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Don’t be like Heraclius who recognized The Truth, but instead chose this brief world over ever-lasting Paradise – Sahih Bukhari

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From last hadith in The Book of Revelation of the 1st Volume of Sahih Bukhari:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas:

Abu Sufyan bin Harb informed me that Heraclius had sent a messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan), at the time when Allaah’s Messenger had truce with Abu Sufyan and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyan and his companions went to Heraclius at Ilya (Jerusalem). Heraclius called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius’s question said to them, “Who amongst you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?” Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative to him (amongst the group).”

Heraclius said, “Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stand behind him.” Abu Sufyan added, Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me.” Abu Sufyan added, “By Allaah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet. The first question he asked me about him was:

‘What is his family status amongst you?’

I replied, ‘He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.’

Heraclius further asked, ‘Has anybody amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e. to be a Prophet) before him?’

I replied, ‘No.’

He said, ‘Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?’

I replied, ‘No.’

Heraclius asked, ‘Do the nobles or the poor follow him?’

I replied, ‘It is the poor who follow him.’

He said, ‘Are his followers increasing decreasing (day by day)?’

I replied, ‘They are increasing.’

He then asked, ‘Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?’

I replied, ‘No.’

Heraclius said, ‘Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?’

I replied, ‘No. ‘

Heraclius said, ‘Does he break his promises?’

I replied, ‘No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it.’ I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that.

Heraclius asked, ‘Have you ever had a war with him?’

I replied, ‘Yes.’

Then he said, ‘What was the outcome of the battles?’

I replied, ‘Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.’

Heraclius said, ‘What does he order you to do?’

I said, ‘He tells us to worship Allaah and Allaah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin.’

Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following, I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact all the Messengers come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody else amongst you claimed such a thing, your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man’s statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom.

I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allaah. I, then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And in fact all the Messengers have been followed by this very class of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of) true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and likewise the Messengers never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allaah and Allaah alone and not to worship any thing along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.’

Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allaah’s Messenger which was delivered by Dihya to the Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The contents of the letter were as follows: “In the name of Allaah the Beneficent, the Merciful (This letter is) from Muhammad the slave of Allaah and His Messenger to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon him, who follows the right path. Furthermore I invite you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allaah will double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islam you will be committing a sin by misguiding your Arisiyin (peasants). (And I recite to you Allaah’s Statement:)

O people of the scripture! Come to a word common to you and us that we worship none but Allaah and that we associate nothing in worship with Him, and that none of us shall take others as Lords beside Allaah. Then, if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims (those who have surrendered to Allaah). (3:64)

Abu Sufyan then added, “When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court. So we were turned out of the court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn-Abi-Kabsha) (the Prophet Muhammad) has become so prominent that even the King of Bani Al-Asfar (Byzantine) is afraid of him. Then I started to become sure that he (the Prophet) would be the conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islam (i.e. Allaah guided me to it).”

The sub narrator adds, “Ibn An-Natur was the Governor of llya’ (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrates that once while Heraclius was visiting ilya’ (Jerusalem), he got up in the morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he was in that mood? Heraclius was a foreteller and an astrologer. He replied, ‘At night when I looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (become the conqueror). Who are they who practice circumcision?’ The people replied, ‘Except the Jews nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews).

‘Just Issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country.’

While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the king of Ghassan to convey the news of Allaah’s Messenger to Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, he (Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about the Arabs. The messenger replied, ‘Arabs also practice circumcision.’

(After hearing that) Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of the ‘Arabs had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs. (a town in Syrian and stayed there till he received the reply of his letter from his friend who agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet and the fact that he was a Prophet. On that Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said, ‘O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain then give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet (i.e. embrace Islam).’

(On hearing the views of Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and when he lost the hope of their embracing Islam, he ordered that they should be brought back in audience.

(When they returned) he said, ‘What already said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have seen it.’ The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius’s story (in connection with his faith).

When to say Maashaa Allaah Tabaarak Allaah – Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen

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Fatawaa noor ‘ala adarb tape no321

Questioner:

May Allah extend your life! This is the questioner, Abu Abdullah, he says in the first question, If a person sees what amazes him, does he say Maashaa Allah Tabaarak Allah (As Allah wills, blessed is Allah!), or Maashaa Allah Tabaarak Allah Laa Quwwata illah billah (As Allah wills, blessed is Allah, there is no strength except with Allah) and are they all correct?

Answer:

All praises are due to Allah, Lord of the worlds and prayer and salutation upon our prophet, Muhammad, his family, his companions and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgement.

If a person sees that which amazes (pleases) him, pertaining to his wealth, then he should say Maashaa Allah Laa Quwwata illa billah, just as in the story of the companion of the two gardens, when his companion said to him: It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: That which Allah wills there is no power except with Allah. This is if he sees something amazing (pleasing) with his wealth.

If he sees it in other than himself then he should say Barakallahu Alaihi (May Allah bless it for him) or a statement similar to it.

