Saturday, March 27, 2010

Remembrance of Death and AfterLife by Imam Al-Ghazzali



Al-Ghazali
The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife
(Kitab dhikr al-mawt wa-ma ba'dahu)
Book XL of The Revival of the Religious Sciences
(Ihya `ulum al-din) translated with an introduction and notes by TJWinters (Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad)

A good book, a very comprehensive and descriptive of the Barzakh and AfterLife.A must for everyone who wants to know what happen in the barzakh and the hereafter.

Al-Ghazali
The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife
(Kitab dhikr al-mawt wa-ma ba'dahu)
Book XL of The Revival of the Religious Sciences
(Ihya `ulum al-din)
translated with an introduction and notes by T.J.Winter
Available from Amazon UK | Amazon USA

An exposition of the grave's discourse
to the dead, and of their utterances,
either on the tongue of common speech,
or that of the Spiritual State (lisan al-hal)
from Chapter Seven
ISBN: 0 946621 13 6 (Islamic Texts Society)

Now, the tongue of the Spiritual State (lisan al-hal) is even more eloquent in communicating with the dead than that of the speech when communicating with the living. The Emissary of God (May God bless him and grant him peace) said, 'When the dead man is laid in his grave it speaks to him, saying, "Woe betide you, O son of Adam! What distracted you from contemplating me? Did you not know that I am the house of trial, the house of darkness, the house of solitude and the house of worms? What distracted you from me? You used to pass me by, strutting on!" Now if he had worked well, then someone will reply to the grave on his behalf, saying, "Do you not see that it was his practice to enjoin the good and forbid the evil?" And the grave replies, "Then for him shall I turn to verdure [a condition of freshness or healthy growth.], and his body shall become radiance, and his spirit shall soar up to God (Exhalted is He!)".' (According to the narrator, 'strutting' [faddad] is to take large strides.) [Ref: al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, 161; Abu Nu`aym, VI. 90; Abu Ya'la, al-Musnad (Haytami, Majma', III. 45-46)]

Said `Ubaid bin `Umayr al-Laythi 'Not a single man dies without being called by the pit in which he is buried, which declares, "I am the house of gloom, and of loneliness and solitude! If you were obedient to God during your lifetime then today I shall be a source of mercy for you, but if you were rebellious then I am an act of vengence against you. The obedient who enter me shall come forth joyful, while the rebellious who enter me shall emerge in ruin".'

Said Muhammad ibn Sabih 'I have heard that if a man is laid in his tomb to be tormented or afflicted by something which is odious to him, his dead neighbours call out to him, saying, "O you who leave your bretheren and neighbours behind you in the world! Was there never a lesson for you in us? Was there no clue for you in our preceding you? Did you not see how our actions were severed from us while you still had some respite? Why did you not achieve that which passed your bretheren by?" Then the regions of the earth call out to him, saying, "O you who were beguiled by the outer aspect of the world! Did you not take heed from your relatives who had vanished into the earth's interior? Those who were beguiled by the world before you and then met their fate, and entered into their graves? You watched them being borne aloft [To the cemetary], availed nothing by those they loved, and taken to the abode which they could not escape."'

Said Yazid al-Ruqashi 'I have heard it said that when the deceased is set in his tomb his works amass around him and are given to speak by God, so that they say, "O bondsman, alone in his pit! Your family and friends are now separated from you, so that today we are your sole companions".'

Said Ka'b [al-Ahbar], 'When the righteous bondsman is laid in his tomb he is surrounded by his righteous acts, such as his prayer, his fasting, his pilgrimage, his engagement in the Holy War, and the charity he used to distribute. Then the Angels of Chastisement approach him from the direction of his feet, but are told by Prayer,"Get back from him, you have no authority over him, for upon those [feet] he stood in me at length for the sake of God". Then they approach him from the direction of his head, but Fasting says, "You have no authority over him, for in the world's abode he thirsted at length for the sake of God". Next they draw near to him from the direction of his trunk, but Pilgrimage and Holy War say, "Get back from him for he exhausted himself and wearied his body when he accomplished the Pilgrimage and the Holy War for the sake of God; no authority do you have over him". Then they approach him from the direction of his hands, but Charity says, "Back! Retreat from my master, for how many an act of charity issued from those two hands to fall in to the hand of God (Exalted is He!), while he acted only for His sake; no authority, do you have over him". Then he shall be told, "Rejoice! Good you have been in life and in death!" Next, the Angels of Mercy come, and spread a heavenly cloth and resting-place out for him, and his grave is widened around him for as far as the eye can see. A candle is brought from Heaven, and from it he has light until God resurrects him from his grave.'

