Bismillah, alhamdulillah wa-salaatu wa-salaamu 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salaam tasleeman katheerah. Amma ba'd...
What would make us to understand and make severe the issue of allowing the preoccupation of this world, where the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah is not involved, to distract us from our purpose? Is it not clear that it is mainly the love and attachment of this world that has weakened this Ummah and subjugated us to calamities, oppression and all sorts of evil? Ya Muslimeen, this world belongs not in our hearts, but in our hands.
Our beloved and illustrious Prophet 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam told us:
"The whole of this world is cursed and cursed is all it contains except the remembrance of Allah and what is connected to it."
Fulfilling our purpose, observing the rights Allah has upon us and securing ourselves an excellent Akhirah are the only items of any worth and blessing in this world. But how loosely and how soon do the sincerely intended righteous acts creep their way to the bottom of our list of priorities? This path bares a simple formula: lose your deen, lose yourself, lose your Akhirah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us and grant us istiqamah that we may remain distant from the path of the losers. Ameen.
Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam told us if this world were worth a single wing of a mosquito, Allah would not allow even a sip of water to the disbeliever. In so many ways and words, not to mention the countless supportive adillah from Qur'an and Sunnah, could the appropriate manner for the believer to view and handle this world be illustrated. But it is the statement of one of our classical scholars, Sheikh ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah that frames it in one of the finest perspectives. He, Ibn Taymiyyah, said: "Treat this world as you would a lavatory, you only enter to clear your body and you leave it."
Likewise, we find in at-Tirmidhi the famous story related about the Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam walking through a marketplace and stumbling upon the carcass of a sheep. Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam asked his Companions: "Who of you would take this for one coin (dinar)?" One of them pointed out that the ears of the carcass were cut off and so it was said: "Even if you offered us this carcass for free we would refuse it." Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa 'ala alihi wa salaam said: "This world is MORE worthless to Allah than this rotting carcass is to you." May Allah increase our taqwa and consciousness to take our Akhirah more serious than our hayyat ad-dunya (life in this world). May this world be removed from our hearts and placed in our hands where it belongs. Allahumma ameen!
And what is there to emphasize the point that it is the love and attachment to this world that thrust us into this poor and humiliating state besides what Muhammad 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam told us about wahn (weakness)? He, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, warned the Ummah through saying to his Companions:
"The nations will one day invite one another and come upon you just like the eating invite others to their dish." He, 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam, was asked: "Ya Rasulullah, will it be because we are little in numbers?" He, 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam, said: "No, the Muslims will be numerous, but they will be like the froth on the sea overtaken by the current. And so Allah will remove from the hearts of your enemies, fear, and place into the hearts of our Ummah, wahn." They asked: "Ya Rasulullah, what is wahn?" And he, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, said: "It is love for this world and the hatred of death."
Verily, the destroyer of pleasures is ever afoot, so may we and please make dua that I too make use of this world only to prepare and secure for ourselves an easy and blissful Akhirah. Ameen ya Rabb ul 'alameen!
Bismillah wa-salaatu wa-salaam 'ala Rasulullah Among the qualities of the believer is a helpless compulsion to criticize themself. The sincerity in their efforts to gain closeness to their Lord through amilu salih (righteous deeds) has them to find little satisfaction in their performance. An unintended tactic to persistently pursue the path of improvement. A sort of consequent motivational drive to achieve and/or sustain the great level of ihsan (i.e. perfection and beauty in doing virtuous deeds). In any form of ibadah (i.e. worship; actions beloved to Allah commited for His sake), be it prayer, supplicating Allah in the opening and completion of every occassion, benefiting our families, fasting, showing kindness, baring times of ease and trials with patience, etc... more often than not the believer convinces themself that they could have done it better in some regard. Not that they think the intention and effort missed the pleasure of Allah, rather they remind themselves the potential to have pleased Allah even greater. This is because the true believer refuses to be content with what they have in terms of knowledge and deeds; they strive always for more knowledge and in not only doing more deeds, but perfecting them with better manners. Not merely out of the obligation binding upon them as believers, but because of the geniune love they have for Allah tabarakata wa ta'ala and the Sunnah of His beloved Rasul salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam.