And if he sees something that amazes (pleases) him from the matters of the Dunya (world) he should say: Labbaik, Innal Aish, Aishul Aakhirah, as the Prophet (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam ) used to say. So he says Labbaik meaning an answer to you then he said verily the (real) life is the life of the hereafter. He makes it firm within himself at the same instance that the Dunya and whatever is within it does not remain and there is not any life in it but verily the real life is the life of the hereafter.

Source: http://sahab.net/forums/showthread.ph…

Translated by UmmTalha

The Taaghoot are many, and their Heads are Five – Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree

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Allaah made it obligatory upon all the servants to reject and disbelieve in at-taaghoot, and to believe in Allaah. Ibnul Qayyim (May Allaah have mercy upon him) said:

“At-taaghoot is anyone whom the servants go beyond the due bounds, whether it is someone worshipped, obeyed or followed.”

The taaghoot are many, and their heads are five:

1. Iblees (Satan), may Allaah’s curse be upon him.
2. Whoever is worshipped and is pleased with that.
3. Whoever calls the people to worship them.
4. Whoever claims to possess anything from the knowledge of the affairs of the hidden and unseen.
5. Whoever judges by other than what Allaah sent down.

The proof is the saying of Allaah, the Most High:
“No one is to be compelled to enter the religion; true guidance has been made clear and distinct from falsehood. So whoever rejects at-taaghoot and truly believes and worships Allaah alone, then has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break.”

This is the meaning of ‘laa ilaha illa Allaah’.

This is pointing to the fact that it is obligatory to worship Allaah alone and sincerely without any partners, because the first thing that Allaah commanded the servants with was to believe in Allaah and disbelieve in at-taaghoot. Moreover, they are many but their heads are five.

It means their leaders and those who a blindly followed by them.

1. Iblees; he is the outcast and accursed Satan to whom Allaah said: “My curse is upon you till the day of resurrection.” [Saad 38:78]
Iblees was with the angels, in their company and performing their actions. Then when he was commanded to prostrate to Aadam, the foulness, disdain and haughty pride within him was manifested and he refused to prostrate, became haughty and became from the disbelievers. So he was cast out from the Mercy of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

2. Whoever is worshipped and pleased with that; he is the one who is worshipped besides Allaah and is pleased that he is being worshipped besides Allaah; he is one of the heads of the taaghoots and Allaah’s refuge is sought from that and it is the same whether he is worshipped in his lifetime or after his death, if he dies whilst having been pleased with that.

3. Whoever calls people to the worship of himself; it is anyone who calls the people to worship him, even if they do not do so. He’s one of the heads of the taaghoots whether the people responded to his call or not.

4. Whoever claims to possess anything from the knowledge of the affairs of the unseen and hidden; al-ghayb is whatever is hidden and unseen by man and it of two types: That which exists at present and that which lies in the future. What is hidden in the present is a relative matter, something may be known to one person and unknown to another. But the hidden and unseen of the future is something absolute and not know to anyone except Allaah alone, or to a messenger granted such knowledge by Allaah. So whoever claims such knowledge is a disbeliever.

5. Whoever judges by other than what Allaah has revealed; judging by that which Allaah, the Most High, sent down is from the tawheed of Lordship (ar-rooboobiyyah) since it is applying the judgement of Allaah, which pertains to His Lordship and His complete sovereignty and authority.

Therefore Allaah, the Most High, calls those who are followed upon other than what Allaah sent down ‘lords’ for their followers. He says:
“They have taken their learned men and their rabbis as lord besides Allaah, and also the Messiah, the son of Mary. But they were not commanded except to worship Allaah alone. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. How free and far removed is Allaah from the partners they associate with Him.” [At-Tawbah 9:31]

So Allaah calls those who are followed ‘lords’ since they are taken as legislators along with Allaah, the Most High, and He called them those who followed them their worshippers/devotees due to their having submitted to them and obeyed them in contradiction to the judgement of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim said to Allaah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) that they did not worship them, to which the Prophet replied:

“Indeed they used to prohibit lawful things for them, and make lawful that which is forbidden for them, and they followed them – so that is their worship of them.” [Ahmad and Tirdmidhi] (Authenticated by Al-Albaanee)

Source : A Gift For The Intellect In Explanation Of The Three Fundamental Principles Of Islaam – By Sheikh Ubaid Al-Jaabiree (Hafizahullah)

The Perfect Investment – Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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We go through our entire lives looking for that perfect investment; whether it be our education, our jobs or our wealth. We put in so much time to gather information and to make sure that our investment will yield a satisfying return. In the end though, there is no certainty of the return on investment that we will gain, it could be 5%, 10%, or even -10%. We never know whether we will gain or lose from the investment that we make.

However, there is an alternative. The alternative is investing in the deen of Allah. In this investment, you will never lose, and that is the promise of Allah . As we all know, Allah is the one who never breaks any promise and He is The One and Only that we can count on. So, when He promises something, you can consider it a done deal.

“Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? It is Allah that gives (you) Want or plenty, and to Him shall be your return”. – [Surah Baqarah, 2:245]

Tafsir Ibn Kathir on the above ayah:

Allah said:
(Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times)

In this Ayah, Allah encourages His servants to spend in His cause. Allah mentioned this same Ayah in several other parts of His Glorious Qur’an. The Hadith that mentions that Allah descends (every night down on the nearest heaven to us when the last third of the night remains) states that Allah says:

(Who would give a loan to He Who is neither poor nor unjust.)

Allah’s statement:
(He may multiply it to him many times), is similar to His statement:

(The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills.) (2:261)

We will mention this Ayah later on. Allah then said:

(And it is Allah that decreases or increases (your provisions), ) meaning, `Spend (in Allah’s cause) and do not be anxious.’ Certainly, Allah is the Sustainer Who increases or decreases the provisions to whomever He wills among His servants. Allah’s wisdom is perfect, and,

(and unto Him you shall return.) on the Day of Resurrection.

Al-Fawa’id – A Collection Of Wise Sayings – Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim

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Source : Al-Fawa’id A Collection Of Wise Sayings Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim

There are two kinds of meeting between friends:
The first is a meeting based on sociability and spending time, in which are more disadvantages than advantage, the least of which is corruption of the heart, and wasting time.

The Second kind is a meeting for the sake of supporting one another, and recommending one another to the truth and to patience. This is the best kind, yet there are still three disadvantages therein,

1. Flattering each other.
2. Being excessively talkative.
3. That such meetings become a habit or routine and they fail to achieve their aims.

Enjoying health, this worldly life, status, a wife or children, then surely those feelings are temporary and will eventually dissipate.

There are three kinds of passive feelings, which affect the heart and they are either related to the past, which causes sorrow, or related to the future so as to cause grief, of finally related to the present so as to cause distress.

If the heart is not pure or honourable enough, and distance from every evil and malice, then it is unworthy to love, know and aspire to Allah. On the contrary, the lowest description of man’s heart is that he loves and aspires to this worldly life instead to Allah, the Almighty.

When man’s love, knowledge and aspiration is directed in this worldly way, the heart becomes narrow and gloomy as it is distant from the source of its revival and life.

Subsequently, the hearts of man can be divided into two kinds, the first of which is the heart of those, who incline to the Beneficent, which is the source of brightness, life, happiness, pleasure, delight and blessings.

The second one is the throne of the devil where narrowness, darkness, death, sorrow, distress and grief are settled therein. This heart is obsessed by sorrow for the past, and grief and distress for the present.

In order for a place to contain something, it must be free from whatever contradicts it. This principle applies to mankind and all creation as well as to belief and desires.So, if the hearts is obsessed by belief in falsehood, there will be no place for truth.

Accordingly, if the tongue is involved in trivial discourse, one shall be incapable of useful speech, unless falsehood is abandoned.

Hence, if the body is busy doing wrong actions, then acts of worship will be inapplicable unless these contradictory actions are abandoned.

Stand firm against evil thoughts, for if you fail to do so, they will become ideas, if you do not, they will become desires, so fight against them. If you do not, they will become a form of determination and intention, if you do not resist, they will become actions, and if you do not follow them up with their opposite, they will become habits that will be hard to quit.

He, who did not make use of his eye, did not make use of his ear.

The servant has a veil between him and Allah and another one between him and people. Whoever tore this veil between him and Allah, Allah will tear the veil between him and people.

The servant has a Lord that he will stand in front of and a house that he will live in, so he must seek the pleasure of Allah before meeting Him and he should furnish his house before moving into it.

Loosing time is harder than death, as loosing time keeps you away from Allah and the Hereafter, while death keeps you away from worldly life and people.

The whole world from its beginning until its end is not worth an hour of sadness, so what about the sadness of whole life.

What we love today will catch up with what we hate tomorrow, and what we hate today will catch up with what we love tomorrow.

The most precious reward during life is to busy yourself with most suitable and useful matters in their exact and suitable time.

How can he be rational who sells Paradise and what is in it, for one hour of passing pleasure?

The pious man will leave this worldly life while he did not obtain satisfaction in two matters: crying for himself and praising Allah.

If you are afraid of any creature, you will run away from it. When you are afraid of Allah, you will love Him and seek to be close to Him.

If knowledge is useful without actions, Allah, the Exalted would never have dispraised the people of the book, and if actions were useful without devotions, He would never have have dispraised the hypocrite.

Piety has Three Levels

1. Protecting the heart and limbs against sin and forbidden actions.

2. Protecting them against undesirable matters.

3. Protecting against curiosity and whatever is not of one’s concern.

The first will grant life to the servant, the second will grant his health and power, and the third will grant him happiness and joy.

The sea of pleasures may drown its owner and the swimmer fears to open his eyes under water.

Passing days are like dreams, the coming ones are wishes, and the time separating them is wasted.

Buy for yourself (through doing good deeds) while there is still a market and you have the ability to buy.