Said `Abd Allah ibn `Ubayd ibn `Umayr at a funeral, 'I have heard it said that the Emissary of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) once declared, "The dead man sits up and hears the footsteps of those that are present at his funeral, but none addresses him save his tomb, which says, 'Woe betide you, O son of Adam! Did you not fear me and my narrowness, and my corruption, terror and worms? What have you prepared for me?" [Ibn al-Mubarak, (riwaya Nu`aym ibn Hammad), 41; Ibn Abi'l-Dunya, K. al-Qubur (Zabidi, x.397; Suyuti, Sharh, 114).

source

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Golden Principle of Raising Children-Disciplining the Soul -Imam Al-Ghazzali (rha)



The following is from Imam Ghazali's: Disciplining the Soul (Kitab
Riyadat al-Nafs), being Book XXI of Ihya' `Ulum al-Din (The Revival of
the Religious Sciences) translated by T.J. Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim
Murad)

NOW that the way in which young children are disciplined is one of the most important of all matters. A child is a trust in the
care of his parents, for his pure heart is a precious uncut jewel devoid
of any form or carving, which will accept being cut into any shape, and
will be disposed according to the guidance it receives from others. If
it is habituated to and instructed in goodness then this will be its
practice when it grows up, and it will attain to felicity in this world
and the next; its parents too, and all its teachers and preceptors, will
share in its reward. Similarly, should it be habituated to evil and
neglected as though it were an animal, then misery and perdition will be
its lot, and the responsibility for this will be borne by its guardian
and supervisor. For God (Exalted is He!) has said, Ward off from
yourselves and your families a Fire. A father may strive to protect his
son from fire in this world, but yet it is of far greater urgency that
he protect him from the fires which exist in the Afterlife. This he
should do by giving him discipline, teaching him and refining his
character, and by preserving him from bad company, and by not suffering
him to acquire the custom of self-indulgence, or to love finery and
luxury, in the quest for which he might well squander his life when
older and thus perish forever. Rather should he watch over him
diligently from his earliest days, and permit none but a woman of virtue
and religion to nurse and raise him; her diet should be of permitted
things, for there is no blessing [baraka] in milk which originates in
forbidden food, which, should a child be nourished on it, will knead his
native disposition in such a way as to incline his temperament to
wrongdoing.

When the signs of discretion appear in him he should again be watched over carefully. The first of these is the rudiments of
shame, for when he begins to feel diffident and is ashamed of certain
things so that he abandons them, the light of the intellect has dawned
in him, whereby he sees that certain things are ugly, and different from
others, and begins to be ashamed of some things and not others. [1]This
is a gift to him from God (Exalted is He!), and a good foretoken that
his traits will be balanced, his heart pure, and his intellect sound
when he enters upon adulthood.

The child who has developed the capacity for shame should never be neglected; rather this and his
discretion should be used as aids in his education. The first trait to
take control of him will be greed for food; he is to be disciplined in
this regard, so that, for instance, he picks up food only with his right
hand, says 'In the name of God' when raising it, eats from that which
is nearest to him, and does not start eating before others. [2] He
should not stare at his food or at the other people present, neither
should he bolt it, but should chew properly; he should not eat one
mouthful after another without pause, he should not get food on his hand
or his clothes, and he should acquire the habit of sometimes eating
nothing but bread so that he does not think that the presence of other
kinds of food is inevitable. He should be made to dislike eating large
quantities by being told that this is the practice of animals, and by
seeing other children reproached for overeating or praised for being
well-mannered and moderate. He should be made to enjoy giving the best
food to others, and encouraged to pay little heed to what he eats and to
be contented with its coarser varieties.

­­­­­He should be encouraged to like white rather than coloured or silk garments, and made
firmly to believe that these latter are proper to women and to
effeminate men, and that [true] men disdain them. This should be
repeatedly emphasised to him so that he dislikes and criticises the
wearing by any child he sees of silken or coloured clothes. He should be
protected from children who are accustomed to luxury and comfort, and
to wearing expensive garments, and from mixing with all who would speak
to him of such things and thereby make them fine in his eyes. For the
child who is neglected in the early years of his growth will usually
grow up to be ill-natured, dishonest, envious, obstinate, inclined to
theft, backbiting, and excessive chatter and laughter, and slyness and
immorality, from all of which things he can be protected through a sound
upbringing.

Next he should be busy at school learning the Qur'ân, the Traditions, and tales of devout men, so that love for the
righteous may take root is his heart. He should be preserved from those
varieties of poetry which treat of lovers and passion [3], and from the
company of such men of letters as claim that these things are part of an
elegant and sophisticated nature, for this would implant the seeds of
corruption in his heart. Whenever a good trait or action manifests
itself in the child he should be admired and rewarded with something
which gives him joy, and should be praised in front of others; likewise,
when once in a while he does something bad it is best to pretend not to
notice and not to bring it to the attention of others (but never to
reveal to him that it is something which others might be bold enough to
do), particularly if the child himself has diligently endeavoured to
hide his action, for the exposure of such deeds may cause him to grow
emboldened, until he no longer cares when they are made public. Should
he repeat the action, he should be privately reproached and made to feel
that it was a very serious thing, and be told, 'Beware of doing
anything like this again, or I shall tell others and you will be
disgraced in front of them!'. He should not be spoken to at length every
time, for this would accustom him to being blamed for his misdeeds, and
destroy the effectiveness such words have upon his heart. A father
should rather preserve the awe in which the child holds his speech by
reproaching him only sometimes: similarly the mother, when reproving him
should frighten him by [threatening to mention the matter to] his
father. He should not be permitted to sleep by day, for this conduces to
laziness, and should always be allowed to sleep at night, but not on a
soft bed, which would prevent his members from growing tough. His body
should not be allowed to grow fat, for this would make it hard for him
to renounce self-indulgence; instead he should be habituated to rough
bedding, clothing and food.