A classical scholar of the Tabi'een, al-Hasan al-Basri rahimahullah, sharply expressed this point in his commentary on the second ayah of Surah al-Qiyaamah where Allah swears by this quality in saying what means:
"Say, I do swear by the criticizing self..." -Surah al-Qiyamah ayah 2
al-Basri said of this: "A believer will always be critical of himself in his food, his drink and in his speech. A sinner will NOT criticize himself. A believer is a guardian over himself; he accounts himself for Allah. Those who take account of themselves in this world will be audited lightly in the Hereafter. Those who take this issue lightly will find their auditing (in the Hereafter) extremely difficult."
May Allah azza wa jall make us among those who commit with sincerity and special care the deeds He Loves. May He make us among those who especially during this most holy and blessed month of Ramadan strive to perfect the actions we do for His sake, His Mercy, His Pleasure and reward. Ameen thumma ameen!
“I would like to repent and change my ways but my former evil companions pursue me wherever I go. No sooner do they know of a change in me than they launch an attack on me. I feel myself weak against them. What should I do?”
The answer is, bear it with patience for this is the way of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is how He tries His slaves in order for everyone to know who are true in their claims from those who are false, and in order that He may expose the pervert from the righteous. Allah says what means:
“Do they think they will be left alone on saying: “we believe” and that they will not be tested. Surely, We will test them as we have tested those before them, and Allah will make clear those who are true from those who are false.” –Surah al-‘Ankabut ayat 2-3
Once you have taken the path to goodness, persevere in it. These evil people who are Shayateen (among jinn and men) will conspire with each in order to turn you back from the path of reformation, therefore, listen to them not. They will say about you as you begin on this new line, that this is an infatuation that will not last, that it is a passing crisis and soon you will be out of it. In fact, once it was heard that a man said about his former companion who had begun to change his life, “what an evil he has fallen into!”
It is for such situations that Allah has revealed what means:
“Say, I take refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind. From the evil of the secret whisperings… of the one who whispers in the breast of mankind… among the jinn and mankind.” –Surah an-Nas ayat 1-6
You should then ask yourself: “Is your Lord then more worthy of obedience or these evil companions?”
You should also know that they will chase you in every place and will employ every means to win you back to their ways. One of the means these evil companions of sin will employ to entice you would be to remind you of the pleasures of sins of the past, through insinuations, contacts, notes, pictures, letters and so on. But do not pay any attention to them, and be reminded of the story of Ka’b bin Malik radiallahu anhu who had stayed back from the Tabuk battle. When, by way of punishment, the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam ordered that he be boycotted by everyone until Allah cleared the way for him, the Ghassanid King wrote to him a letter in which he said: “I am to learn that your man (meaning Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam) has abandoned you. But you are not the kind of man to be placed in the situation in which you can be belittled and wasted. Join us. We will treat you much better.” And so what was the reaction of this Sahabi? Well, Ka’b bin Malik radiallah anhu said: “When I read the letter, I said to myself, this is yet another trial from my Lord. Then I threw it into the oven and burned it.”
This is how, my dear young brother or sister, you should treat those things sent to you to win you back. Burn them to ashes and remember Allah says:
“Be patient. For Allah’s Promise is true. And let not those who do not believe weaken you.” –Surah ar-Rum ayah 60
Bismillah, alhamdulillah wa-salaatu wa-salaamu 'ala Rasulullah Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Sa`id, radiallahu 'anhumma, reporting that the Messenger of Allah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam said: "The hearts are of four types: Polished and shiny as a radiating lamp. A sealed heart with a knot tied around it. A heart that is turned upside down and a wrapped heart. As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and its lamp is the light of faith.
The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever.
The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he contained knowledge but denied it.
As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this heart is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances is most dominant, will have dominance over that heart."
(This hadith has a jayid hasan isnad - classified good chain of narration)
O Allah give and maintain for us polished hearts whose light radiates from our intentions, attitudes and deeds. Grant us the determination and patience, ya Rabb, to gain success and satifaction in this world and al-Akhirah, keeping us safe from the disease of nifaq (hypocrisy) always. Allahumma ameen.
Ya Muqallibal qulubli thabbit qulbi 'ala dinika (O Turner of Hearts, turn my heart that it is firm and steadfast in Your Way)!
