Virtues of Tawhid…

From the second chapter of Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahman as-Sa’di’s sharh of ‘Kitab at-Tawhid’:

“…There is nothing that has a better effect and more virtues than Tawhid, as all of the good in this world and the next sprout from this Tawhid and its virtues.

1 - The forgiveness and expiation of sins are from its virtues and effects.

2 - It is the greatest means by which the pressures, hardships, and punishments of this life and the next are repelled.

3 - It prevents one from remaining eternally in the fires of Hell, even if there was only a mustard seed’s worth of it in the heart. If it is complete in the heart, it prevents one from ever entering Hell in the first place!

4 - It grants its owner complete guidance and security in this life and the next.

5 – It is the only means of attaining the Pleasure and reward of Allah, and he who will be happiest in regards to the intercession of the Prophet is he who said ‘there is none worthy of worship except Allah’ sincerely from his heart.

6 - And from the greatest of its virtues is that the acceptance, richness, and reward of all actions and words – outer and inner – depend on Tawhid. So, as strong as Tawhid and sincerity to Allah are, the stronger these will become.

7 - It causes good actions and works to be much easier for the servant, just as it makes it easier for him to abandon bad and evil actions. It also keeps him preoccupied when a crisis occurs. So, acts of obedience are very light for the one who is sincere to Allah in his faith and Tawhid, due to what he hopes for of the reward and Pleasure of his Lord. Likewise, it is very easy for him to leave off the sins that his soul desires, due to his fear of Allah’s Anger and punishment.

8 - If it becomes complete in the heart, Allah causes its owner to love faith, and will beautify it in his heart. Likewise, he will make him hate disbelief, sin, and disobedience, will make him of those who are rightly guided.

9 - It makes unpleasant things easy for the servant, and will ease his pains. So, as much as the servant has complete Tawhid and faith, his heart will absorb unpleasant and painful things with openness, tranquility, submission, and satisfaction with the Decree of Allah.

10 – And from the greatest of its virtues is that it frees the servant from enslavement and attachment to, fear of, and hope in the Creation, as well as doing anything for their sake, and this is the true essence of honor and nobility. With this, he becomes truly enslaved to his Lord, does not hope for any but Him, does not fear any but Him, and does not depend on any but Him. With this, he has achieved true success and victory.

11 – And from its virtues that cannot be claimed by any other is that, if it is complete in the heart, and is truly and fully established with complete sincerity, it can turn small actions into huge ones, and multiplies actions and words without any effort whatsoever…and this is all because of the sincerity that is in his heart. And how many of those who say it do not reach such a level, and this is because his heart does not contain the level of complete Tawhid and sincerity – or anywhere near it – that such a person has?

12 - Allah has taken it upon Himself to bestow victory, honor, nobility, means to guidance, means of attaining relaxation, rectification of affairs, and firmness in speech and action to its people in this world.

13 - Allah defends the monotheists and people of faith from the various evils of this world and the next, blesses them with a pure life of feeling secure with Him and remembrance of Him.

And the proofs for this from the Book and Sunnah are many, are well-known, and Allah Knows best.”

['al-Qawl as-Sadid Sharh Kitab at-Tawhid'; p. 12-13]

Ibn Qayyim: The Complaint of the Ignorant against Allah SWT…

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: “Whoever complains about a calamity which comes his way it is as if he has complained against his Lord.”

The ignorant people complain to people about Allah, and this is the highest degree of ignorance, for if he had known his Lord, he would not have complained about Him, and if he had known the people he would not have complained to them.

One of the predecessors saw a man complaining to another man about his poverty and dire necessity. He said to him, ‘O you! By Allah, you have done nothing but complain about He who has mercy for you, to the one who has no mercy for you’.

The Complain of the Ignorant, Ibn Al-Qayyim , Al Fuwaid p. 134

Abu Darda: O Umar! What have we done… and they both wept and cried until morning

Abu Darda RA sought permission from Umar ibn Khattab RA to go to Syria. [Umar would not allow the illustrious Sahaba to leave Madinah for fear of fitna.] Umar said, ‘I will not allow you unless you accept governorship.’ Abu Darda replied, ‘I do not want governorship.’ Umar said, ‘In that case, I shall not allow you to leave for Syria.’ At this, Abu Darda said, ‘Alright I will go but on condition that I will only teach the Sunnah and lead the Salat for the people there.’ Umar agreed.

After some time, Umar went to visit Syria and stayed at the outskirts of the town until it had become dark. Then he said to his companion, ‘O Yarfa’a! Take me to Yazid b. Abu Sufyan RA and you will see that he is sitting on costly carpets in the light of a lamp surrounded by his gossiping courtiers. All these things belong to the booty of the Muslims. When you salute him, he will respond but will not allow you entry unless he knows your identity,’

Yarfa’a narrates, ‘We left and arrived at the door and said the greetings.’ After obtaining a reply from Yazid, I requested entry upon which Yazid asked, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I am Yarfa’a, a man on whose arrival you will not feel happy for the Amir al-Mumineen has arrived.’  Umar asked me to stand at the doorway and he, himself, hit Yazid with his lash between his ears. Thereafter, he rolled up all the articles, put the bundle in the middle of the room and asked the people around not to move until his return.’

