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Author: Abdullah Jallow

From the excellent outcomes of knowing one’s rightful status amongst the people!

Question to Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-Uthaymeen

May Allaah have mercy upon a person who knows his limitations and worth- [Does this (saying) have an (established) source and has it been transmitted in a hadeeth?]

Answer:

I do not know of an (established) source for it; however its meaning is correct. (That is) because when a person knows his (limitations and worth), he will be humble in the presence of his Lord. He will worship Allaah and will know that he is not free from being in need of Allaah in the twinkling of an eye. If he knows himself, he will know his status amongst the people and this knowledge will make him not to be haughty towards them because haughtiness is from the major sins, and looking down on the people is from the forbidden affairs. And that is why when the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) warned against haughtiness (or pride), they (i.e. the people) said: “Everyone of us loves that his clothes and shoes are nice;’’ so he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: “Indeed, Allaah is beautiful and He loves beauty; haughtiness (or pride) is to reject the truth and look down on the people.”

So when a person knows his (limitations and worth), he will know his rank amongst the people.  He will place himself in his (rightful) place; humble himself in the presence of his lord and in the presence of Allaah’s creation.  And whoever humbles himself to Allaah, Allaah will raise him.

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[Source: Noor Alad-Darb: cassette: 250]

 

Had it not been the Tawfeeq of Allaah upon you, your souls would not have yielded to Imaan

Allaah (The Most High) said:

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْأِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you (i.e. follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones, (This is) a Grace from Allah and His Favour. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. [Soorah al-Hujuraat: Ayah 7-8]

Your love for Imaan, desire for it and its beautification in your hearts is not from yourselves; rather it is Allaah who placed it in your hearts. He is the one who made it preferable and pleasing to you; therefore do not put yourself before My [i.e. I (Allaah)] Messenger-neither speak until he speaks nor act until he commands you. The one (i.e. Allaah) who made you love Imaan is the most knowledgeable concerning what is of benefit for His slaves than yourselves.  And had it not been the Tawfeeq of Allaah upon you, your souls would not have yielded to Imaan. Imaan would not have been (acquired) through your consultation and bestowed from yourselves, nor would you have given it precedence because your souls are unable and weak to (do that), and cannot reach it…. [For further details, See ‘Madaarij As-Saalikeen 1/414—415]

Abu Mu’aawiyah (Abdullah Al-Gambi)

 

A Parable That Cuts off the Heart’s Desire for Shirk’ by Imaam Ibnul Qayyim

Allaah (The Most High) said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ

 مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought. They have not estimated Allah His Rightful Estimate; Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. [Hajj: Ayah: 73-74]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

It is obligatory that the slave makes his heart pay attention to this parable and ponder upon it as it should be truly pondered upon because it cuts off the desire of shirk from his heart. The gods that the idolaters worship besides Allaah cannot create (even) a fly, even if they all combined together to create it, then how about what is greater than it?  They are neither able to create a fly which is among the weakest of animals nor are they able to gain the upper hand against it to recover what it took away from them. There is nothing more disabled and feebler than them, so how can a sensible person deem it good to worship them besides Allaah.

This Ayah nullifies shirk and (shows) the ignorance of its people. It is a testimony that Satan plays about with them more than kids play with a ball due to the fact that they assign Godhood-which necessitates having absolute power over all the existence, having absolute knowledge of all sources of knowledge and having no need of all the creation, and (the creation being dependent) upon the Lord for their needs, (dependent upon Him) for relief from distress and relief from anxiety and (dependent upon Him to respond to (their) invocations etc.-to images and statues that are deprived of the ability to create the most insignificant creature of the True God, even if they (i.e. those statues and images) gathered and supported one another to do that.

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[Source: Badaa-i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah: page: 221-222: Vol: 2..abridged and slightly paraphrased]

 

Shaikh Rabee said: Unfortunately there are a people who conceal refutations (directed at) the people of falsehood and error

Shaikh Rabee (may Allaah preserve him) said:

Unfortunately there are a people who conceal refutations (directed at) the people of falsehood and error.  They are excited to ally with them and defend them, whilst they are harsh and disapproving towards those who refute falsehood and error.  They betray them (i.e. those who refute error) with a severe betrayal and they make people think (by way of delusion) that this (deed of theirs is tantamount to) softness and wisdom, whilst it is from the severest types of calamity and trials-the (very) affair that emboldens the people of falsehood to persist in their falsehood and spread their trials and tribulations worldwide. If only this type of (people) realised the dangerous end results of their stances, (so) we ask Allaah to (grant) them guidance and clear-sightedness and to realise their obligation with regards to aiding the Dawah of Muhammad (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and not fearing the blame of the blamers. [Source: Bayaan Maa Fee Naseehati Ibraaheem Ar-Ruhaylee Minal Khalal Wal-ikhlaal: page 26]

Harshness and Leniency In Their Inappropriate Places!- By Imaam Ash-Shanqeeti

Imaam Shanqeeti (rahimahullaah) said:

It is idiocy and an offence to (apply) harshness in a place where leniency is to be (applied), and it is weakness and spiritlessness to apply leniency in a place where harshness is to be applied.  If it is said: Apply leniency, say: Leniency should be in its place, for the leniency of a young man in other than its place is ignorance.”  [Al-Islaam Deenu Kaamilu’ page 12]

Taqwaa and Tawheed

Narrated Anas Bin Maalik (radiyallaahu-anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) stated about this ayah: [هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ – He (Allah) is the One deserving that mankind should be afraid of, and He is the One Who forgives (sins) (74:56)] that Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic) said: ‘’I am worthy of being feared, so whoever fears me and does not associate another Ilaah (i.e. god or anything taken as an object of worship) with Me (in worship), then I am worthy of forgiving him.’’ [Reported by Imaam Tirmidhee; Number: 3328 and declared Hasan Li-Ghayrihee by Imaam Albaani in ‘Dhilaal Al-Jannah Fee Takhreej As-Sunnah (969)]

A Great Achievement through Seeking Forgiveness Constantly!

