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Author: Masjid Al Furqan

A Glimpse into the Excellence of the Knowledge of the Salaf- by Imaam Ibn Rajab

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

Imaam Ibn Rajab [rahimahullaah] said about the Salaf:

There is not to be found in the statements of those who came after the Salaf (any) truth, except that it is found in their statements with a more concise wording and a shorter expression. There is not to be found in the statements of those who came after them (any) falsehood, except that there is in their statements that which clarifies its falsity, for the one who understands and contemplates [i.e. the one who understands the statements of the Salaf]. There are wonderful meanings found in their statements and precise observations, which those who came after them were neither guided to nor knew about it. The one who does not take knowledge from their statements will miss all that goodness, alongside the numerous (affairs) of falsehood he will fall into due to following those who came after them [i.e. those who came after the Salaf].


[Source: (Fadl Ilm As-Salaf Alaa Ilm Al-Khalaf’ page 61 by Imaam Ibn Rajab). abridged and slightly paraphrased]

The One [i.e. Allaah] Who Made You Love Imaan is The Most knowledgeable Concerning What Benefits His Servants

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

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 Allaah’s 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 submitted to Imaan.


[Madaarij As-Saalikeen 1/414—415. Abridged and slightly paraphrased]

 

The Fundamental Principles of The Deen Revolve Around Three Ahaadeeth

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

Imaam as-Sa’di [rahimahullaah] said that Imaam Ahmad [rahimahullaah] said: ”The Usool [Fundamental Principles of Islaam] revolves around three ahaadeeth:

1.”The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear…”
2. ”Indeed, actions are judged by intentions…”
3. ”Whoever performs an action that is not from our affair [i.e. the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah] will have it rejected…”

Deeds either fall under commandments or prohibitions.  The first hadeeth- [The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear] – is about unlawful actions. As for the second hadeeth– [Indeed, actions are judged by intention] – then commandments are either related to one’s intention and the aspiration of the heart, or the apparent physical actions, and thirdly these actions [i.e. acts of worship] are legislated in conformity with the Sunnah.


[Source: Tareequl Wusool Ilal Ilmul Mamool Bi-Marifatil Qawaa-id Wad-dawaabit Wal-Usool’ Page 23. Slightly paraphrased]

Noble Manners and Etiquettes Revolve Around Four Ahaadeeth

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

Ibn Abee Zayd Al-Qayrawaani [rahimahullaah] said: All noble manners and etiquettes revolve around four ahaadeeth.

The First Hadeeth: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the last day then let him speak good or keep silent”.

This Hadeeth teaches us about restraining the tongue from (evil, false, doubtful speech etc); for whoever is unable to restrain his tongue from (these blameworthy affairs) is not considered to be from the people of good manners.

The Second Hadeeth: “Part of the perfection of a person’s Islam is to leave that which does not concern him.”

This Hadeeth teaches us to refrain from engaging in excess and that which does not concern us. The person who concerns himself with those affairs of the people that do not concern him – either by listening, looking or speaking -is not considered to be from the people of good manners.

The Third Hadeeth: A man said to the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasalam) “Advise me.” He said, “Do not become angry.” The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet said to him, “Do not become angry.”

This Hadeeth teaches us self-restraint when we are angry. That is because anger is the basis of every evil in speech and action. Whoever cannot restrain himself (or herself) from (evil) when he is angry cannot be considered to be from the people of good manners.

The Fourth Hadeeth: None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

This Hadeeth is a means of rectifying the heart and soul, so that a person’s heart is free from harbouring malice, hatred, envy towards his Muslim brothers and sisters.

Conclusion:

If a person acquires a precise understanding of these four ahaadeeth and acts upon them, they have indeed acted on all the affairs related to good manners and etiquettes. These four Hadeeth comprise of four affairs:

Restraining the tongue from (evil, false, doubtful speech etc)

Restraining oneself from excess – be it by way of speech, looking, listening etc

Restraining oneself from evil desires and wishes during anger.

To have a heart free from unjustified hatred; blameworthy envy (i.e. wishing that blessings bestowed on others should cease) and malice etc


[Lesson15. Explanation of the forty Hadeeth of Imaam An-Nawawi’ (rahimahullaah) by Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq Al-Badr (may Allaah preserve him). Paraphrased]

 

The One Who Abandons What is Beneficial For His [Or Her Religion] Will Face Trials- By Imaam As-Sadi

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

This is found in a number of Aayaat, that when the polytheists shunned the worship of Ar-Rahmaan [Allaah], they were put to trial through the worship of idols. And when they behaved haughtily and claimed that the Messengers were [only] humans [i.e. therefore they will not follow the Messengers], they were put to trial through submission to everything that made [their] intellects and Religion unstable.

