Allaah (Subhaanah) said:
قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ
”Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than charity followed by injury. And Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs) and He is Most-Forbearing” [2:263]
Ameerul Mumineen Umar Ibnul Khattaab (radiyallaahu-anhu) stated:
”Indeed, we are a people whom Allaah has given honour by way of Islaam; so when we (begin) to seek honour through other than what Allaah has given us honour, Allaah will degrade us!”
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[Reported by Al-Haakim (rahimahullaah) in Al-Mustadrak (1/61-62]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Barbahaaree (rahimahullaah) said: ‘Whoever realizes what the innovators have abandoned of the Sunnah and left behind and he clings to it, he is a person of the Sunnah and the Jamaa’ah. He should be followed, helped and protected. He is one of those whom the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) bequeathed should be looked after'[1]
Shaikh Saaleh al Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) commented on this above statement of Imaam Barbahaari, saying: That is [found in the statement of the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam)]: ‘They are those upon that which I and my Companions are upon today’
He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) advised that one should be with them- with this Jamaa’ah; this gathering of people and this group; which is upon that which the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and his Companions were upon. However, this requires two affairs:
The First Affair is Knowledge; We learn that which the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and his Companions were upon. As for the Jaahil, he does not learn whilst thinking that what the one in opposition is upon is what the Messenger was upon, when that is not the case.
The Second Affair is (firmness): To be firm upon that which the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and his Companions were upon; because the one who traverses upon the (authentic) Sunnah will receive grief, trouble and intimidation from the people; but he must exercise patience and not turn away from the truth. He does not bargain (the truth) nor leaves anything of it; and for that reason it has been reported about the one who holds upon his Religion at the end of time is like one holding onto a burning coal or prickles as a result of what he will receive of hardship, grief and trouble from the people. So he requires patience.[2]
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[1]Source: Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank (rahimahullaah). Explanation of the Creed
[2] Source: It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharhis Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree, Vol2, page68-69
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
When you sit with the people, then [sincerely] make humility the sign by way of which you are recognised; fear of Allaah as your shield and giving advice to the servants of Allaah as your abiding way.
Be eager to bring about good in every gathering – either [through] research in affairs of knowledge or advice on religious matters; either directing [others] towards a general or a specific useful affair; either making a mention of the blessings of Allaah or mentioning the superior status of praiseworthy manners and good etiquettes, or warning against that which is detrimental to the well-being of one’s religious or worldly (affairs). The least of that [i.e. the good you should bring in every sitting] is to advise the people to seek the income from their occupations by way of the permissible [means] and through what is forbidden. You should behave well towards the young, the elders and your peers. Deal with each of them in a way they deserve and have respect for the one that deserves to be respected and honoured.
Be eager to make your sitting easy by way of speech that is appropriate and good, even if that was in relation to the worldly (affairs). That is because when [permissible speech] and [permissible gathering] becomes fruitful, sitting together will be easy, conversation is made easy and the heart feels tranquil, and all of that is attributed to praiseworthiness.
The sensible person achieves abundant good from the gatherings of the people and he becomes more beloved to them than [others]; because he approaches them with [matters] they approve and statements they desire. And the foundation of all of that is success in taking over control of all the affairs placed before them.
These affairs become more emphasised during a journey [i.e. when people accompany one another on a journey]; because during a journey sitting together is prolonged and the travellers are in need of having someone who revives their hearts with good statements, the news of events, sense of humour-if all of that is truth and not too much. Good etiquettes makes [its possessor] more pleasurable to the people than the pleasure derived from a cold drink, and its influence bears heavier upon their souls than hard stones. And Allaah (Alone) is the One Who grants success.
Source: Noorul Basaair Wal al-baab fee ahkaam al -Ibaadaat Wal Mu’aamalaat Wal Huqooq Wal Aadaab- Imaam Abdur Rahmaan As Sa’dee (rahimahullaah) Page 64-65
The callers to misguidance are of many types. They have means of spreading their call which were not present in the past and many people have been deceived by them. Therefore, what is obligated upon us is to clarify and warn against them. Refute the shubuhaat (i.e. those affairs that are made to resemble the truth but are falsehood in reality); so that the people are saved from their evil or the one who wishes to be saved is saved.
[لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَيَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ- So that those who were to be destroyed might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live might live after a clear evidence. (8:42)]
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Download lecture on this link: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=148203
Assalaamu alaykum warahmatullaah.
This is a reminder to all my brothers and sisters regarding the correct stance related to criticism and praise. These two articles were posted at www.salaficentre.com at a time in which some of the hizbiyyoon sought to utilize Shubuhaat—seeking to justify unexplained, vague and invalid criticisms, whilst rejecting the detailed, explained and clear criticisms that were directed at the corrupt statements, actions and affiliations of deviated individuals and groups. Indeed, just as there are hizbiyyoon in the three main cities [London, Birmingham and Manchester]; likewise, they have their associates in Stoke-On-Trent and other places–hizbiyyoon allied to Greenlane, Abu Usaamah and others etc. Therefore, I remind my brothers and sisters to acquaint themselves with the knowledge based clarification regarding this affair.
Here are the responses of Shaikh Ubaid (may Allaah preserve him)
Question 1:
If I heard the statement of a scholar in a cassette or read it in a book concerning some person that he is indeed an innovator, but I did not see the evidence, is it then binding upon me to be cautious of this person and be satisfied that he is indeed an innovator, or do I wait until I find evidence for that?
Shaikh Ubaid (may Allaah preserve him) answered:
All praise is due to Allaah the Lord of the Aalameen and may Allaah send His Salutations of peace and blessings upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions. To proceed: I say: Indeed Ahlus Sunnah do not pass judgement of Bidah (i.e. declare one to be from ahlul bidah) against anyone unless they are fully acquainted with him and completely examine what he is upon and know his methodology perfectly, in general and in detail. And from this point (in our discussion), this affair leads us to two standpoints:
The first standpoint: It is about the one against whom a scholar or scholars have passed a judgement that he is an innovator, whilst other scholars from Ahlus Sunnah like them do not differ (about this judgement). Beware, I say: Others from Ahlus Sunnah do not differ with them; so we accept their criticism against him (i.e. the one declared a man of bidah). We accept their speech and are cautious about him. So as long as a Sunni Scholar passed judgement against him and he was criticised by a Sunni scholar, whilst the rest of Ahlus Sunnah amongst the contemporaries of this scholar–his brothers and sons amongst the scholars–did not raise (an opposition), then his speech must be accepted. That is because this Sunni Scholar who criticised a man did not do so except based on an affair that is clear to him and established upon proof. This is something related to the religion of Allaah–the one who criticises or commends knows that he is responsible for what he says and for the ruling or judgement he gives. He knows that he is held accountable by Allaah (The Most High) even before the people question him.
The Second Standpoint: If this person who has been criticized by a scholar or scholars and they passed a judgement against him with what drops his status, and it became obligatory to be cautious of him; but then they are opposed by others who judged him to be trustworthy and that he is upon the Sunnah, or gave other judgements in opposition to the judgements of those other (scholars) who criticized him; then in this case, as long as these (scholars) and those (scholars) are upon the Sunnah and all of them are trustworthy and people of integrity in our view, we should look to the evidence. This is why they (i.e. the scholars) say: “The one who knows is a proof against the one who does not know.”
A criticizer who stated about such and such person that he is an innovator and a deviant, whilst producing evidence from the books of the criticized person or from his cassette tapes, or from the transmissions of the reliable narrators about him, then this obligates on us to accept his speech and abandon the (speech) of those who gave commendations in opposition to the one who criticized. That is because those who criticized him presented evidences that are hidden from the others due some reasons, or due to the fact that the one who commended did not read or hear (anything or something negative) about the criticized; rather he based his commendation upon what he knew about him previously and that he was upon the Sunnah. Therefore, this criticized person against whom evidence is established is truly declared unreliable and the proof is with the one who established the evidence. And it is incumbent upon the one who seeks the truth to follow the evidence and he does not seek to take a path to the right or the left, or saying: “I abstain of my own accord.” That is because we have not been obligated with this from the Salaf. Indeed, it is a prescribed obligation to accept the speech of the one who established the evidence. And the Sunni Scholar who opposed those who criticized (based on clear proofs) is excused and his status and honour are maintained in our eyes. We recognize what –by the will of Allaah–he possesses of virtue and exalted status.