As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, dear brothers and sisters in iman. Indeed Allah is praised with or without our praising Him. Still humbly, but never to the extent at which He alone is worthy, we praise Him. Seeking His help and forgiveness and seeking refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and the consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides none can misguide and whomever Allah misguides none can guide. I bare witness and testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and I bare witness and testify that Muhammad ibn Abdullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam is the Messenger of Allah. Amma b'ad.
The future, as it is well known to this Ummah, belongs to Islam. Islam, by the Might and Grace of Allah, will be given victory over its opposition and ultimately over the Earth entirely. This is a promise from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and just as His promise of Rome's defeat of the Persian Empire came to pass; and just as He promised their rule would persist nine years in following the event came to pass*; His promise of Islam's victory will also undoubtedly be fulfilled. But we will not gain such an honor by reclining, doing nothing for the cause of this deen, expecting it to happen just like that. Such an honor will not be gained by reinterpreting or redefining this perfect and truly divine Deen. Na'udu billah. Such an honor will not be experienced by simply waiting for al-Mahdi to lead us there or awaiting the Messiah Issa bin Maryam alayhi salaam to return and establish it. To truly take part and entitle ourselves a share in the ajr of this honor and promise of Allah, the qualities and conditions that Allah ta'ala Himself has explained in the Qur'an must be met. The intentions and efforts are ours to make, and the status of the goal is only for Allah to determine and permit based upon them.
Allah azza wa jall promises that victory for this Deen and this Ummah will be an honor bestowed only upon those who keep to His commands, follow what He has prescribed, avoid His prohibitions, protect the honor of His Messengers and their followers, uphold His Deen and fight against His enemies. And by this, Allah makes His word uppermost and the word of His objectors debased. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, above having a son or gender, free of defects and deficiencies, says what means:
"Indeed, Allah will help those who help His Cause. Indeed, Allah is all Powerful, Exalted in Might." -Surah al-Hajj ayah 40
Allah, Possessor of all Might and Majesty, says what means:
"Those who, if We establish them on earth, they establish the Salah, give zakaah, enjoin the good and forbid the evil; and with Allah rest the end of affairs." -Surah al-Hajj ayah 41
Allah azza wa jall, says that which means:
"O you who believe. If you help the Cause of Allah, Allah will Help you and establish your feet firmly. But those who disbelieve, for them is destruction and Allah will make vain their deeds." -Surah Muhammad ayat 7-8
"Allah has Promised those amongst you who have iman (certainty of belief) and do righteous deeds, that He will grant you the khilafah (succession, rulership, etc.) over the land." -Surah an-Nur ayah 55
"Allah has Decreed: It is I and My Messenger who will prevail." -Surah al-Mujaadalah ayah 21
"It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the deen of Truth, to cause to it supersede over all other deens (i.e. legislation, rule, religions, systems of life, etc.), though the mushrikeen may detest it." -Surah at-Tawba ayah 33
In this lecture, Sheikh Kamal el-Mekki, explains the role of this Ummah, as individuals, in order that we mold ourselves deserving of this prevailing 'izzah. Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, I tell you, the wrong path is always the path of least resistance. May Allah make us firm and steadfast. May He, azza wa jall, unite us upon tawheed, upon the Sunnah of Sayyidina Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa alihi wa salaam and upon His Deen and obedience. Allahumma ameen! Enjoy and benefit, in'sha'Allah:
Bismillah, walhamdulillah wa-salaatu wa-salaamu 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa-ashabihi wa-salaam tasleeman katheera
All praise is for Allah. As such we praise Him and could never achieve justice in doing so to the extent at which He alone is worthy. May the peace and blessings of Allah eternally be upon His Messenger, his family, his companions and those who follow his guidance, purely as it was revealed, in truth and in righteousness until the Day of Judgement.
After Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reminds us, in Surah ali-Imran ayah 146, of the number of nabbiyia (prophets) and rabbiyun (knowledgeable, righteous leaders of Islam) throughout time who've suffered massive loss and were tested with multiple afflictions on the battlefield while fighting for His Cause, yet never once losing hope or weakening in neither heart nor faith, pushing forward without surrender against the rebels of Allah; He, azza wa jall, makes it known: "And Allah loves al-Sabbireen (the patient)."