He should also be prevented from doing anything secretly, for he will conceal things only when he
believes them to be ugly, and if he is left to continue these practices
will grow used to doing ugly things. He should acquire the habit of
walking, moving about and taking exercise for part of the day so the he
is not overcome by idleness, and should be taught not to uncover his
limbs or walk fast, and not to dangle his arms but to keep them close to
his trunk. He must be forbidden to boast to his fellows about any of
his parents' possessions, whether these be money or property, or about
anything he eats or wears, or about his tablet and pencase, and should
become used to being modest, generous and mild in speech to all with
whom he associates. He should be prevented from accepting anything from
other boys, if he is from a wealthy and powerful family, and be taught
that it is honourable to give, and base and blameworthy to take; while
if his parents are poor he should be taught that greed and taking from
others is a disgraceful and humiliating practice fit only for dogs,
which wag their tails hoping for a morsel.

Children should always be made to deem the love of gold and silver an unsightly thing, and
should be warned in this regard even more vigorously than they are
warned about snakes and scorpions, for the vice which consists in such a
love is more dangerous to them (and to adults also) than poison.

A child should be put in the practice of not spitting, yawning or wiping
his nose in the presence of others, and taught not to turn his back to
anyone, or to cross his legs, or lean his chin and support his head on
his hand, for these practices indicate the presence of sloth. He should
be taught how to sit, and be forbidden to speak excessively, it being
explained to him that this is a sign of impudence and the custom of
children from low families. Making oaths of any sort, whether true or
false, should be forbidden to him, so that he never acquires this habit
as a child. He should be put in the habit of never speaking before
anyone else, and of speaking only in response to questions and in
proportion to them, and of listening properly whenever an older person
is speaking, and rising [when he enters], and making a place for him and
sitting facing him. He should be forbidden to speak loosely, or to
curse or insult anyone, or to mingle with those who do such things, for
these habits will inevitably be acquired should he fall in with bad
company, the preservation from which is the very root and foundation of
the education of children. If his teacher strikes him he should not cry
out and sob, or seek anyone's intercession, but should rather bear his
punishment, and be told that to do so is a mark of courage and manhood,
while to cry is the practice of slaves and women.

After school, he should be allowed to play in a fashion which gives him some rest
after his hard work in class, although he should not be allowed to grow
exhausted. To prevent a child from playing, and to fatigue him with
constant lessons, will cause his heart to die and harm his intelligence,
and make life so hateful to him that he will cast around for some means
of escape.

He should be taught to obey his parents and his teacher, and all people who are older than himself, whether relations or
not, and to look upon them with respect and admiration and not to play
in their presence. As he reaches the age of discretion he should not be
excused the ritual ablutions and the Prayer, and should be told to fast
for a few days during Ramadan, and should be prevented from wearing
gold, silk or embroidered clothes. He should be taught about the limits
[4] laid down by the Law, and put in fear of theft and unlawful gain,
and also of lying, treachery, deceit, and all the other traits which
tend to predominate among children. If he is brought up in this way,
then as he approaches adulthood he will come to understand the reasons
which underlie these things, and will be told that food is a means of
maintaining health, and that its sole purpose is to enable man to gain
strength for the worship of God (Great and Glorious is He!), and that
this world is without reality, since it will not endure, and that death
must bring its pleasures to an end, and that it is a place through which
we pass but in which we cannot abide, unlike the Afterlife, in which we
must abide and through which we cannot pass, for death awaits us at
every moment, and that therefore the intelligent and insightful man will
lay up provisions in this world for his journey into the next so as to
gain a high degree in the sight of God and abundant bliss in the Gardens
of Heaven. If his upbringing was sound, then when he attains to
maturity these ideas will have a powerful and wholesome effect which
will leave an impress on his heart like an inscription on stone; had it
been otherwise, so that the child had grown accustomed to play,
boastfulness, rudeness and insolence, and greed for food, clothes and
finery, his heart will shrink from accepting truth in the manner of a
field where crops wither because of its dry soil.

It is the beginning which should be supervised carefully, for a child is a
creature whose essence is receptive to both good and evil: it is only
its parents who cause it to be disposed to one or the other. As the
Prophet said, 'Every child is born with the sound natural disposition
[fitra]: it is only his parents who make of him a Jew, a Christian or a
Zoroastrian'.

Sahl ibn 'Abd Allâh al-Tustarî said, 'When I was [only] three years old I used to say the midnight prayer, having watched
my maternal uncle Muhammad ibn Suwâr doing this. One day he said to me
'Do you not remember God, your Creator?' and I asked, 'How should I
remember Him?' 'When you put on your bedclothes, say in your heart three
times, without moving your tongue, "God is with me. God beholds me.
God watches over me". This I did for several nights, telling him
what I had done. Then he instructed me to say the same words seven times
each night, which I did, and then eleven times, upon which I felt a
sweetness growing in my heart. When a year had passed, my uncle said to
me, "Keep doing what I have told you until you enter your grave, for it
will help you in this world and the next". I continued to do it for
several years, finding a sweetness within myself, until my uncle said,
"Sahl! If God is with somebody, and beholds him and watches over him,
can he then disobey Him? You should never do so".