If you do not work hard and face difficulties along your way in seeking glory, you will never taste honor and relief when you attain victory.

It was said to one of the worshippers: You are tiring yourself so much! He said: I want to achieve comfort from it.

The human being was honoured with blessings of faith and good health, but he misused them, so they were justly taken away from him.

The truth will only be shown to perceptive people who will use the light of their minds to see the consequences of the matters they face.

The pleasures of life are similar to brides who are dressing for those who will prefer and choose; them or the brides (rewards) of the Hereafter, and whoever knows the significant difference between the two, will choose the best (the Hereafter).

Affliction are but trials by which the faithful are distinguished from the unfaithful, and if you were to succeed therein, they would be turned to supporters by which you could attain your objective.

No one can indulge in unlawfulness except for two reasons, the first of which is failing to trust in Allah, despite the fact that if one obeys Him, he will surely be granted the best of lawful gains.

The second reason is knowing that whoever abandons anything for the sake of Allah, surely He will grant him something better than what he has abandon.

Unfortunately, his vain desires surpass his patience and his inclination overpowers his mind, The first one has poor knowledge, and the second one has poor insight.

How can one feel secure, who has an unmerciful wife, an unforgiving son, a distrusting neighbour, a friend who gives no advice, a partner who misjudges him, an enemy whose hostility never ceases, a soul that is inclined to evil, an adorned world, vain desires, influential lusts, furious anger, the deception of Satan, and controlling weakness? If Allah rescued and guided him, all those problems would be under control, and if Allah deserted and abandoned him, leaving him on his own, all these distresses would cause his destruction.

He who tastes the pleasure of good health, surely the bitterness of patience will become easy for him.

The aim has priority in estimation, it is the last in existence, it is the principle according to the mind, and it is the end of the journey.

Dream of the King of Greater Syria and his Trip to Madeenah – Dr. Saleh as Saleh

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Source : Transcribed by Muhammad Shahzad min Hind from the lecture of Dr. Saleh As-Saleh.

You can listen or download mp3 lecture
[audio http://salafiaudio.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/the-dream-of-the-king-of-greater-syria-and-his-trip-to-madeenah-saleh-as-saleh.mp3]

Bismillah hirrahamanirraheem , Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil Aalameen

We begin by relating to you the story of the just king Nooruddin Mahmoud zunki , May Allah’s mercy be upon him, that took place in the year 557 after hijra. He was ruling the Greater Syria area and he saw a magnificent dream, which made him go to the city of Madina. He saw Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam three times in one night and in every time Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam telling him O’ Mahmoud save me from these two individuals while pointing towards to blond individuals in front of him. So the king summoned his minister before dawn and told him about this so the minister said this is a matter which may have taken place in Madina, the Madina of Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam.

So he prepared himself and quickly hastened over 1000 mounts and horses and other than that until he entered in Madina quietly and secretly with his minster and he came to Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam’s masjid not knowing what to do. So the minister said do you recognize these two individuals if you see them ?. He said yes .So he summoned the people to give them charity and distributed to them plenty of gold and silver and he said that no one in Madina should stay except, known in madina should stay but rather should come to receive the charity. Only two people didn’t come to collect the Sadaqa. They remained close by the masjid from Andulisya (currently Spain), in a place which in the direction of the qibla from the side of the apartment of Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam close to the house of Umar Ibn Al Khattab that is where they stayed so they came or he summoned them to come for the sadqa, they refused and they said that “what we have is sufficient. We don’t accept anything”. So he stressed they should come and insisted and so they were brought. When the minister saw them, he said to him are they the same individuals? So he asked them on their condition and what brought them here .they said “we came to be close by the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam” . He said you should speak the truth and repeated the question several times until they confessed that they were christians and that they were on a mission to remove the body of the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam in agreement with their teams and he found that they dug a tunnel from the side of the qibla by the wall of the masjid in the direction of the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam’s apartment and they collected the dust of the soil in a well inside their residence. So he beheaded them outside the masjid and returned to as shams and he commanded that the area around the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam’s site of burial be dug and he commanded that lead be poured around lest some enemies or to prevent anyone from reaching Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam’s site of burial .

One Sin led to his Repentance – Stories of Repentance

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A righteous man was once asked to tell the story of the pivotal moment of his life, the moment in which he first began to apply the teachings of Islam, and the following was his answer:

When I was a young man, I would not hesitate to perpetrate any sin that was made available to me. Then, one day, I saw a young woman who was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Much tempted by her, I indicated to her that I wanted her to approach me. She seemed nervous, but I thought that she would probably agree to satisfy my sexual desires for money. She approached me with what seemed to be a great deal of trepidation, and when she actually stood before me, she looked extremely terrified.

Feeling sorry for her, I said, ‘Do not fear, for I will not harm you.’

But my words did not lessen her terrible fright in the least; in fact, her situation worsened. She began to tremble like a palm tree leaf trembles with the wind.

I said, ‘Tell me your story.’