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (radiyallaahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: Indeed shaytaan said: ”By Your Might O my Lord! I will not cease to misguide your slaves as long as their souls are in their bodies”; The Lord (Allaah) said: ”By My Might and Majesty! I will not cease forgiving them as long as they keep seeking my forgiveness.”

[Reported by Imaam Ahmad 3/29 and declared authentic by Imaam Al Albaani in As-Saheehah 104]

It Is Good To Know Your Lineage, But Neither Be Boastful Nor Look Down On Others Because Righteous Action Is the Determinant of Success

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

The Messenger (sallal-laahu-aalayhi-wasallam) said:

Whoever is held back by his deeds, his (nobility) of lineage will not push him forward.(1)

Imaam Nawawi (rahimahullaah) said: ”Its meaning is that the one whose deeds are deficient and he does not catch up with the performers of (good) deeds, then it is obligatory upon him not to crown himself with nobility of lineage and the virtues of his forefathers, whilst he is lagging behind in (performing good) deeds.(2)

Ubay bin ka’b (radiyallaahu-anhu) said: Two men (mentioned their) lineages during the lifetime of Allaah’s Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam); one of them said (to the other): ‘’I am Fulaan the son of Fulaan (i.e. mentioning his name and that of his parents, grandparents etc.), so who are you (with) no mother? (i.e. rebuking him). So Allaah’s Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: “Two men (mentioned their) lineages during the lifetime of Moosaa (alayhis-salaam); one of them said (to the other): “I am Fulaan son of Fulaan, until he counted nine (people from his lineage), so who are you (with) no mother” (i.e. rebuking the other). He (the other person) said: “I am Fulaan the son of Fulaan the son of Islaam.” So Allaah revealed to Moosaa (alayhis-salaam): ‘’Indeed those two who (mentioned their) lineages, as for you ascribed or attributed to nine, (they) are in the hell fire and you are the tenth amongst them. And as for you ascribed or attributed to two, (they) are in paradise and you are the third of them.” (3)

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(1) [Saheeh Muslim…part of hadeeth in ‘’The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness]

(2) [Sharh Saheeh Muslim:  Hadeeth Number 2699; Vol 17, page 18]

(3) [Reported by Imaam Ahmad 5/128 and declared authentic by Imaam Al Albaani in As-Saheehah 1270]

Few Excerpts From Shaikh Rabee for the Sensible Person to Contemplate Upon Regarding Celebrating Milaadun Nabiy

The Shaikh (may Allaah preserve him) stated:

*If you do (or revive) a deed (i.e. a deed that is established in the Islamic legislation by way of proof) which was forgotten (or abandoned) by the people, then indeed you have started (or restarted) a good Sunnah for them.

*As for innovating something (i.e. religious beliefs and practices) in the religion which are not to be found in it, then this is bidah about which the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: ‘’Whoever innovates in this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected.’’

Allaah (The Most High) said:

[أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاء شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ -Or have they partners with Allah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed] [42:21]

*If this (Mawlid) was something good, the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and the Sahaabah would have preceeded us to it.

Indeed, the companions knew the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and they loved him more than us, but many of us (i.e. those who celebrate Mawlid) unfortunately do not know him (i.e. his authentic Sunnah and his ways) except by way of this (Mawlid). As for the Sahaabah, they (radiyallaahu-anhum), knew his every moment; they spent their wealth to aid Allaah’s (The Mighty and Majestic) religion and to raise Allaah’s Word (i.e. Laa ilaaha ilal-laah). They demonstrated their love for the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) through their belief in him, followed him, sacrificed their lives and their wealth to aid his religion.

*As for these ones (i.e. those heads of misguidance who call the people to celebrate the Mawlid), they say that they love the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and they initiate these Mawlids because it includes devouring the wealth of the people by way of falsehood, and they commit shirk, fictitious deeds and misguidance in these Mawlids (i.e. the practices of the extreme soofiyyah). Is this the religion of Allaah? Is the one who initiated this to be praised?

*Those who first initiated this Mawlid were the Baatiniyyoon-the enemies of Allaah and His Messenger, and enemies of the religion of Islaam. They brought this filthy innovation, which is now defended by a people who claim that they are from Ahlus Sunnah, whilst unfortunately they are from the people of misguidance.  [Abridged and slightly paraphrased…see

http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=156134]

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May Allaah guide these people Aameen

Two Short Reminders For Anyone Who Engages In Blameworthy Debate About Who He Prefers As a Khateeb or Considers The Status of a Person More Elevated Than That of Others Because He Stands On a Pulpit To Deliver Khutab!

Imaam Maalik (rahimahullaah) said that it reached him from Al-Qaasim Bin Muhammad (rahimahullaah) who said: “I met a people (i.e. Salaf) who were not amazed by speech; rather they were amazed by actions.” [Quoted by Shaikh Raslaan in Fadlul Ilm. page: 597]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) stated:

”Allaah loves that a slave of His should beautify his tongue with truthfulness, his heart with sincerity to Allaah and love of (Him), turning repentantly to (Him) and placing his trust in (Him).” [Al-Fawaa-id. page:327]