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also commands His Messenger, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, in the Qur'an:
"Say: O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world there is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." -Surah az-Zumar ayah 10
And so it is clear, ar-Rahman, our Ever-Merciful Lord, loves and rewards limitlessly al-sabbireen. And what would bring us to understand the meaning of sabr? Our beloved Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam told us: "Sabr is a dhiya'." Often is this hadith interpreted to mean: "Patience is a light." However, the Arabic word for light is an-nur and the term that passed from our Messenger's blessed lips is ad-dhiya', salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, whose linguistic meaning is "radiance" or "brightness" and there is a distinction. Ad-dhiya' is more powerful than an-nur, because while nur is but a shinning light, dhiya' is a source that not only shines, but generates heat. It explains why in the Qur'an, Allah, uses the term "dhiya'" to describe sunlight and reserves the term "nur" to describe moonlight.
From this we understand the stronger, more appropriate meaning of this hadith as:
"Patience is a brightness."
So why would our Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam describe sabr as a source emitting both light and heat as opposed to just light? It is because the process of attaining, developing then ultimately practicing patience is extremely difficult and at times painful. It requires effort and involves an inner-struggle (jihad an-nafs). So sabr can be attained, but not without experiencing some degree of strain and discomfort. As-sabr literally implies "to withhold" or to place something under one's control. Patience, self-mastery, self-discipline and self-control altogether project for us the real meaning of "sabr". To control one's nafs and withhold it from a state of panic, recklessness, fury and/or impatience. Also it entails withholding the tongue from complaining, vain argument, passing on or uttering negative things (i.e. insults, backbiting, gossip, etc.).
We observe in society and in our interactions with people that for the most minor and firvolous of reasons do people lose control and become impatient. Clearly, sabr is not implemented so simply. And it is based on this Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam said:
"Whoever pretends to be patient, desiring to be patient, Allah will make them patient."
So instead of stubbornly asserting "I can't be patient, that's just how I am." Or as my daughter (whom I love and am so grateful to Allah) would jokingly quote: "Patience is a virtue I've yet to master", expressing no interest in making even the slightest effort at being patient, our Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam said pretend to be patient. As if to say patience is a value that is not applied naturally, so force yourself to be patient, no matter how strenuous or painful, and your Lord will make you so.
The highest level of sabr is achieved when the call of Deen overcomes the call of passion. When obedience to Allah overcomes obedience to the nafs. Whether tried in a circumstance of hardship or ease, this is the most rewarding, most fulfilling manifestation of sabr. For the believer must apply sabr in both situations, difficulty and ease, with the latter being the most difficult. In fact, patience in times of ease is not only the most challenging, but it's the only one that none but the believer can perform. When we are met with something we desire that is allowed to us, something we love or excites us, we are to have sabr and gratitude (to Allah) thereby preventing it from distracting us from our purpose and goal (i.e. the worship and obedience to our Lord). Allah warned the believers:
"O you who believe, let not your families and your wealth deter you from the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah; and whosoever does that is indeed a loser." -Surah al-Munafiqun ayah 9
One testimony to the extent of difficulty in showing sabr in times of ease is a statement by the great Sahabi, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf radiallahu 'anhu, who reminisced: "We were tried by hard times and we showed sabr, but when we were tried in ease and excess, we failed."
So the attainment of sabr necessitates consistent training; we must exert, strive and even force ourselves to show sabr in all situations. Classic scholar of Islam, Imam ibn Rajab al-Hanbali divided as-sabr in three categories:
as-Sabru 'ala da'ati allahi: patience in performing acts of worship (ibadat) of Allah.
as-Sabru 'an ma'asi allahi: patience in avoiding sins or disobedience of Allah.
as-Sabru 'ala aqdari allahi: patience with the Qadr of Allah or the decree of Allah that is planned and pre-determined by Him and occurs to us in our lives.
The one act of worship that envelopes all three at once is siyaam (fasting), for in it the believer obeys and performs an act of worship for Allah, avoids sins by abstaining from the actions and speech that invalidates one's fasts and believes and accepts that it is by the Qadr of Allah.