She said, ‘By Allah, o my brother, never before this day have I offered my body in this way. Dire need is what has driven me to this, for I have three daughters who have not eaten a single morsel of food for three days now. It was pity for them that brought me to this low point in my life.’

For the first time in my life, I felt pity; her story moved me, and I no longer entertained the intention of taking advantage of her. After she told me where she lived, I took a great deal of money, clothing and food to her house. When I returned to my house, I told my mother what had happened.

My mother knew that I had a book in which I would record all of my evil deeds, and so she said to me, ‘My son, you are a man who has never performed a good deed except for the good deed that you performed today. I know that you have a book in which you record your evil exploits, go now and write in it your good deed.’

I stood up, went to my book, opened it, and found that all of its pages were blank- except for the first page on which was written a single line.

إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ

Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)

[Hud : 114]

At that very moment, I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘By your Might and Majesty, never again will I disobey You.’ “

The above is taken from Stories of Repentance published by dar-us-salam.com

al-Khashyah (Dread) and al-Khawf (Fear) – Shaykh Zayd Al-Madkhalee & Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree

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Both of them mean utter debasement in front of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and total submission to Him, openly and in secret. This comes along with perfect love for Allaah the Blessed and Exalted. Due to this, the Scholars divided between al-khashyah (dread) and al-khawf (fear). They said, “Indeed, al-khashyah is fear accompanied by glorification, whereas al-khawf can be accompanied by glorification and it can occur without glorification as well.” And this is true, since a person can fear an enemy. However, his fear of the enemy does not mean that he glorifies him. And he could fear a predatory animal, but his fear of that animal does not mean that he glorifies it. However, al-khashyah cannot be applied unless it is accompanied by glorification.

Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said,

“And they stand in awe for fear of Him.” [Sooratul-Anbiyaa‘ 21:28]

Likewise, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said about the Scholars who are the best of the creation,

“Indeed, those who fear Allaah the most from amongst His creation are the Scholars.” [Soorah Faatir 35:28]

That is, the Scholars of the Sharee’ah, the Scholars of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (’alayhis-salaatu was-salaam) who act upon their knowledge. So whoever observes this khashyah for other than Allaah, then he has committed Shirk. Allaah the Blessed and Exalted warned against that in His statement,

“So do not fear them, but fear Me.” [Sooratul-Baqarah 2:150]

Khasyah (awe) is fear founded upon knowledge of the greatness of the one whom you fear.It is something more particular than khawf. For example, if you fear someone but don’t know whether he is able to catch you or not, then this is khawf. But when you fear someone and know that he is fully able to seize hold of you then this is khashyah.

Taken from the below:

1. The Path To Attaining Clarification Concerning The Three Fundamental Principles – By The Noble Shaykh Zayd Ibn Muhammad Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee , Prepared By Fawaaz Ibn ’Alee Al-Madkhalee

2. A Gift For The Intellect In Explanation Of The Three Fundamental Principles Of Islaam : By Sheikh Ubaid Al-Jaabiree (Hafizahullah)

Man is fickle when Ease comes to Him after Difficulty – Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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Surah No.41 :(Fussilat)

(49. Man does not get tired of asking for good; but if an evil touches him, then he gives up all hope and is lost in despair.) (50. And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from Us, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say: “This is due to my (merit); I think not that the Hour will be established. But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely there will be for me the best with Him. “Then, We verily will show to the disbelievers what they have done, and We shall make them taste a severe torment.) (51. And when We show favor to man, he turns away and becomes arrogant; but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications.)

Allah tells us that man never gets bored of asking his Lord for good things, such as wealth, physical health, etc., but if evil touches him — i.e., trials and difficulties or poverty —

(then he gives up all hope and is lost in despair.), i.e., he thinks that he will never experience anything good again.

(And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from Us, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say: “This is due to my (merit)…”) means, if something good happens to him or some provision comes to him after a period of difficulty, he says, `this is because of me, because I deserve this from my Lord.’

(I think not that the Hour will be established.) means, he does not believe that the Hour will come. So when he is given some blessing, he becomes careless, arrogant and ungrateful, as Allah says:

(Nay! Verily, man does transgress. Because he considers himself self-sufficient.) (96:6)

(But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely there will be for me the best with Him.) means, `if there is a Hereafter after all, then my Lord will be generous and kind to me just as He was in this world.’ So he expects Allah to do him favors in spite of his bad deeds and lack of certain faith. Allah says:

(Then, We verily will show to the disbelievers what they have done, and We shall make them taste a severe torment.) Thus Allah threatens punishment and vengeance to those whose conduct and belief is like that.

(And when We show favor to man, he turns away and becomes arrogant;) means, he turns away from doing acts of obedience and is too proud to obey the commands of Allah. This is like the Ayah:

(But ﴿Fir`awn﴾ turned away along with his hosts) (51:39).