'Now, it was a habit of mine to keep my own company, and when they sent me to school I
said, "I am afraid that my concentration will be lost". But they made it
a condition upon the schoolmaster that I should be with him and study
for a certain period each day, and would then come back home. And so I
went to school, where I memorised the Qur'ân by the time I was six or
seven years old. It was my practice to fast every day, my only
nourishment for twelve years being from barley-bread. When I was
thirteen I came across a question [which I could not answer], and asked
my family to send me to Basra to search for the answer to it there [5].
When I arrived, I asked the scholars of that city regarding it, but not
one of them was able to provide me with a satisfactory response. I
journeyed therefore to 'Abbâdân [6], where I met a man named Abû Habîb
Hamza ibn Abî 'Abd Allâh al-'Abbâdânî, who was able to answer my
question. I then stayed with him for while, benefiting from his
discourse and taking on some of his good manners, and then went back to
Tustar [7]. Now I restricted myself in the matter of food to buying for
one dirham a measure [8] of barley, which I would cause to be ground and
baked, and of which I would eat one ounce [ûqiya] before dawn, without
any salt or other food, so that that one dirham sufficed me for a whole
year. Then I resolved to fast for three days at a stretch, and then
break my fast, and then for five days, and then seven, and at last
twenty-five days. This I did for twenty years. Then I went out, and
wandered in the earth for several more years, and then returned to
Tustar, where I prayed all night for as long as God willed.' Said Ahmad,
'I never saw him eat salt until he went to meet his Lord'.
source

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Eyes Are The Mirror Of The Soul



Those with mirror-like hearts

do not depend on fragrance and color:

they behold Beauty in the moment.

They've cracked open the shell of knowledge

and raised the banner

of the eye of certainty.

Thought is gone in a flash of light. (RUMI)
....................

Though the worlds are eighteen thousand and more,

not every eye can see them.

Every atom is indeed a place of the vision of God,

but so long as it is unopened,

who says, "There is a door"? (RUMI)
.....................


When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure,

you'll behold images which are outside this world.

You will see the image and the image-Maker,

both the carpet of the spiritual expanse

and the One who spreads it. (RUMI)

Friendship-A reason, a season or a lifetime




Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown



A Muslim brother reverts back to Islam, SubhanAllah




I was an agnostic for two years, but even before that I never had complete yaqeen. I didn't do anything, I was never away from the deen in practice, in fact I practiced throughout, I continually prayed and fasted and everything, but did not believe in anything I was doing, doubt had overcome me, I was praying and it was like in my head "you're deluding yourself, praying to something that doesn't exist".

I could not find satisfying answers to the fundamental questions in life, where did I come from, what is my purpose, where am I going, is there a God? I was introduced to philosophical and psychological concepts in university, and that shook my belief. I sought God in modern science, because Muslims would always say that the Quran says this and science confirms it, so the Quran must be right. To me modern science was the measuring stick, the decider of what was true and what wasn't, and the more that I looked into modern science the less I saw God, all I saw was no purpose, no chance, no imminent scientists where believers in God, they where either atheist or agnostic. My mind was rocked, and my heart now broken.

I had nothing, the world was being pulled from underneath me, everything I believed in was being torn apart, I was drowning. I doubted everything, words cannot describe it, it is truly the worst thing, nothing can be worse than losing Allah, I say that from experience. But I still prayed, even if I doubted that there was God, that "please save me Ya Rab, don't forsake me." I clinged to the verse, ""Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)

But despite all my reading, nothing did. Until one day, whilst running in the park, during the approaching sunset, I looked up into the sky. There was cloud cover covering the setting sun, and then out of no where, beams of light penetrated through the clouds, it was like a rain of light, and for reasons beyond my explanation, I regained yaqeen, I regained certainty, I believed in God. It was as if Allah pulled me from the waves of unbelief and disillusionment and planted me on a life boat! SubhanAllah, it may sound sentimental, but that's how I regained certainty in my heart, my heart was settled.

But I still needed to regain intellectual certainty, and Alhamdulillah, through the Grace of Allah, I ran into a lecture by Prof./Sheikh Seyyed Hossein Nasr on Modern Science and Islam, and it was unlike anything I had ever heard before, it pointed out that modern science isn't what we think, it isn't objective, it is based on a philosophy, on certain unprovable presuppositions. At the same, I was reading a book on The Meaning of the Qur'an, and it had passages from Frithj of Schuon's book Understanding Islam, and subhanAllah, it was like strikes of lighting from Heaven, every word resonated with me. So I began to search them up, and found that Schuon was Nasr's teacher, and they were part of the Traditional School of thought, and the rest was history. They, by the Grace of Allah, destroyed what what been destroying me, and returned me to my own deen, to the ulema and scholars who had answers to what I was going through, but I could not see, Alhamdulillah.

It also helped that during this time we had a subject in uni about epistemology, that is, "how do we know what we know", and that subject also helped in destroying this idea in my mind that science was the judge of truth, alhamdulillah.

This was all one year and a half ago, alhamdulillah :) Now I am a better Muslim for the experience, and Allah is Most Wise.