A scholar from Ahlus Sunnah is only a human. He can be distracted and forgetful, and he can be deceived by evil people; or he used to consider a man to be trustworthy–who has now been declared untrustworthy–and he deceives him. The witnesses to this affair are many because many of those whose status has been dropped– due to being declared unreliable based on evidence–are in reality people who wage war against the Sunnah and its people. So they come along with copies of their books and read it to the distinguished scholars–those considered to be people of leadership and virtue in the religion- whilst the affair of this trickster and plotter is hidden from that noble scholar, which had he known of it the status of this person would have dropped in his eyes. So this scholar gives praise based on what he heard. And if the book (of this trickster) is printed, it is disseminated and transmitted by his supporters and they spread a good reputation about him. Thus there are those who argue saying, “such and such praised him-Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah), or Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah), or Ibn Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) praised this book. However these scholars are excused; rather this trickster was hidden from that scholar.
So, what remains? We establish the evidence against this ‘deceiver, trickster, intrigant and plotter’ from his books. We establish the manifest clarifications against him from his books and we say to the one who argues with us, “Take it, this is his speech.” Therefore, it is obligatory on you to be fair and to be free from that wild and zealous attachment, and the desires that blinds a person. It is obligatory upon you that your search should be for the truth.
Question 2:
This questioner says: What is the obligation upon the common Salafis concerning those du’aat (callers) about whom the scholars differ in their commendations and criticisms, regardless whether they (i.e. the common Salafis) are aware or unaware of their mistakes (i.e. the mistakes of those callers)?
Answer:
I say: I advise you; neither accept cassettes nor books except those of a person whom you know to be upon the Sunnah and a witness of that is established for him—the one well-known to be upon the Sunnah and an opposition to it is not manifested from him. This is an (abiding) general principle applied to him whilst he is alive and after his death. The one who passed away and we regarded him to be upon the Sunnah, then in our view he is upon the Sunnah and we ask Allaah to keep him firm upon it in the afterlife [i.e. Allaah grants him firmness to answer the questions in the grave due to adherence to the Sunnah (Tawheed and following the Messenger) and resurrects him in the afterlife as a person of Sunnah] just as he was kept firm upon it whilst he was alive…aameen. This is the first affair.
Secondly: If the affair of a person is hidden from you–the one whose books and cassettes are famous and his fame is widespread–then ask those who are well acquainted with him and those who know about his state of affairs. That is because neither is the Sunnah hidden nor are its people. A man’s Tazkiyah (i.e. the clear witness that he is upright upon the Sunnah) are his own actions. His Tazkiyah are his own actions that he is upon the Sunnah. It is the witness and the people mention him with it during his life and after his death.
There is none who hides behind the Sunnah– the people beguiled by him, gathered around him to learn, adhered to him, became dependent on him and accepted everything he said–except that Allaah will reveal his affair, uncover and expose his concealed state of affairs to specific individuals and to the general public, regarding what was hidden and apparent of his deception, his mixing truth with falsehood, his plots and deceitful practices. Allaah facilitates men of virtue, intelligence, wisdom, strength and exceptional natural ability–possessors of knowledge, skill and sound understanding of the religion–through whom He (Allaah) unveils the affair of that trickster, dubious and deceitful person.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon you that when the state of that person is made clear–the one whose fame is widespread etc.–then you should be cautious of him as long as he was warned against by those people of knowledge and Imaan who are upon the Sunnah; for indeed they will unveil his affair with evidences. And there is no hindrance in unveiling the state of that person who has been warned against by a scholar or scholars with the appropriate etiquettes and in a good manner because that scholar will say to you: “I saw this and that in him, and I saw this and that in the book of such and such, or I heard this or that in the cassette of such and such.” Therefore, you have clear evidence that will unveil what was hidden from you, and that the one whose fame is widespread and his speech is pleasant is one who hides something of innovation and plotting, which cannot be compared to what he manifests from the Sunnah.
Secondly: The one who knows of a mistake and it is clear to him, then it is not permissible for him to blindly follow a scholar to whom an affair is hidden. And indeed you already heard yesterday that the scholars are not infallible in their Ijtihaadaat. Therefore, it is not permissible to adopt them (i.e. the mistakes of the scholars) as a methodology (to follow).