(but when evil touches him,) means, difficulties,

(then he has recourse to long supplications.) means, he asks at length for one thing. Long supplications are those which are long on words and short on meaning. The opposite is concise speech which is brief but full of meaning. And Allah says:

(And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!) (10:12)

Source : Quran : Tafsir Ibn Kathir :  Surah No.41 :(Fussilat)

Ilm-ul-Kalam (Knowledge Of Theological Rhetoric) – Ibn Baz

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[ A discipline that searches for answers to creedal issues using Logic ]

Ilmul-Kalaam (argumentation based on Greek philosophy) is among such innovations in the religion that created intellectual schisms in the Muslim nation and initiated deviant trends. One of the sects that indulged in Ilmul-Kalaam were the Mu’tazilah. They gave precedence to intellect over the revealed texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah – when they perceived the two conflicted. This attitude set an evil precedent for all later groups who sought to make intellect and desire decisive over the Qur’aan and the Sunnah

Ibn Baz Fatwa on this topic:

Q 3: Some people read many intellectual and scientific books and think that they have become a scholar or a Da’y (caller to Islam), although they may have poor knowledge in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and have not read any books about Shari’ah (Islamic law). What is Your Eminence’s opinion in this regard?

A: Knowledge of Shari’ah is derived from what Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have said, and not from someone else’s words. The first source of Islamic knowledge is the Word of Allah and His Messenger, then the views of Muslim scholars who explain and interpret them for people. These scholars are Allah’s successors on earth after the messengers.

Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) says:(Surah Al-`Imran, 3: 18) Allýh bears witness that Lý ilýha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness). Here, knowledge refers to knowing Allah and His Religion. Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Fatir, 35: 28) It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allýh. They are the messengers and their insightful followers, who follow this truthful religion and abide by the Qur’an and Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet). Muslim scholars are the heirs of Messengers, since they explain the religion and guide others to Allah.

Moreover, a true knowledge seeker studies and reflects on the Qur’an and Sunnah and learns from Muslim scholars. This is the way of acquiring knowledge of Shari`ah which involves doing acts of obedience, meditating and benefiting from others. A knowledge seeker should read a lot, with the aim of attaining as much knowledge as possible. They should reflect on knowledge and look for answers to unclear matters in trustworthy books of Tafsir (exegesis of the meanings of the Qur’an) such as Tafsir by Ibn Kathir, Al-Baghawy and others, in addition to paying great attention to books of Hadith. Furthermore, knowledge of Shari`ah should be taken from knowledgeable scholars among Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) and not scholars of ‘Ilm-ul-Kalam (a discipline that searches for answers to creedal issues using logic), innovators in religion or ignorant people.

Anything that is not included in the Qur’an and Sunnah cannot be considered Islamic knowledge, even if it is useful in worldly affairs. Here, we are concerned about knowledge that is useful in the Hereafter, which eliminates ignorance, clarifies the religion and shows people what Allah has made lawful and unlawful to them. Indeed, this is the true knowledge of Shari`ah.

Ibn Baz fatwas

Ar-Rajaa (hope and longing) – Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree

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The evidence for hope and longing (ar-rajaa) is the saying of Allaah, the Most High:

“So whoever hopes to see His Lord and be rewarded by Him, then let him perform righteous deeds and make it purely and sincerely for Him; and let him not make any share of it to anyone other than his Lord.” [Al-Kahf 18:110]

“The evidence for hope and longing (ar-rajaa)” –

  • Hope and longing is one of the pillars that worship is built upon;
  • this means that a person is optimistic about obtaining the Mercy and Pardon of Allaah.
  • It is obligatory upon the servant that they combine both hope and fear because hope causes a person to long for the Mercy of Allaah and fear prevents them from perpetrating an act that earns the anger of Allaah.
  • Some of the people of knowledge have said that fear and hope are like the ‘two wings of the servant’.
  • Ar-rajaa is that a person wishes for something that may be attained and is close or it may be something far off but is treated as being close.
  • This earnest hope which comprises humility and submission may only be directed to Allaah and directing it to other than this is shirk; whether minor or major depends on state of the heart of the person in this case.

“is the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “So whoever hopes to see His Lord and be rewarded by Him, then let him perform righteous deeds and make it purely and sincerely for Him;” – Meaning,

  • whoever desires and longs to meet their Lord, then sheer desire is not enough but he should also perform righteous deeds.
  • This verse is a proof that it is obligatory to perform righteous deeds.
  • A righteous deed is everything that brings the servant closer to Allaah, whether it is an obligation or a recommended act.
  • A person who hopes but does not act is delusional and has false hopes; this is blameworthy.

“and let him not make any share of it to anyone other than his Lord.”” – Meaning,

  • he should not commit major shirk that expels him from the religion or minor shirk that negates the completeness of tawheed.

Source: A Gift For The Intellect In Explanation Of The Three Fundamental Principles Of Islaam – By Sheikh Ubaid Al-Jaabiree (Hafizahullah) With some notes from the sharh by Sheikh Salih al Uthaymeen (Rahimahullah)

Two Categories of Du’a – Shaykh Zayd Al-Madkhalee

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Two Categories of Du’a

Ad-Du’aa‘: And ad-du’aa‘ is divided into two categories:

[i] the du’aa‘ of worship and
[ii] the du’aa‘ of asking.