SubhanAllah, Alhamdullillah, Allahu Akbar

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Muhammad Light of the Heart



Muhammad Light of the Heart







Love of the Prophet (saw) -Habib Ali Jifri

Hold on tight to the rope of Allah (swt)



"Hold tight to the Rope of Allah (His covenant that is our allegiance to "la ilaha ill Allah Muhammad ar-Rasulullah"), all together and be not disunited among yourselves..." -Surah Ali-Imran ayah 103

Bismillah wa-salaatu wa-salaamu 'ala Rasulullah wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmaeen

Inna walhamdulillah! Indeed all praise rightfully and naturally goes to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; the Creator, Cherisher, Sustainer and Evolver of the heavens and the earth and all they contain. Our Lord who created us on these testing grounds to determine who among us is best in piety and conduct. For even the most presumably righteous in conduct means nothing if not done for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala; for the love of Him, in fear of His punishment and in hope of His Mercy and Reward.

If otherwise enacted only for the sake of attention, reputation or to earn the pleasure of the people is insignificant in the all-encompassing Sight of Allah who is Al-Kabeer. Even if that good is done simply on the basis that it's something good is a wasted deed. Of no value is any good act if not performed in knowing this is something Allah ta'ala tells us is good and knowing it is something He, azza wa jall, is indeed pleased with. The reward from Allah is not by righteous deeds alone, the formula throughout the Qur'an is always 'those who believe and do righteous deeds'. Allah ta'ala says what means:

"And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer -those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged even as much as a speck on a date seed. And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth?" -Surah an-Nisa' ayat 124-125

Allah, our Rabb, Glorified and Exalted is He, Al-Qayyum (the Self-Sufficient), Who is above having a son, partner, comparison, equal or opponent, from His Mercy tries us all according to the strength of our religion. As such there hasn't been any nor will there ever be any who is tested to the degree of the anbiya (Prophets). Taqwa is our key to responding correctly to the trials of this life and gaining success here and salvation in Akhirah. Taqwa, literally a shield protecting one against the displeasure and wrath of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, is aquired not merely through having iman (faith), but in constantly struggling to increase it. It's acquired not merely through seeking and gaining 'ilm, but in striving to properly implement it. And there is no better way... better yet, there is NO OTHER WAY to attain, nuture and guard these qualities than by sticking to the Sunnah of our beloved and noble Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam. It's just as he, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, has commanded us:

"Hold tight and cling on to my Sunnah with your molar teeth and keep far away from newly invented matters in the deen..."

With true taqwa one easily abandons and abstains from sins and works diligent to even avoid suspicious matters and matters, like the footsteps of Shaitan, that are most likely to lead the individual to sin or altogether astray. Iman and 'ilm are dependent upon one another, but each must constantly be elevated. Thus faith withers away if the knowledge Allah ta'ala granted you is not implemented. The true religion, ad-Deen ul-Haqq, Deen ul-Islam, is not a hobby, rather it is a full time commitment. Just as the Sahabah were strong in ibadat, strong in seeking knowledge, strong against the enemies of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, strong in their religion, this deen of Islam... we too, as Muslims, must be strong and commited sincerely and wholeheartedly with every limb of our jasad (body) and every portion of our ruh (soul) while Allah grants us, the mature and sane, with such an opportunity. It is impossible and foolish to think we will die in a state of al-Islam if without a full time commitment to al-Islam. How can we assure a death in a state of "la ilaha ill Allah" if we don't even live in a state of "la ilaha ill Allah"? The correct belief is cursed if the actions are not correct. And the correct actions are meaningless if the belief is incorrect. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"Ya ayyuha al-ladhina amaanu attaqu Allaha haqqa taqatihi wa la tamootuna illa wa 'antum Muslimoon." (O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam) -Surah Ali-Imran ayah 102

Our aqeedah, our methodology; our iman, our ways; our belief and practice must be in accordance to the same understanding and example of Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, the Sahabah radiallahu 'anhum and as-Salaf us-Salih (the pious predecessors) rahimutuallah. This is the methodology or path of those whom Allah says He favors and is pleased with in Surah al-Fatihah that the mukhallaf (morally responsible) recites, at minimum, 17 times a day. This righteous and victorious path is that of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah, the path of which we call to Allah that He keep us firmly upon when we say: "sirataal ladhina anamta 'alayhim!"

To learn, stick close and be persistent upon such a path truly is a struggle, but it's a struggle fisabillah (for the Cause of Allah). When living in the core, the belly and epicenter of a dunya-oriented society and the symptoms manifested and overflowing from such a corrupt and deluded orientation, without a solid foundation to support our iman, it can quickly be swept away. Our goal is to return to our Rabb happily. Among the many names Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given the Last Day is Yawm ul-Hasra, the Day of Regret. So let us be among those who regret having not doing more and not of those who regret having never doing anything at all. O Allah remind us to remember You at times of weakness and vulnerability. May we as Believers love each other and advise each other in righteousness and stand firmly against all forces and matters oppossing our unity, our allegiance to "la ilaha ill Allah" and our path to Jennah al-Firdous. Ameen.
Posted by Abdul Vakil (AV) av-blogspot

Steadfastness from Nawawi's Gardens of the Righteous


Chapter on Steadfastness from Nawawi’s Gardens of the Righteous (tr. Bewley)



Allah Almighty says, “O you who believe! Be steadfast; be supreme in steadfastness” (3:200), and the Almighty says, “We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast,” (W2:154; H2:155) and the Almighty says, “The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without any reckoning.” The Almighty said, “But if someone is steadfast and forgives, that is the most resolute course to follow.” The Almighty says, “Seek help in steadfastness and the prayer. Allah is with the steadfast” and the Almighty says, “We will test you until We know the true fighters among you and those who are steadfast”

The ayats about the command to be steadfast and the clarification of its excellence are numerous and well-known.