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[Source: Slightly Paraphrased and Abridged] See Link: www.sahab.net/home/?p=329
Also see links:
http://salaficentre.com/2013/08/1-an-eye-opener-for-the-seeker-of-truth-al-allaamah-ubaid-bin-abdillaah-al-jaabiri-answers/
http://salaficentre.com/2013/08/2-an-eye-opener-for-the-seeker-of-truth-alallaamah-ubaid-bin-abdillaah-al-jaabiri-answers/
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ
”Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to do all things. Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. [67:1-2]
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing). [3:185]
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
“Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!” [4:78]
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
عَلَىٰ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ أَمْثَالَكُمْ وَنُنشِئَكُمْ فِي مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
We have decreed death to you all, and We are not unable, to transfigure you and create you in (forms) that you know not. [56:60-61]
Allaah (The Most High) said:
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ ۖ أَفَإِن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ
And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad ), then if you die, would they live forever? [21:34]
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ
Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die and verily, they (too) will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord. [39:30-31]
Allaah (The Most High) stated:
وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ
And the stupor of death will come in truth: “This is what you have been avoiding!” [50:19]
The Hadeeth of al Baraa ibn Aazib reported by Ahmad, Abu Daawud, al Haakim and others; The following is the wording of Imaam Ahmad rahimahullaah with authentic additions from others, compiled and authenticated by Shaikh al-Albaanee –rahimahullaah-in ‘Ahkaamul-Janaa`iz(pp.198-202) and it is up to the standard of Imaams al- Bukhaari and Muslim :
‘We went out with the Prophet sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam on a funeral of a man from the Ansaar. So we came to the grave and he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam had a stick, with which he was prodding the earth. He began looking towards the sky, and looking towards the earth, and raising his gaze and lowering it three times, and then he said:
Seek Allaah’s refuge from the Punishment of the Grave! …two or three times, and then he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: O Allaah, I seek your refuge from the Punishment of the Grave. …three times; And then he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam said:
The believing servant, when he is departing from this world and going on to the Hereafter – then some angels from the heaven descend upon him, with white faces as if their faces were the sun. With them, there are shrouds from the shrouds of Paradise and perfume for embalming from the perfume of Paradise – until they sit at a distance away from him that can be reached by the sight.
And then the Angel of Death alaiyhis-salaam comes, until he sits by his head and he says: O Pure soul! (and in one narration – at rest), come out to forgiveness from Allaah and His Pleasure! So it comes out flowing just like a drop of fluid flows out of a vessel. So he (alayhis-salaam) takes it – and in one narration – when his soul comes out, then every angel between the Heavens and the Earth makes supplication for it and every angel in the Heaven and the Gates of the (lowest) Heaven are opened for him.
And there are no inhabitants (i.e. angels) present at any gate except that they make supplication to Allaah that his soul be taken up from their direction.
So when he (the Angel of Death) takes it, he does not leave it in his hand even for the blink of an eye until he takes it and places it in that shroud and in that perfume – and that is His Saying, He the Most High: ‘Our Messengers take his soul in Death, and they do not fall short in their duty.’
And a smell comes from him like the smell of the purest musk found on the face of the earth. Then they ascend with it (the believing soul) and they do not pass by any (group of angels) expect that they say: What is this pure soul? So they say: It is so and so, the son of so and so. …mentioning him by the finest names which he used to be called in this world, until they take him to the lowest heaven and they request that it be opened for him – so it is opened for him.
And then the closest ones from every heaven accompany him to the next heaven until he reaches the seventh heaven – and Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic says: Write down the record of My servant in Illiyyeen (the highest heaven)! ‘And what will explain to you what is Illiyyoon? (in it will be) the written down record. Witnessed by those drawn close.’
So he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam said: Then his record will be written down in Illiyyeen. Then it will be said: Return him to the earth, for I have promised them that: From it I created you, and to it I shall return you, then I shall take you out from it again.
So he will be returned to the earth and his soul will be returned to his body, and he will hear the striking of the feet of his companions when they depart from him going away (from his grave). Then two severe angels will come to him, and they will be very abrupt with him, they will make him sit up and they will say to him: Who is your Lord? So he will say: My Lord is Allaah. They will say to him: What is your religion? So he will say: My religion is Islaam. So they will say to him: What was this man who was sent amongst you? He will say: He is Allaah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam. So they will say to him: How did you know? So he will say: I read the Book of Allaah, and I believed in it, and I affirmed it.