And both of them fall into the essence of worship.

[1]: So the du’aa‘ of worship is to direct every act of worship, whether it is related to one’s wealth or body or both of them together, to Allaah the Blessed and Exalted. This is to be done in a manner that is in agreement with the purified Sharee’ah of Allaah and His upright commands. And at the beginning of this type of worship is the Tawheed of Allaah the Blessed and Exalted as is proven by the truthful statement, “And I have not created the Jinn, nor the mankind, except to worship Me.” [Sooratudh-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

That is, so that they single Me out with knowledge that the Tawheed of a servant cannot be completed, except by freeing oneself from Shirk which is the opposite of Tawheed. This is because when we have to know Tawheed with its Sharee’ah meaning, we say, ‘It is to single out Allaah with worship and to exonerate Him from Shirk, to be free from it and its people, whether it is committed in a small amount or in abundance and whether it is major or minor.’ So Tawheed cannot be completed, except after attaining complete freedom from Shirk and its people and all of its forms and manifestations. Due to this, the Scholars have stated, “There is no walaa‘ (allegiance), except with baraa‘ (enmity).”104

[2]: ad-du’aa‘ul-mas‘alah (supplication of request):

And du’aa‘ul-mas‘alah is to request something from Allaah the Blessed and Exalted in order to bring about a worldly or religious benefit and to remove a harm the like thereof. So the request in this way is a form of worship. It is not permissible to direct this towards anyone other than Allaah the Blessed and Exalted. Indeed, the Scholars have divided du’aa‘ul-mas‘alah into various categories. From them is that which it is not permissible to seek except from Allaah the Blessed and Exalted alone. So whoever directs anything from it to other than Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, then he has committed major Shirk with Allaah. And that is like the one who calls upon other than Allaah with regards to that which no one is capable of granting besides Allaah the Blessed and Exalted, from bringing about benefit or removing harm. As for seeking something from the creation that they are capable of granting, then there is no prohibition with regards to that.

Source:

The Path to Attaining Clarification Concerning the Three Fundamental Principles 
By The Noble Shaykh Zayd Ibn Muhammad Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee
An Explanation of Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab’s ‘Thalaathatul-‘Usool’

Jihad Against the Self – Imam Ibn al Qayyim

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“Jihâd (striving) against the soul has four stages:

Firstly: To strive in learning guidance and the religion of truth, without which there will be no success. Indeed, there can be no true happiness, nor any delight in this world and in the Herefater, except through it.

Secondly: Striving to act upon what has been learnt, since knowledge without action will not benefit, rather it will cause harm.

Thirdly: Striving to invite others towards it and to teach those who do not know, otherwise he may be considered from those who hide what Allâh has revealed of guidance and clear explanation. Such knowledge will neither benefit, nor save a person from the punishment of Allâh.

Fourthly: Striving to be patient and persevering against those who oppose this da’wah (call) to Allâh and those who seek to cause harm – patiently bearing all these hardships for the sake of Allâh.

When these four stages are completed then such a person is considered to be amongst the Rabbâniyyûn. The Salaf were agreed that a Scholar does not deserve the title of Rabbânî until he recognises and knows the truth, acts upon it, and teaches it to others. So whosoever has knowledge, acts upon it, and teaches this knowledge to others, is considered from the Rabbâniyyûn.” [Zâdul-Ma’âd fi Hadî Khayril-’Ibâd (pp.9-11)]

Source : Purification of the Souls: Fawaa’id – Points of Benefit , By the Imâm – the Shaykh of Islâm – Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Al-Ibaanah Magazine , Issue No.3 – Dhul-Qa’dah 1416H / April 1996

Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications – Sayings of the Salaf

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It is reported that Ibrâhîm b. Adham (d162H) – Allâh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abû Ishâq, Allâh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrâhîm] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things:

  • First, you know Allâh but you do not give Him His rights;
  • Second, you have read Allâh’s Book but you do not act by it;
  • Third, you claim to love Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah;
  • Fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytân but you conform to [his ways];
  • Fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it;
  • Sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning];
  • Seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it;
  • Eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own;
  • Ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and
  • Tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ’ 8: 15, 16.

Taken from http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net

The Expulsion of a Liar’s corpse by the Earth – Sahih Bukhari

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Sahih Bukhari , Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814:

Narrated Anas:

There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: “Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him.” Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, “This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them.” They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, “This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them.” They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).

The Story of Two Israelites – Tafseer Ibn Katheer

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Surah As-Saffaat  – (50. Then they will turn to one another, mutually questioning.) (51. A speaker of them will say: “Verily, I had a companion (in the world),”) (52. “Who used to say: `Are you among those who believe.) (53. (That) when we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be indebted (Madinun)”’) (54. (The speaker) said: “Will you look down”) (55. So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.) (56. He said: “By Allah! You have nearly ruined me.”) (57. “Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).”) (58. “Are we then not to die (any more)”) (59. “Except our first death, and we shall not be punished”) (60. Truly, this is the supreme success!) (61. For the like of this let the workers work.)

