.).(Al-Mursalat, 77:46)

When the successful ones are aware of the reality of this worldly life being sure of the inferiority of its degree, they overcame their vain desires for the sake of the Hereafter. They have been awakened from their heedlessness to remember what their enemies took from them during their period of idleness. Whenever they perceive the distant journey they must undertake, they remember their aim, so it appears easy for them. Whenever life becomes bitter, they remember this verse, in which Allah says,

(This is your Day which you were promised). (Al Anbiya’, 21:103)

Source: Al-Fawaid

Fear only Allah

Poem by Ibn al-Qayyim

Openly proclaim what Allah commanded, and don’t fear the worthless instead of Allah
And fear only Him, and you will succeed in safety;
And give victory to the Book of Allah and the traditions
That came from the one sent with the Qur’an;
And strike every denier with the sword of Revelation
Just like the Mujahid would strike over the fingertips;
And carry on with truthful zeal
The way of the sincere and brave who are dedicated to Allah;
And remain firm with patience under the banner of guidance
And if you are harmed in the process, it is for
the Pleasure of the Merciful;
And make the Book of Allah and authentic traditions your weapons
And strengthen your soul;
Who will fight and present himself
Or compete on the fields?
Openly preach what the Messenger came with
And do not fear the lack of helpers;
As Allah will give victory to His Religion and Book
And Allah is sufficient to protect His slave;
And do not fear the plots of the enemy
As they only fight using lies and falsehood;
The soldiers of the Messenger’s followers are Angels
And their soldiers are the army of Satan;
What a difference there is between the two groups
Whoever is confused should just compare them both;
Be firm and fight under the banner of guidance
And be patient, as the victory of Allah, your Lord, is near;
As Allah will give victory to His Religion and Book
And His Messenger with knowledge and authority;
And truth is a pillar that none can demolish
Even if everyone gathered to do so;
And if your opponents become many and overwhelm you
Stay firm, as their power is like smoke;
It rises up and afterward
Is blown away to where the eye cannot see;
Do not fear their large numbers, as they are worthless and like flies
Would you fear a fly?
And do not be pleased with the leadership of the cow
Whose leaders are themselves oxen;
And if they intend, they will come against you
So, do not act shocked or cowardly if they do so;
And remain firm and do not carry on without support
As this is not praiseworthy with the brave;
Even though the group of Allah fights with their righteous actions
Not a battalion of the brave;
By Allah, they did not conquer lands due to their numbers
Their numbers were not noticeable;
So, if you see the group of Islam
With its cavalry side by side with those in authority;
In such a case, enter their ranks
And do not be lazy or fluttered;
The truth will be aided and tested
So, do not be surprised, as this is the pattern of the Merciful;
This is how His group will be distinguished from His enemies
And this is why the people are two groups;
And this is why the Messengers fought the disbelievers
Since this rag-tag group first existed;
However, the good end will be for the people of truth
If it doesn’t come here, it will come later from the Rewarder

Source: "..So, Do not fear them" by By Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi

Love of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala

Ibn al-Qaiyim mentioned ten causes that result in Allah's love for His slave and the
slave's love for his Lord. [These ten are:]

First, reciting the Qur'an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it.

Second, getting closer to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: "My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him." [al-Bukhari]

Third, continual remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with one's tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one's love of Allah is determined by this.

Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.

Fifth, the heart being avid of Allah's Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge.

Sixth, observing Allah's kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open.

Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allah.

Eighth, being alone with Allah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting.

Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.

Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allah.

These ten causes take the lovers to the station of true love and bring them to their Beloved.

Source: Madarij as-Saalikeen, vol. 3, pp. 17-18.

Doing without the pleasures of the world

Abu' l-Abbas as-Sa'idi said :
“A man came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and said, 'Oh Messenger of Allah! Guide me to such an action, that when I do it, Allah will love me and the people will love me. He said, be detached from this world and then Allah will love you and do not be attracted to what people have and then the people will love you".
(related by Hasan, ibn Majah kitab az-Zuhud 2/1373)

This hadith shows that Allah loves those who live simply in this life. It has been said that if having love for Allah is the best state to be in, then living simply is the best condition to be in.

Living simply means that you should restrain your desire for worldly things in the hope of receiving something better instead. In order to achieve this more easily you should first realise that the things which people yearn for in this world are infact worthless when compared with what we hope for in the next world.