What is especially important to note and keep in mind when discussing sabr is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala does not test any individual beyond their capacity. Allah ta'ala says what means:
"Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity." -Surah al-Baqarah ayah 286
And when Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas radallahu 'anhu asked our beloved Rasul salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam: "Ya Rasulullah, who amongst the people are tried the most?" He, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, replied and addressed through him all of us:
"an-Anbiyyah (the prophets of Allah), after them the Saliheen (righteous) and then in accordance to your level of deen (i.e. taqwa, iman, etc.)."
So on these testing grounds, known as dunya, every believer is tested according to their individual level in the deen. No one will be tested to the extent and extreme at which the Prophets 'alayhimus salaatu wa salaam were tested and no one will ever experience a point in this life in which they're not tested at all. And the best time to show sabr, when it is best recognized and compensated, is at the very instant calamity or a desired thing reaches us. As exemplified in the hadith where Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam encountered a woman in cemetery grieving excessively over the burial of her loved one and advised her to show sabr, in her anguish she told the Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam: "Leave me alone! You were not afflicted with my affliction!" As Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam moved along to leave her alone, a few of the Sahabah informed her who it was she shouted at and she rushed to him to apologize and Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam told her:
"Sabr is to be shown at the beginning of a trial."
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us among al-Sabbireen, striving always to show sabr for His sake in all situations and conditions in hope for His Mercy and everlasting rewards. Allahumma ameen!
That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you.
What is Ihsan?" Allah's Apostle salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must remember that He is seeing you."
The lexical meaning of 'Ihsan' is help, aid, support etc. But, to understand the Qur'an and Hadith, we have to see what the Prophet Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam has used to define the same.
In the case of ihsan our beloved Rasulullah salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam has said, "It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state then you must remember that He is seeing you".
So, we can say that Ihsan consists of two parts:
1. To worship Allah as if we see Him 2. To worship with the thought and yaqeen (certainty) that He is seeing us
Ihsan is the pinnacle and highest state of Islam. It implies the deep attachment, profound love, genuine faithfulness and sacrifice which make a Muslim identify himself completely with Islam.
It is impossible to find a word in the English language which can express, to any fair degree, the real meaning and import of ihsan. It means to do a thing well, in the best possible manner, to achieve excellence, to aim at beauty and perfection and most importantly, to do it as an inner compulsion and urge and not as a consequence of external prodding and urging. In brief, ihsan is a labor of love, not merely a duty. This can result only from an inner sense of presence before Allah and love for Him.
The essence of Taqwa is fear of Allah which may enable a person to escape Allah's Anger. The essence of Ihsan is love of Allah, which motivates man to try to win Allah’s Pleasure.
The difference between the two may be illustrated by the following example:
Among the employees of a government may be some who scrupulously discharge the functions entrusted to them, doing nothing to which one can take exception, but who are not otherwise committed. Others, however, may be loyal, devoted and totally committed to the government. They do not just carry out the duties that have been assigned to them but are always zealously concerned to promote the interests of the government. They exert themselves beyond the call of duty, being prepared to sacrifice their lives, property and children in defense of their country. Any violation of the law hurts them personally, any sign of rebellion is enough to arouse them. Far from deliberately harming the government they will spare no effort to support it. More than anything, they want to see their own Government paramount in the world and their flag high in all corners of the earth.
The first kind of people are Muttaqeen (possesors of taqwa) of the government and the other its Muhsineen (possesors of ihsan).
Though the Muttaqeen are regarded as good servants, exceptional honor and reward are reserved for Muhsineen. Though Muttaqeen are valued and trustworthy people, Muhsineen make up the real strength of Islam. The task that Islam has to accomplish can only be carried out by this group.
It is therefore impossible to count these people as Muhsineen who stand passively by and see the religion of Allah dominated by the forces of Kufr, the sanctions of Allah (hudud) completely ignored and the Divine laws being at best neglected and at worst overturned; the reign of tyranny and oppression unleashed on Allah’s earth by Allah's rebels. Or who see that the ascendancy of disbelief is not only promoting moral and social ills in human society, but is also causing the Ummah itself to turn from the path of righteousness, and do nothing.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make us understand in our hearts the essence of ihsan that we may achieve and taste the highest state of Islam. May He, azza wa jall, guide and keep us firm upon His Deen and Obedience and relentless against all forces, external and internal, that aim to hinder us from His Way and His Cause. Allahumma ameen!
