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Tag: softening the hearts

If you see your time elapsing and your lifespan dwindling—Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh al-Uthaymeen

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Qur'aan, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

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]

 

 

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Belief - 'Aqeedah', Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Qur'aan, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

”The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves.” [Al-Ahzaab. Ayah:6]

Summarized benefits:

The closest thing a person possesses and the most important thing he has is him/herself. However, the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) is more worthy of person than him/herself. That is because the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) gave them (i.e. the creation) sincere advise, and showed them affection and compassion. There is none who shows the most mercy and compassion to the creation except that the Messenger is the greatest favour amongst the creation to the people than everyone else. That is because neither an atom’s weight of good has reached them nor an atom’s weight of evil is repelled from them, except through him (i.e. due to the message he conveyed to them from Allaah). And for this reason it is obligated on them that when the desires of their souls are in opposition to what the Messenger wants (from them), they should give precedence to what the Messenger wants (from them). They should not oppose the statement of the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) with the statement of anyone else—regardless who that person may be—and they are to sacrifice themselves, their wealth and offspring in giving precedence to loving the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wsallam) over the entire creation. They are not to say anything (i.e. in the religion) until he says so, nor do they put themselves forward before him. [Abridged and Paraphrased from ‘Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’ of Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah)]

The Believer’s Day—striving to attain both the lawful in the Dunyah and the everlasting reward in the Aakhirah-Imaam Sadi

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

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

Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah) stated:

The sensible one is in a position to have as provision the Baaqeyaat As-Saalihaat (i.e. the good righteous deeds that last and are better in the sight of Allah for reward and better in respect of hope in the aakhirah) together with his share in the worldly life with ease, and by seeking (Allaah’s) help in going out in the morning, midday and something of the night time.

This is the foundation upon which he basis his worldly affairs and the means (to them).  And even if such (affairs) came to him late at night, he would pray and seek aid from his Lord and asks for that which brings about goodness in (both) his religious and Worldly affairs, even with regards to some easy affair.

He begins his day with good; recitation of the Qur’aan and acts of worship to which one devotes (him/herself) in the morning.  He/she performs the five daily (obligatory) prayers in their earliest times and that which Allah makes easy for him/her to perform of good actions, such as prayer, recitation of the Qur’aan, remembrance of Allah, acquiring knowledge and other than that.  He/she engages his tongue in the Remembrance of Allah and in seeking forgiveness.

He pursues the means, by which the worldly gains are reached, such as trade, production of goods, farming and it’s like, with gentleness and beautiful seeking, whilst seeking the aid of his Lord in that.  He suffices himself with the permissible means and with that which Allah has made lawful, and turns away form that which He (subhaanah) has made unlawful.  The intent behind this is to fulfil the individual obligations and to be (upon) self-sufficiency, and having little or no need of the creation.   If he were to do this or something closer to it, the result will be goodness and he will gain an abundant reward.

And he does not forget his share in the worldly life and nothing of its pleasures escapes him.  It may be that Allah blesses him with contentment and that is the true richness by which a good life is attained. And Allah (Subhaanah) is the Bestower of every means to success.

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Source: Noorul Basaa-ir Wal Albaab Fee Ahkaam Al Ibaadaat, Wal Mu-aamalaat, Wal Huqooq, Wal Aadaab of Imam Abdur Rahmaan As-Sadi. Page: 65

Every person starts his/her day as a vendor of his/her soul…

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, The Salaf - Pious Predecessors, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

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

 

 

A characteristic of the truthful person—Imaam Ibnul Qayyim

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam.

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

The truthful one (i.e. the one sincere to Allaah in his/her deeds) is the one who does not care if all the status he/she possesses were removed from the hearts of the creation (i.e. the people) for the sake of rectifying his/her heart.

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[Madaarij As-Saalikeen 3/186]

Worship in Winter—Imaam Ibn Rajab (rahimahullaah)

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Imaam Ibn Rajab (rahimahullaah) stated:

Indeed, winter is the spring of the believer because during it he enjoys himself in the gardens of obedience to (Allaah) and wanders in the fields of worship, and his heart strolls along in devotion to the acts of worship facilitated within it, just like the animals revel in the pastures of spring; so they put on weight and (the state of) their bodies improve.  Likewise, during winter the believer’s religion is improved through what Allaah has made easy of acts of obedience; for indeed the believer is able to fast the days of winter without difficulty or being troubled by hunger and thirst because its days of fasting are short and cold, and the difficulty in fasting is unnoticed. And it has been reported in Tirmidhee from the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) who said: ”Fasting in winter is an (easily acquired) booty.” [a] [1]

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[a] [As-Saheehah of Imaam Albaanee: Number 1922]

[1] Lataa-if Al-Ma’aarif 326:

 

[4] Signs of the sound heart—Imaam Ibnul Qayyim

Written by Masjid Furqan on . Posted in Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam.

”Its concern to rectify deeds is greater than performing the deed; so it is eager for sincerity in the deed, adherence to the Sunnah of the Messenger and carrying it out perfectly. And alongside this, it bears witness to the favours of Allaah in that deed and its deficiencies in fulfilling the rights of Allaah.

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Ighaathatul Lahfaan. Page: 68

Admonish me and be brief–Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez (rahimahullaah) seeks advice!

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, The Salaf - Pious Predecessors.

Ibraaheem Ibn Adham (rahimahullaah) said: It has reached me that Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez (rahimahullaah) said to  Khaalid Ibn Safwaan (rahimahullaah): ”Admonish me and be brief”; so Khaalid said: ”O Leader of the believers! Indeed there are a people who have been deceived by Allaah’s concealment of (their sins, blameworthy affairs,  shortcomings etc) and are put to trial by the good praise (received from the people), so let not the ignorance of others about your (real state of affairs) prevail over what you know about yourself.  May Allaah protect us and you  from becoming deceived by Allaah’s concealment of (our real state of affairs), delayed and negligent in that which  Allaah has obligated and inclining towards desires.”  Ibraaheem said: So he (Umar) wept and then said: ”May Allaah protect us and you from following desires.”

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[Hilyatul Awliyaa 8/18]

[2] Signs of the Sound Heart—Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah)

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam.

”When it misses an act of obedience (or devotion to Allaah), it finds the pain greater than the pain of the covetous one who misses his wealth and is deprived of it.”

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[Slightly paraphrased. Source: Ighaatha Al-Lahfaan page: 68]