25. Abu Malik al-Harith ibn ‘Asim al-Ash’ari reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Purity is half of belief. ‘Praise be to Allah’ fills up the balance, and ‘Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah’ fills up everything between the heavens and the earth. The prayer is a light. Sadaqa is a proof. Steadfastness is an illumination. The Qur’an is a proof for you or against you. Everybody goes out and trades with his own self, either seting it free or destroying it.” [Muslim]

26. Abu Sa’id Sa’d ibn Malik ibn Sinan al-Khudri said, “Some of the people of the Ansar asked for something from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he gave it to them. Then they asked him again and he gave to them until he had used up everything he had. He said, ‘If I had anything more, I would not keep it from you. Whoever refrains, Allah will spare him from needing to ask. Whoever wants to be independent, Allah will make him so. Whoever shows fortitude, Allah will increase him in that. No one can be given any better and greater gift than fortitude.’” [Agreed upon]

27. Abu Yahya Suhayb ibn Sinan said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘What an extraordinary thing the business of the believer is! All of it is good for him. And that only applies to the believer. If good fortune is his lot, he is grateful and it is good for him. If something harmful happens to him, he is steadfast and that is good for him too.’” [Muslim]

28. Anas said, “When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was very ill, the pain began to make him faint. Fatima said, ‘Have you more pain, father?’ He said, ‘After today your father will suffer no more pain.’ When he died, she said, ‘Father, your Lord has answered your prayer. Father, the Garden of Firdaws is your shelter. Father, shall we announce your death to Jibril?’ When he was buried, Fatima said, ‘Are you happy to put dust on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’” [al-Bukhari]

29. Abu Zayd Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha, the client of the Messenger of Allah, one he loved and the son of one he loved, said, “A daughter of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent a message to him saying, ‘One of my sons is dying, so come.’ He sent his greetings to her and said, ‘What Allah takes is His and what He gives is His. Everything has a fixed term with Him, so she should show fortitude and expect a reward.’ She sent to him imploring him to come to her. He got up with Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit and some other men, may Allah be pleased with them. The child was brought to the Messenger of Allah and he was shuddering. The Prophet’s eyes were flowing with tears and Sa’d said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what is this?’ He said, ‘This is an aspect of mercy which Allah has put in the hearts of His slaves.’”
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One variant has, “In the hearts of whomever He will of His slaves. Allah is merciful to those of His slaves who are merciful. [Agreed upon]

30. Suhayb reported hat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Among those before you there was a king who had a sorcerer. When he was old, he said to the king, ‘I am old, so send me a lad to whom I can teach sorcery.’ He sent him a lad for him to teach. When the boy was on the way, he came upon a monk. He sat down to listen to his words and liked what he heard. Whenever he went to the sorcerer, he would pass by the monk and sit with him. When he came to the sorcerer, the sorcerer would beat him. He complained about that to the monk who said, ‘When you are afraid of the sorcerer, say, “My family kept me.” And when you are afraid of your family, say, “The sorcerer kept me.”‘

“While all this was going on, he came upon a great beast which was barring the people’s way and said, ‘Today I will find out who is better, the sorcerer or the monk.’ He took a stone and said, ‘O Allah, if what the monk does is preferable to You to what the sorcerer does, then turn this beast aside so that the people can pass.’ He threw it and killed the animal and the people went on. He went to the monk and told him and the monk said to him, ‘O my boy, today you are better than I am. I see the point that your business has reached. You will be tested and, when you are tested, do not point me out.’ The boy used to heal the blind and the lepers and treat people for all their ailments. A companion of the king who was blind heard this and brought him many gifts. He said, ‘All that I have gathered for you here is yours if you heal me.’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals. If you believe in Allah Almighty, I will pray to Allah to heal you.” So he believed in Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty healed him. He went to the king and sat with him as he used to do. The king said to him, ‘Who has returned your sight to you?’ He said, ‘It was my Lord.’ He said, ‘You have a Lord other than me?!’ He said, ‘My Lord and your Lord, Allah.’ So he seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the boy. The boy was brought and the king said to him, ‘O boy, your sorcery has reached the point where you heal the blind and the lepers, and you do such-and-such and such-and-such.’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals.’ He seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the monk. The monk was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion.’ He refused. He called for a saw and placed the saw on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the companion of the king was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion!’ He refused, and the the saw was placed on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the boy was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion,’ and he refused. He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, ‘Take him to such-and-such a mountain, and take him up the mountain. When you reach its summit, if he has not renounced his religion, throw him off.’ They took him and brought him up the mountain and he said, ‘O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.’ The mountain shook and they fell. He walked to the king and the king said to him, ‘What has happened to your companions?’ He said, ‘Allah Almighty saved me from them.’ He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, ‘Take him and put him in a ship and take him to the middle of the sea. If he does not recant, then throw him into it.’ They took him and he said, ‘O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.’ The ship capsized and they were drowned. He walked back to the king and the king said to him, ‘What has happened to your companions?’ He said, ‘Allah Almighty saved me from them.’ He said to the king, ‘You will not kill me until you do what I command you.’ He said, ‘What is that?’ He said, ‘You should gather the people together on one plain and crucify me on a palm trunk. Then take an arrow from your quiver and put the arrow in the centre of your bow and say, “In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,” and then shoot it. If you do that, you will kill me.’ So he gathered the people together on one plain and crucified him on a trunk and then took his arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the middle of the bow and then said, “In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,” and then shot it and the arrow struck his temple. He put his hand on his temple and then died. The people said, “We believe in the Lord of the boy.” The king was brought and told, “Do you not see that, by Allah, your fear has brought about the very thing you were afraid of! The people have believed.” So he commanded that a trench be dug with openings onto it and had fires lit in it. He said, ‘Throw into it, anyone who does not renounce his religion or tell him to jump.’ They did that until a woman came with one of her children. She hesitated to jump into it and the child said to her, ‘Mother, be steadfast! You have the truth.’” [Muslim]