So he will be abrupt with him, and say: Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet? And this will be the last trial that the believer will face. So that is about what Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic said: ‘Allaah will make those who are believers firm, with the firm saying in the life of this world.’ So he will say: My Lord is Allaah, my Religion is Islaam and my Prophet is Muhammad sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam.
Then a caller will call from the heavens: ‘My Servant has spoken the Truth, so give him a bed from Paradise, and give him clothing from Paradise and open for him a door towards Paradise.’ So its gentle breeze and fragrance will come to him, and his grave will be expanded for him as far as the eye can see. And then there will come to him (in one narration there will be shown to him) a man with a handsome face, with fine clothing, with a beautiful scent, and he will say:
Receive good news of that which is pleasing for you! Receive good news of pleasure from Allaah and of gardens containing everlasting delight! This is your day which you were promised. So he will reply to him: And you – may Allaah give you good tidings – who are you? Your face is the face of one who comes with good. So he will say: I am your righteous deeds. For by Allaah, I have not known you except to be quick upon obedience to Allaah, slow to disobey him, so may Allaah reward you with good.
And then a gate will be opened for him from Paradise and a gate from the Fire, and he will say: This would have been your place, had you been disobedient to Allaah but Allaah has exchanged this for you instead of it. And when he sees what is in Paradise, he will say: O My Lord, hasten the establishment of the Hour so that I can return to my family and what is for me! So it will be said to him: Be calm. And he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam said: And as for the kaafir (disbelieving servant) (and in one narration – the faajir, the wicked one), when he is departing from this world and going on to the Hereafter, then angels descend upon him from the Heaven – angels who are severe and stern with black faces, having sack- cloths from the Fire. So they will sit at a distance from him that the sight can reach, and then the Angel of Death will come until he sits by his head and says: O foul and filthy soul! Come out to the Wrath of Allaah and His Anger! So it (his soul) will scatter throughout his body. So he will drag it out, just as a pronged roasting- fork with many prongs is pulled through wet wool. The veins and tendons will be torn along with it. And he will be cursed by every angel between the Heaven and the Earth and by every angel in the Heaven. The gates of the Heaven will be locked. There will not be any inhabitants of any gate except that they make supplication to Allaah that his soul should not ascend from their direction. So he will take it (the soul) and when he takes it, he will not leave it in his hand even for the blink of an eye – until he places it in that sack cloth. And there will come out from him a smell like the worst stench of the foulest corpse rotting upon the earth.
So they will take it up, and they will not pass by any group of angels except that they say:What is this foul spirit? So they will say: So and so, the son of so and so. …mentioning the worst names which he used to be called in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven, and request is made for him that it be opened but it will not be opened for him.
Then he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam recited: ‘The gates of the Heaven will not be opened for them (the disbelievers) nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle.’ So he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam said: So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic will say: Write his record in sijjeen (the lowest earth)! Then it will be said: Return My Servant to the Earth because I have promised them that from it I created you, and to it I shall return you and from it I will bring you out another time. So his spirit will be thrown down from the Heaven until it lands in his body. Then he sall Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam recited: ‘And whoever commits shirk along with Allaah, then it is as if he had fallen down from the Heaven and been snatched by birds – or the wind had carried him and thrown him in a far off place.’ So his soul will be returned to his body and he will hear the footsteps of his companions when they are departing from him, and two angels will come to him who are severe. And they will be severe with him, and they will make him sit up and they will say to him: Who is your Lord? So he will say: Haah, haah… I don’t know. So they will say to him: What is your religion? So he will say: Haah, haah… I don’t know. So they will say: So what do you say about this man who was sent amongst you? So he will not be able to mention his name.
So it is said: Muhammad. So he will say: Haah, haah…I do not know. I heard the people saying this. It will be said: You do not know and you did not recite. So then a caller from the Heavens will call: He has lied. So give him bedding from the Fire, and open for him a door to the Fire. So its heat and its scorching wind will come upon him, and his grave will be constricted upon him until his ribs cross over. Then there will appear to him a man with an evil looking face with foul clothing, smelling of an evil stench and he will say: Receive news which will upset you. This is your day which you were promised. So he will say: And may Allaah give you news of evil! Who are you? For your face is the one who comes with evil. So he will say: I am your foul deeds. I have not known you except being slow upon obedience to Allaah, quick to disobey Allaah, so may Allaah reward you with evil.