Coming out, he said, ‘O Yarfa’a! Take me to Amru b. Aas’ and then repeated the words uttered in connection with Yazid.

Accordingly we left for the place and reached the door of Amru. Umar, himself extended the greetings and after the reply requested entry. After Amru asked, ‘Who are you?’, Yarfa’a replied, ‘It is one whose arrival you are not supposed to enjoy. The Amir al-Mumineen is here.’ Thus he opened the door and therein they found the court gossipers, sitting in the light of a lamp upon costly carpets. Umar said, ‘O Yarfa’a, stand at the door and do not allow anyone to run away.’ Then he hit Amru with his lash between his ears, folded the articles and put the bundle in the middle of the house. He left the place asking people not to move until his return.

After that Umar said, ‘take me to Abu Musa’ and the same story replayed itself as it had int he previous incidents. Whilst hitting him with his lash, Umar said, ‘You too, O Musa?’ Abu Musa RA said, ‘This is nothing in comparison to what others are doing. By Allah! I have taken from the booty as much as others have taken.’ When Umar asked about the cushions, he replied. ‘Local people say that governorship does not look nice without all these articles.’ Umar then made a bundle of these articles and put it in the middle instructing that no one should leave until he returns.

After that, Umar said, ‘Now take me to a brother of mine and you will find there neither courtiers, nor lamp, nor the door bolted from within. He will be sitting on small pebbles with his head reclining on a pillow stuffed with dry leaves. He will be covering his body with a thin blanket unable to protect him from the severe cold.

In short, we started and arrived at his door.

Umar extended the greetings and upon reply requested entry. He was immediately permitted. We pushed the unlocked door open. As the room was dark, Umar had to search for him with his hands. He found him in the same state he had described earlier.
Abu Darda asked, ‘Who are you? Are you the Amir ul-Mumineen?’ Umar replied in the affirmative and Abu Darda continued, ‘ We are meeting after nearly one year.’ Umar said, ‘May Allah protect you, Did I not give you enough scope to earn the necessary comforts for yourself? Have I not done so?’

Abu Darda said, ‘O Umar, do you remember the hadith of what the Holy Prophet SAWS has advised us?’ Umar replied, ‘What hadith are you referring to?’  He replied, ‘Each of you should possess as much belongings of this world as a riding traveler has.’ Umar said, ‘Yes I remember very well.’ At this, Abu Darda said, ‘O Umar! What have we done after the departure of the Holy Prophet?’

After that they both wept and cried until morning.

Hayatus Sahaba, Al-Kanzul Um’mal (Vol III, p.77)

Prophet SAWS on The Life Span of the Ummah… (We’re nearing the end)

The Prophet SAWS said “The life span of my Ummah will not extend past 1500 years.”

(Suyuti, Al-Kashf ‘an Mujawazat Hadhihi al-Ummah al-Alf, ‘Al-Hawi lil-Fatawi’, Suyuti. 2/248, (Arabic) 4/262, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-`Ilal, P. 89).

Imam As-Suyuti (d.911 AH) said:

“From what the narrations reveal is that the age of this ummah extends beyond a thousand but it doesnt exceed in increase another 500 in actuality beyond this thousand.”

(in his book in his “Risalah Al-Kashf ‘an mujawazt hadehel ommah al alf”, or “treastie on revealing of the proceeding of this nation beyond the thousand, ” page 206)

The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wassalam) said: “The life of this Ummah will exceed 1000, yet will be limited by 1500 years.”

(Shaikh Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji (d.1103 AH), Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 299)

Hafiz Ibn al-Hajr al-Asqalani (d.852 AH) said:

“And it is evident  that the lasting of this Islamic nation is somewhat a thousand years, this is because the age of the Jewish nation is equivalent to that of the time periods of the Christian and Muslim ages combined, and the people of transmission (ahl an naql) have agreed that the period of the Jews till the advent of Allah (SWT)’s final Apostle Muhammad SAWS was more than 2000 years, and the span of the age of the Christians was 600 years from them..and also this narration points the fact about how little of the age of this world has remained.”

(Fat-hul Bari , in vol.4 , book of hijra, page 448-449 )

When Silence Isn’t Golden…

The Prophet (SAWS) said: “All of a human being’s words count against him and not for him, except commanding the right, forbidding the wrong, and the mention of Allah Most High.” [Tirmidhi]

The importance of keeping guard over what our tongue utters is so important that the Prophet (SAWS) said that he would guarantee Paradise to whoever could control his tongue and private parts from sin. The misuse of these is a common cause of being led to Jahannum. When Abu Bakr (RA) heard this, he put a large stone in his mouth to prevent himself from speaking without thinking. He would take the stone out if he had to speak, but then put it in again. How far we are from the example of the Sahabah…

We should adopt silence as our modus operandi, but silence when speaking is required for the sake of the deen is not commendable. Abul Qasim Qushayri said, “Safety lies in remaining silent, which should be one’s basis. Silence at the appropriate time is the mark of men, just as speech at the appropriate time is one of the finest qualities. I have heard Abu Ali Daqqaq say, ‘He who is silent when something should be said is a tongueless villain.’”