31. Anas said, “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a woman who was weeping at a grave and said, ‘Fear Allah and show fortitude.’ She said, not recognising him, ‘Leave me alone. You have not been struck by such an affliction as mine!’ She was told, ‘It is the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ She went to the door of the Prophet and, finding no one guarding the door, she said, ‘I did not recognise you.’ He said, ‘The time for fortitude is at the first shock.’” [Agreed upon]

In a variant in Muslim, “Weeping for a child of hers.”

32. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah Almighty says, ‘The Garden will be the reward for My believing slave when I take his close friend from the people of this world and he hopes for the Garden as his reward.” [al-Bukhari]

33. ‘A’isha asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the plague and he told her that it was a punishment which Allah Almighty sent against whomever He will but that Allah Almighty had made it a mercy to the believers. “There is no slave who comes into contact with the plague and then remains where he is with fortitude and in expectation of the reward, knowing that only what Allah has written for him will befall him, who will receive any other reward than that of a martyr.” [Al-Bukhari]

34. Anas said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘Allah the Mighty and Exalted says, ‘When I test My slave regarding the two things he loves and he shows fortitude, I repay him for them with the Garden.’” He meant his eyes. [al-Bukhari]

35. ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah said, “Ibn ‘Abbas said to me, ‘Shall I show you a woman who is one of the people of the Garden?’ I replied, ‘Please do.’ He said, ‘This black woman came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “I have fits during which I expose myself. Pray to Allah Almighty for me.” He said, “If you wish, you can show fortitude and you will receive the Garden, and if you wish, I will pray to Allah Almighty to heal you.” She said, “I will show fortitude.” She said, “I expose myself so pray to Allah that I do not expose myself.” So he prayed for her.’” [Agreed upon]

36. Abu ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said, “It is as if I could still see the Messenger of Allah talking about one of the Prophets, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them, whose people beat him, making his blood flow. While he was wiping the blood from his face, he said, ‘O Allah, forgive my people. They do not know.’” [Agreed upon]

37. Abu Sa’id and Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his mistakes by it.” [Agreed upon]

38. Ibn Mas’ud said, “I visited the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had a fever. I said, “Messenger of Allah, you have a very high fever!’ He replied, ‘Yes. I have the fever of two of you.’ I asked, ‘Is that because you will have two rewards?’ He said, ‘Yes, it is like that. No Muslim is afflicted by harm, whether it is a thorn or something worse, without Allah expiating his evil deeds on that account and his sins fall away from him like leaves from a tree.’” [Agreed upon]

39. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When Allah desires good for someone, He afflicts him.” [Al-Bukhari]

40. Anas said, “The Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘None of you should wish for death because of some harm which has befallen him. If he has got to do something, he should say, ‘O Allah, make me live if life is best for me and make me die if death is best for me.” [Agreed upon]

41. Abu ‘Abdullah Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, said “We complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was using his cloak as a pillow in the shade of the Ka’ba, saying, ‘Why do you not ask for victory for us? Why do you not make supplication for us?’ He replied, ‘Among those before you there was a man who was seized and put in a hole in the ground which was dug for him. Then a saw was brought, put to his head and he was sawed in half. Then he was raked with metal teeth through his flesh and bones. None of that turned him from his religion. Allah will complete this business so that a rider will be able to travel from San’a’ to Hadramawt fearing none but Allah and wolves against his sheep, but you want to make things happen too quickly.” [al-Bukhari]

One variant has, “While he was using his cloak as a pillow and ‘we have encountered persecution from the idolaters.’”

42. Ibn Mas’ud said, “On the Day of Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, favoured some people over others in his division of the spoils. He gave al-Aqra’ ibn Habis a hundred camels and gave ‘Uyayna ibn Hisn the same number. He also gave to some of the nobles of the Arabs and favoured them in the division that day. A man said, ‘By Allah, this a division which lacks justice and by which the face of Allah is not desired.’ I said, ‘By Allah, I will inform the Messenger of Allah!’ So I went to him and informed him about what he had said. His face changed colour until it was red and then he said, ‘Who will be just if Allah and His Messenger are not just?’ Then he said, ‘May Allah have mercy on Musa! He was abused more than this and he was patient.’ I said, ‘After this, I will never take any report to him again!’” [Agreed upon]

43. Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When Allah desires good for one of His slaves, He brings forward the punishment for him in this world. When Allah desires evil for His slave, He withholds from him what is due to him on account of his wrong actions and then settles it on the Day of Rising.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The greatest reward goes together with the greatest affliction. When Allah Almighty loves people, He tests them. All who are content receive His good pleasure. Those who are angry receive His anger.” [at-Tirmidhi]