They mentioned the story of two men among the Children of Israel who were partners and who are included in the meaning of this Ayah.

Abu Ja`far bin Jarir recorded that Furat bin Tha`labah Al-Bahrani said concerning the Ayah,

(Verily, I had a companion) [ 37. As-Saffaat verse 51]

“There were two men who were partners and had collected eight thousand Dinars. One of them had a craft and the other did not. The one who had a craft said to the other, `You do not have a craft, so I think I will divide the money with you and leave you.’ So he left him.

Then the first man bought a house, belonging to a king who had died, for the price of one thousand Dinars. He called his companion and showed him the house, saying, `What do you think of this house I bought it for one thousand Dinars.’ He said, `How beautiful it is.’ When he went out he said, `O Allah, this companion of mine has bought this house for one thousand Dinars; I ask You for one of the houses of Paradise – and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity.’ Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass.

The first man married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars, and invited his companion and made food for him. When he came, he said, `I have married this woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars.’ He replied; `How beautiful this is.’ And when he left, he said, `O Lord, my companion has married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars; I ask you for a wife from among Al-Hur Al-`Iyn’ — and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity. Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass.

Then the first man bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars, then he called his companion and showed them to him. He said, `I have bought these two gardens for two thousand Dinars.’ He replied, `How beautiful this is.’ When he came out, he said, `O Lord, my companion has bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars; I ask you for two gardens in Paradise’ — and he gave two thousand Dinars in charity.

Then the angel came to them and took their souls in death. He took the one who had given his money in charity and put him in a house that he liked. There, there was a woman who was so beautiful that the ground shinned under her, then he (the angel) took him to two gardens and gave him other things which are known only to Allah. The man said, `This is like a man who has such and such.’ The angel said, `That is exactly what it is; this house, these gardens and this wife are all for you.’ The man said, `I had a companion who used to say: Are you among those who believe’ It was said to him, `He is in Hell.’ He said, `Will you look down’ So he looked down and saw him in the midst of Hell. At this, he said:

(By Allah! You have nearly ruined me. Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).)”

Source :Tafseer Ibn Katheer

You fast and pray more than the Companions of Muhammad (sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but they were better than you.’ – Ibn Rajab

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Ibn Mas’ud said to his companions, ‘You fast and pray more than the Companions of Muhammad (sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but they were better than you.’ They asked, ‘How so?’ He replied, ‘They were more abstinent of this world and desirous of the Hereafter.’ Hence he indicated that the superiority of the Companions lay in the attachment of their hearts to the Hereafter, their desire for it, their turning away from this world, and their thinking little of it even if it be readily available to them. Their hearts were empty of the world and filled with the Hereafter. This is what they inherited from their Prophet (sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He (sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was one whose heart was most devoid of the world and most attached to Allah and the Abode of the Hereafter, this despite his outwardly interacting with the creation, fulfilling the duties of Prophethood, and implementing the politics of religion and world.

This was the state of the Khulafa who came after him and those who followed them in goodness such as al-Hasan and ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz. There were, in their times, those who fasted more than them and prayed more than them, but their hearts had not attained the levels of theirs in terms of leaving the world and turning to the Hereafter, and settling there.

Posted from the Book “The Journey to Allah” Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
Dar us Sunnah Publishers

Sleeping during the day best and worst times – Al-Adab Al-Mufrad

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Khawât b. Jubayr – Alläh be pleased with him – said:

Sleeping in the first part of the day is ignorance, and in the middle of the day [good] character, and in the last part of the day stupidity.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded its chain of transmission sahîh. See Sahîh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad hadith #947.

How to deal with the Teenage Phase ? – Permanent Committee

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Q: How did the Prophet (peace be upon him) deal with the teenage phase of Muslim youth, in order to help them go through this stage?

A: The Prophet (peace be upon him) paid great attention to Muslim youth, and gave them and their parents special guidance and directives.

He gave the parents these instructions:

Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for (neglecting) it when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately. Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.

He (peace be upon him) addressed the youth by saying: ‘O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, for marriage helps him lower his gaze and keep his virtuousness, and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to observe Sawm (fast), for Sawm diminishes his sexual desire. (Agreed upon by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, his family and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee>Group 1>Volume 26: Miscellaneous Fatwas 3>Avoiding the means of temptation>Adolescence

Deviation is in Leaving the Sunnah – Sayings of the Salaf

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Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

I will not leave anything Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – did, except that I will also do it; for I fear that if I were to leave any of his commands and ways I would deviate.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh 2:386 hadîth no. 3093; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah article 77, and others.

Notes

After recording this narration, Ibn Battah states:

This, my brothers, is the greatest Siddîq (true believer i.e. Abû Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allâh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.

Posted from : http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/deviation-is-in-leaving-the-sunnah

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