And then there will be set loose upon him one (angel) who is blind, dumb and deaf and he will have a heavy hammer in his hand. If a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. So he will strike him with it, until he is smashed to dust. And then Allaah will return him to how he used was before, and (then) he will strike him with it again, and he will scream with a scream that will be heard by everything, except for mankind and jinn. And then a gate will be opened for him from the Fire and bedding will be given to him from the Fire. So he will say: O my Lord, do not establish the Hour! [This hadeeth was posted on salafitalk.net]
We ask Allaah for sincerity, steadfastness and a good ending in this life. Aameen
Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) stated:
If you see that your time is elapsing and your lifespan dwindling, whilst you have not produced anything beneficial nor useful, nor do you find a blessing in your time, then beware (lest you be from those included in) the statement of Allaah (The Most High):
وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا
”And obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair has been lost.” [18:28]
That is: His affair has strayed and become disconcerted, and there is no blessing in it. It should be known that some people do remember Allaah, however he (or she) remembers (Allaah) with a heedless heart and for that reason he (or she) does not benefit. Indeed the person who remembers Allaah with his (or her) tongue and not with his (or her) heart is deprived of blessings in his (or her) deeds and time, until his (or her) affair is lost. You find him (or her) hanging around for long hours and he (or she) does not achieve anything. However, if his (or her) affair was with Allaah (i.e. truly spent in attentiveness to Allaah), he (or she) would have received blessings in all his (or her) actions. [Tafseer Soorah Al-Kahf of Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah)] [1] [End of quote]
So we remind ourselves of the following Aayaat, so that we do not lose hope in Allaah’s Mercy and rush to repentance. Allaah (The Most High) said:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
“And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.
“And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!” [2]
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[1] This serious reminder was sent to us in Arabic via WhatsApp by Ustaadh Ismaa’eel Al-Maghribi [Arabic Teacher @ Redstone Academy (Birmingham) and Qur’aan teacher @ Masjid Salafi (Wright Street) -may Allaah preserve him and all his colleagues…Aameen)]
[2] Soorah Az-Zumar. Aayaat 53-55 [Note: We added these Aayaat as a reminder]
The Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said:
كل الناس يغدو فبائع نفسه فمعتقها أو موبقها
‘’Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it (i.e. from sin) or bringing about its ruin (i.e. through sin)” [1]
AbuBakr Ibn Ayyaash (rahimahullaah) said: A man once said to me when I was a young man: ‘’Save yourself in this worldly life as much as you can by (seeking) after the provision of the afterlife; for indeed the prisoner of the afterlife (i.e. the one condemned in the fire) will never be unfastened. ‘’ [2]
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[1] Hadeeth 23. Forty hadith of Nawawi
[2] Jaami-ul Uloom Wal-Hikam. Page: 390. Daar Ibn Rajab
Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi (may Allaah preserve him) stated:
As you all know, we do not take the course of war; rather we take the course to advise you and the Muslims. Allaah alone knows the intentions. At present my two feet are at the doorstep of the grave. Neither do I want anything of the Dunyah nor a (lofty) position. [ولله الحمد]—Indeed I rejected all these affairs in the prime of my youth. And by Allaah, I am a seeker of knowledge and I used to say to myself: ”If I were to be given the highest ministerial position, by Allaah I would not give it precedence over seeking knowledge.” This is my natural disposition. My natural disposition—by Allaah—is to give sincere advise to the Muslims; eager for them to be guided and eager for the guidance of the youth. And I clarified Sayyid Qutb’s affairs of misguidance and other than him (in order) to enlighten the youth about Allaah’s true Religion; enlightening them about the misguided stances, so that they may save themselves from them and avoid them. And so that they may follow Allaah’s Straight Path along with those upon whom Allaah has bestowed His grace from amongst the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous, and how excellent these companions are! And I ask Allaah [The Blessed and Most High] to establish this aspiration in the Ummah very soon and quickly. Verily! Our Lord is indeed the All-Hearer of invocations.
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[Source: Kashf As-Sitaar page: 104]
Translator: Abu Mu-aawiyyah (Abdullah Al-Gambi)