44. Anas said, “A son of Abu Talha was ill. Abu Talha went out and the boy died. When Abu Talha returned, he said, ‘How is my son?’ Umm Sulaym, who was the mother of the boy, said, ‘He is quieter than he was.’ She brought him his supper and he ate. Then he had sexual intercourse with her and when he had finished, she said, ‘Shroud the boy.’ In the morning, Abu Talha went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him. He said, ‘Did you have intercourse in the night?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘O Allah, bless them both,’ and she gave birth to a boy. Abu Talha said to me, ‘Carry him to the Prophet.’ He sent some dates with him. He said, ‘Is there anything with him?’ He said, ‘Yes, some dates.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took a date and chewed it and then took it from his mouth and put it into the mouth of the child and rubbed its palate with it and named him ‘Abdullah.” [Agreed upon]

In the variant in al-Bukhari, Ibn ‘Uyayna said, “A man of the Ansar said, ‘I saw nine sons, all of whom could recite the Qur’an,’ meaning the sons of this ‘Abdullah who was born.”

In a variant in Muslim, “A son of Abu Talha by Umm Sulaym died and she told her family, ‘Do not tell Abu Talha about his son until I have told him myself.’ She brought him supper and he ate and drank. Then she beautified herself for him better than she had ever beautified herself before, and he had intercourse with her. When she saw that he was full and had had sex with her, she said, ‘Abu Talha, what would you think if some people lent something to a family and then asked for their loan back? Can they prevent them?’ He replied, ‘No.’ She said, ‘Then seek the reward for your son.’”

He said, “He became angry and then said, ‘You left me until I was impure from intercourse and then told me about my son!’ He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘May Allah bless the night for both of you.’” He said, “She became pregnant.” He said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on a journey and she was with him. When the Messenger of Allah came to Madina from a journey, he would never enter it at night. They drew near Madina and she went into labour. Abu Talha stayed with her and the Messenger of Allah went on.” He said, “Abu Talha said, ‘You know, O Lord, that I like to go out with the Messenger of Allah when he goes out and enter when he enters and I am held back by what You see.’ Umm Sulaym said, ‘Abu Talha, I am not feeling what I was feeling. Go on.’ So he went. She went into labour when they arrived and gave birth to a boy. My mother said to me, ‘Anas, no one could make him suckle until she took him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In the morning I carried him and took him to the Messenger of Allah,’” and he mentioned the entire hadith.

45. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The strong man is not the one who throws people in wrestling. The strong man is the one who has control of himself when he is angry.” [Agreed upon]

46. Sulayman ibn Surad said, “One day I was sitting with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while two men were quarreling. The face of one of them turned red and his veins stood out. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘I know a word which, if you say it, will remove what you feel.’ (Or he said ‘”I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan’ will remove from him what he feels.’) They told him that the Prophet and two men were were quarreling said, ‘Seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.’” [Agreed upon]

47. Mu’adh ibn Anas reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “If someone restrains his anger when he is able to give vent to it, Allah ­ glory be to Him and may He will exalted!­ will summon him at the head of creatures on the Day of Rising so that he can chose whichever of the wide-eyed houris he wishes.” [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]

48. Abu Hurayra reported that a man said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “Give me counsel.” He said, “Do not get angry.” He repeated his request several times and he said, “Do not get angry.” [al-Bukhari]

49. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Believers, both men and women, will continue to be afflicted in respect of themselves, their children and their property until they meet Allah without any wrong actions at all.” [at-Tirmidhi]

50. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “‘Uyayna ibn Hisn came and stayed with his nephew, al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of the group whom ‘Umar brought near to him. The reciters were part of the people of the assembly and council of ‘Umar, no matter whether they were mature men or young men. ‘Uyayna told his nephew, ‘Nephew, you have access to this amir, so ask him for permission for me to see him.’ He asked permission and ‘Umar gave permission. When he entered, he said, ‘O Ibn al-Khattab! By Allah, it is that you do not give enough to us and you do not judge justly between us.’ ‘Umar was so angry that he wanted to punish him. Al-Hurr said to him, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Allah Almighty said to His Prophet, “Make allowances for people; command what is right; and turn away from the ignorant.” (7:199) This is one of the ignorant.’ By Allah, ‘Umar did not do less than that when he recited it. He acted in accordance with the Book of Allah Almighty.” [al-Bukhari]

51. Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘After I am gone there will be misappropriation and matters of which you disapprove.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you command us to do?” He said, “To fulfill the rights you owe to others and to ask Allah for what is owed to you.” [Agreed upon]

52. Abu Yahya Usayd ibn Hudayr reported that a man of the Ansar said, “Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me as you appointed so-and-so?” He said, “You will experience misappropriation after I have gone, so be patient until you meet me at the Basin.” [Agreed upon]

53. Abu Ibrahim ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa reported that on one of the days when he came face to face with the enemy, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, waited until the sun had declined and then stood up and said, “O people! Do not be too eager to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for well-being. When you do meet them, be steadfast. Know that the Garden lies under the shadow of the swords.” The the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “O Allah, Sender-down of the Book and Mover of the clouds and Vanquisher of the companies, defeat them and help us against them!” [Agreed upon]
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