If we know that what Allah has will remain and that the life to come is better and more lasting, then we realise that this world is really like a piece of ice left out in the sun - it soon melts and vanishes . The akhirah , however, essentially never vanishes. The desire one has to exchange this life for the one to come is strengthened by the certainty that there is no comparison between this life and the next.

In the Qur'an we find this world and the next world described in the following terms:

"Yes you prefer the life of this world, but the next world is better and more lasting."
(Qur’an 87:16-17)

"You desire the attractions of this world, but Allah desires the next world for you"
(Qur’an 8: 67)

“And they are happy with the life of this world, but the life of this world is small comfort compared to the next world.
(Qur’an 13:26)

The ahadith which scorn worldly goods and describe how worthless they are in the sight of Allah are many:

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) happened to walk through the market place. Some people were gathered on either side of him. There he came across a dead goat with very short ears, of which he took hold saying,
"Who among you would like to have this for a dirham?" They said, "By Allah, not even if it were alive, because its ears are too short; and now it is also dead." Thereupon the messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, " By Allah, this world is more insignificant in the sight of Allah than this in your eyes."
(Related by Sahih Muslim, Kitab az-Zuhud 18/93)

It has been related by Ibn Shaddad al-Fahri that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said,
"This world, in comparison with the world to come, is the same as if one of you were to put his finger in the ocean. Consider how much you would have when you pulled it out.
(related by Sahih Muslim Kitab al-jannatu wa Na'imuha,17/191).

It has been related by Ibn Sahl ibn Sa'ad that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said,
"Had the world been worth even the wing of a gnat to Allah, He would not have even given a drink of water from it to a kaffir (non-believer)."
(Related by Sahih gharib, at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 6/611).

Living simply means turning away from the things of this world because they are so worthless. You do not bother with them and remain detached from them

Yunus ibn Maisarah said, "Being detached from this world does not mean that you should forbid what Allah has permitted, nor that you should squander money. Rather, it is a state in which you are more certain of what is in the hand of Allah than you are of what is in your own hands: your state in misfortune is the same as your state at other times; your attitude towards those who quite rightly criticise you and those who quite rightly praise you is the same."

He has explained this in three stages, or stations, all of which are concerned with the heart rather than with physical action. This is why Abu Sulayman used to say that you should not call anyone a zahid (the one who practices zuhud, someone whose heart is not attached to the pleasures and distractions of this world).

The first stage is that of a servant who is more certain of what is in the hand of Allah than he is of what is in his own hands. This stage arises from a healthy and strong conviction.

Abu Hazim az Zahid was asked, "What is your wealth?" he said, "Two kinds of wealth dispel all fear of poverty trust in Allah and not being attached to what people have." He was asked, "Don't you fear poverty?" He said, "How can I fear poverty when my lord owns all that is in the heavens and on the earth and all that is between them and all that is beneath the ground?"

Al-Fudayl said. "The essence of living simply is being content with Allah Mighty and Exalted is he."

He also said, "The one who is content is the one who lives simply, and it is he who is rich."

The Sahabah and Tabi‘in on gratitude

By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Salmân al-Fârsî (RA) said: “There was a man who was given many of the luxuries of this world, and then they were taken away from him. But he continued to praise and thank Allâh until everything had been taken from him, even on his bed. And then he still praised and thanked Allâh. Another man, who had also been given many of the luxuries of this world asked him, ‘What are you praising and thanking Allâh for?’ The man said, ‘I am praising and thanking Him for blessings which, if others asked me to give them to them in return for all that they have, I would never give them up.’ ‘What can they be?’ asked the second man. ‘Can’t you see?’ asked the first man. ‘I have my eyesight, my tongue, my hands, my feet...’”

Mukhallad ibn al-Husayn said: “The definition of gratitude is abstaining from wrong action.” Abû Hâzim said: “Every blessing that does not bring you closer to Allâh is a disaster.” Sulaymân said: “Remembering His blessings makes one love Allâh.”

Hammâd ibn Ziyâd narrated that Layth ibn Abî Burdah said: “I went to Madînah, where I met ‘Abdullâh ibn Salâm, who said to me: ‘Would you like to visit a place visited by the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم , and we will offer you sâwiq and dates?...’ Then he said: ‘When Allâh gathers people on the Day of Judgement, He will remind them of His blessings. One of His slaves will say: “Remind me of something,” and Allâh will say: “Remember when you faced such-and-such adversity, and you prayed to Me, so I relieved you of it. Remember when you were travelling in suchand-such a place, and you asked Me to give you a travelling companion, and I did so... Remember when you asked for the hand of soand-so the daughter of so-and-so, and others also asked for her hand, so I gave her to you to marry; and kept the others away.” His slave will be standing before his Lord, Who will remind him of His many blessings.’” Then the narrator of this story (Layth) wept and said, I hope that no one will stand before his Lord in this way, because the one who does so will be punished.” (i.e. if Allâh has to point out that which should be obvious, this is a sign of a person’s ingratitude, and he will be punished.)