You Are Allah’s Witnesses Upon The Earth…

Hadeeth 686 – Narrated Anas (bin Mâlik) رضى الله عنه : A funeral procession passed and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, It has been affirmed to him. Then another funeral procession passed and the people spoke badly of the deceased. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, It has been affirmed to him. ‘Umar bin Al Khattâb asked Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم , What has been affirmed? He replied, You have praised this one so Paradise has been affirmed to him; and you have dispraised (spoken badly of) the other, so Hell has been affirmed to him. You people are Allâh’s witnesses on earth. (2:448O.B.)

This incident is made clearer by a narration in Imam Hakim’s Mustadrak. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked the sahabah that what good do you have to say about this person. They said that he loved Allah and His Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and he worked hard to please Allah and His Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم). When they spoke ill of the second person, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked them to clarify why they spoke ill of this person. They said that he disliked Allah and His Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and he worked hard to disobey Allah and His Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم). This is when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that Jannah has become obligatory for him (i.e. for the first deceased) and Jahanam has become obligatory for the second deceased.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to the companions ‘You are Allah’s witnesses upon the earth’. Sayidina Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) said ‘Ya Rasulullah. What is this?’ Sayidina Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) sought an explanation. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that Allah has angels upon the earth who speak on men’s tongues. When the angels want to say something good about someone their speech is manifest, or their inner feelings are expressed upon the tongues of man. Thus, Allah causes men to speak of what the angels want to say; good for good and bad for bad.

Edited from Source

Ali b. Abu Talib: Be concerned more with acceptance of deeds than the deeds themselves…

Ali bin Abi Talib may Allah be pleased with him once said, “Be concerned more over the acceptance of your deeds than over the deeds themselves for Allah does not accept deeds except from the righteous. Didn’t you read Allah’s statement: ‘Verily, Allah accepts only from the Muttaqeen -Righteous.’ (al-Ma’idah 5:27)”

Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The pious predecessors used to spend their efforts on completing their deeds perfectly and precisely. They then, concern themselves over their acceptance, fearing it might be rejected. Those are the people about whom Allah says: “And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord.” (al-Mu’minoon 23:60)

The Prophet SAWS: On Dua and Qadr…

The people asked the Prophet SAWS, “What do you think of the medicines, recitations, and precautions (we use against sickness)? Will they change the decree (qadar) of Allah at all?” He SAWS replied, “They are part of the decree of Allah.”

In another hadith, he SAWS said, ” Dua (supplication) and decreed calamities meet and wrestle between Heaven and Earth. ” [Ahmad, Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi]

Al-Ubudiyah, Ibn Taymiyah

Mufti Taqi Usmani: Reminding a Muslim of a sin may be a sin in itself…

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: “That person who taunts and ridicules his Muslim brother over a sin from which he has repented, will not die until he himself commits that same sin.” For example, you come to know that a certain person committed or was involved in a particular sin and you also know that this person has repented from it. To think low of him or to taunt or ridicule him because of that sin, by saying something like: “You are the one who was involved in certain evil actions”, is in itself a sin.

Through repentance a person has corrected his relationship with Allah Most High. Through repentance not only has the sin been forgiven, it has also been erased from his book of deeds! Allah Most High has erased it from his book of deeds but you, because of that sin, are thinking low of him and treating him with contempt. You are taunting and ridiculing him. This action is extremely despised by Allah Most High.

This is regarding a person whom you know has repented. If you don’t know whether he has repented or not, then there is always this possibility that he, being a mu’min (believer), has repented or will repent in the future.

Do Not Despise the Sinners, By Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Eating: Difference between Believer and Disbelievers

Prophet SAWS: “The believer eats in one stomach, and the disbeliever and the hypocrite eat in seven.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

In another narration of this Hadeeth, it is mentioned:

“A man by the name of Abu Ghazwaan came to visit the Prophet SAWS. (This was before Abu Ghazwaan had become Muslim.) The Prophet SAWS was the most generous of all people and he milked seven sheep for him. So the man drank all of the milk. Then the Prophet SAWS said to him: “Isn’t it time you became a Muslim?” He replied: ‘Yes’ and became Muslim. The Prophet SAWS then stroked his chest (while supplicating for him).
The next day, the Prophet SAWS milked only one sheep for him, but Abu Ghazwaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, was not able to drink all of the milk. So, the Prophet SAWS asked: “What is the matter Abu Ghazwaan?” He, may Allaah be pleased with him, responded: ‘I swear by the One Who sent you as a Prophet, I have had enough.’
So the Prophet SAWS said: “Last night you had seven stomachs while you were a disbeliever and today you only have one stomach.” (At-Tabaraani).

This saying of the Prophet SAWS means that a believer can eat less and control his desires more, since he does not eat to enjoy nor to fulfil a desire, but rather to stop hunger and become stronger so that he can worship Allah. The disbeliever, however, who does not believe in the Day to come, eats with a strong desire and the lust of animals, as Allah describes him in the Qur’aan saying: “…But those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” (Muhammad: 12).