And when Eemaan was clearly shown to them [i.e. the disbelieving nations] at the first instance and they recognised it, but then they turned away from it, Allaah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] averted, afflicted and sealed their hearts. So, they believed not until they saw the painful punishment.

And after the straight path was clarified for them, but they deviated from it by choice and approved the path of deviation in opposition to the path of guidance, Allaah deviated their hearts and caused them to be confounded in their path [of misguidance].

And when they belittled the signs of Allaah and His Messengers, Allaah belittled them with a humiliating punishment.

And when they behaved haughtily, Allaah humiliated them in this life and the next.

And when they forbade that Allaah’s Name be glorified and mentioned in the Mosques of Allaah and strive for their ruin, then it was not fitting after that they should enter it except in fear.

 وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّـهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِن فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

فَلَمَّا آتَاهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُم مُّعْرِ‌ضُونَ

فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّـهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ

And of them are some who made a covenant with Allaah (saying): ”If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily give Sadaqah (Zakat and voluntary charity in Allaah’s cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous.  ”Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakat or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse.  So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies”( 9:75-77)

The Aayaat that convey this affair are numerous and they show that the servant was close to being guided and made to follow the straight path, but then he abandoned it after knowing it, or he renounced it after following it, so he is punished and has no right to guidance.  This is a recompense for his actions, as Allaah said about the Yahood [i.e. those who knew the truthfulness of Muhammad’s (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) Messengership, but turned away from it wilfully)]:

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَ‌سُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِ‌يقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌اءَ ظُهُورِ‌هِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ

And when there came to them a Messenger from Allaah (i.e Muhammad) confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the Scripture threw away the Book of Allaah behind their backs as if they did not know!  They followed what the (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaymaan.  2:101-102

They abandoned the most sublime, the most beneficial and the truthful Book (i.e. the Qur’aan), so Allaah put them to trial and they followed the most debased, untruthful and harmful path. Those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger abandon spending their wealth in obedience to Allaah, and (instead) spend it in obedience to shaytaan.


[Source: Al Qawaa-idul Hisaan Li-tafseer Al Qur’aan” by Imaam Abdur Rahmaan As-Sadi (rahimahullaah). Pages: 96-97. Abridged and slightly paraphrased]

 

Knowledge Should Keep You Away From Foolishness!

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

Imaam Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah (rahimahullaah) said: If my morning is like that of the foolish and my night like that of the ignorant, then what will I do with the knowledge I have written?’’ [Source: Akhlaaq Al-Ulamaa’ page 44’ by Imaam Al-Aajurree (rahimahullaah)]


Reminder:

Repentance:

https://www.salaficentre.com/2012/03/abridged-the-best-way-to-seek-allaahs-forgiveness-with-comments-from-imaam-bin-baaz-rahimahullaah/

Salah At-Tawbah

http://www.salaficentre.com/2016/08/salaah-tawbah-prayer-repentance/

Our Lord! Make us not a trial for those who have disbelieved….

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

رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا رَبَّنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

“Our Lord! Make us not a trial for those who have disbelieved, and forgive us, Our Lord! Verily, You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” [60:5]

Az-Zujaaj [rahimahullaah] said: The meaning of it is: Do not give them victory over us, so they think that they are upon truth and we are put to trial by way of that.


[Source: Ighaatha Al-Lahfaan 2/163]

A Supplication Before Bed Time Reminds Us of Allaah’s Blessings

English Translation of the supplication

All praise is due to Allah Who fed us, provided us drink, sufficed us and provided us with shelter, for how many people there is none to suffice and none to provide shelter. [Saheeh Muslim Number 2715]

 

Brief Reminder

In this supplication, there is a reminder for the Muslim before he (or she) goes to bed regarding the end of the day and the hours that have elapsed, in which Allaah provided him (or her) with food, drink and shelter, whilst there are a number of people who could not find food as a source of nourishment or drink to quench their thirst, or clothing to clothed themselves, or a dwelling place. So whoever Allaah blessed with food and drink, sufficed him (or her) etc then it is obligated on him (or her) to recognise (or acknowledge) the blessings of Allaah and consider it as something that is great indeed. That is because being grateful for the blessings Allaah has given you is a means to retaining and increasing those blessings. Allaah (The Most High) said:[وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ -And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe. (14:7)]


[Paraphrased Excerpt. Source: Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal-Adkaar’ page 79′ parts 3&4′ by Sh Abdur-Razzaaq Al-Badr (may Allaah preserve him)]