Bakr ibn Abdullâh al-Muzânî said: “When a man faces affliction, he may pray to Allâh and Allâh may deliver him from adversity. Then Shaytân comes to the man and whispers, ‘It was not as bad as you thought,’ Thus the man’s gratitude will be weakened.” Zazan said: “The right of Allâh over the man who is enjoying His blessings is that such a man should not use His blessings in order to commit wrong actions.” A man of knowledge said: “The blessing of Allâh to us in keeping the luxuries of this world away from us is greater than the blessing of that which he has given us, because Allah did not like His Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم to have the luxuries of this world. So I prefer to live in the manner which Allâh preferred for His Prophet صلى الله عليه و سل than to live a life which He disliked for him.”

Ibn Abi’d-Dunyâ said: “It was narrated to me that some scholars said: ‘The scholar should praise Allâh for having deprived him of the luxuries of this life, in the same way that he should praise Him for what He has bestowed upon him. How can you compare the blessings and luxuries for which he will be accountable to the deprivation of luxuries which is a relief from being tested, and which keeps his mind free to worship and remember Allâh? So he should give thanks to Allâh for all of that.’”

It has been said: “Gratitude is giving up wrong action.” Ibn alMubârak said: “Sufyân said: ‘He does not understand religion properly who does not count affliction as a blessing and ease as a disaster.’”

Source: Patience and gratitude by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah / An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat ash-Shâkireen”

The body and soul

By:Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim

The body of the son of Adam was created from the earth and his soul from the government of Heaven and then they were joined. If he is hungry, stays awake, and keeps his body busy in serving Allah, his soul will find itself lighter and more peaceful so that it would long for the place from which it was created and miss its heavenly world. But if he secures food, blessings, sleep, and rest, the body will incline to remain at the place from which it was created and the soul would be pulled along with it and be in a prison. If it was not for the fact that it would get used to that prison, it would ask for help, as a tortured person does, to find relief from the pain resulting from the separation and departure from its own world from which it was created.

In general, the more the body is light, the more the soul will be light and seek its heavenly world, and the more the body is heavy and seeks desires and relief, the heavier the soul will be and it will come down from its heavenly world and become lower and more earthly. You may see the soul of a man in Heaven while his body is on the earth. Another person serves Allah with his body and his soul is low and wandering about in lowly matters. When the soul separates from the body, it would either catch up with its high or low place. With the high, it would find every blessing, happiness, beauty, pleasure, and good living while with the low it would find every distress, grief, suffering, sadness, and bad and difficult thing.

Allah says,

(20:124) ....وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا


which means,“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur1an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship.”(Taha, 20:124)

“My Reminder” is His words, which He revealed to His Messenger(Peace be upon him), and “turns away” is by neglecting and abandoning working according to these words, and the majority of explanations saw that “life of hardship” is torture in the grave. Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id Al-Khudry, and Ibn 'Abbas agreed on that and it has a traceable hadith.

This life of hardship is in return for relieving the body and soul with pleasures, desires and relief. The more you enrich the soul, it will restrain the heart until you live a life of hardship, and the more you restrain the soul, it will enrich the heart until that heart will be delighted and relieved. Hardship in this worldly life, following piety will find its relief in partition and the Hereafter, and relief in this worldly life following desires will find its hardship in the partition and the Hereafter.You should choose one of the two: the better, more pleasant, and more lasting.You may distress the body in order to relieve the soul but do not distress the soul to relieve the body; relief and distress of the soul is greater and more lasting while relief and distress of the body is shorter and easier.

Source: Al-fawaaid / P:281

The description of paradise

Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

The Four Poisons of the Heart

By Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

You should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts,
And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them.
Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts,
And opposing your self is best for it.

Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.

By the four poisons we mean unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food and keeping bad company. Of all the poisons, these are the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart's well-being.


Unnecessary Talking

It is reported in al-Musnad, on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet said: "The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right."[1] This shows that the Prophet has made the purification of faith conditional on the purification of the heart, and the purification of the heart conditional on the purification of the tongue.