If a Hell Dweller Came to Earth
September 28, 2022 § Leave a comment
ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAmr said, “If a man from Hell were brought out to the dunyā, everyone in it would die due to his hideous appearance and [unbearable] stench.” Then he started crying uncontrollably.
Ar-Riqqatu wal-Bukāʾ, no. 104.
A Mountain and A Three Night Journey
August 19, 2022 § Leave a comment
It is transmitted on the authority of Abu Hurairah that Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said:
“The molar tooth of an unbeliever or the canine tooth of an unbeliever will be like [Mt.] Uhud—and the thickness of his skin will be the distance of a three night journey.”
Muslim: 7185/2851
On Summer
August 18, 2022 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ʿAbdur-Razzāq al-Badr said, “We are at the start of summer and we will mention a great matter and a severe event which it reminds us of.
It is a clear cut sign and true proof of what Allaah has prepared for the Day of Reckoning.
Summer, and especially when it becomes very hot, reminds us of the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement, and it has been mentioned in a ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from Abū Hurairah that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The [Hell] Fire complained to its Lord saying, ‘O my Lord! My different parts eat each other up.’ So He allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in summer, and this is the reason for the severe heat and the bitter cold you find [in weather].”
All of us try to get away from the summer’s heat by trying to find cooler places and shade, and that is why one of the Salaf said, ‘I am amazed at the person who tries to shelter himself from the summer’s heat in this world, how can he not then protect himself from Hell’s heat on the Day of Judgement by keeping away from sins?’
And [more specifically] the midday heat, especially during summer, also reminds us of the Fire. Abū Hurairah reports in a ḥadīth that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When it is very hot, then wait for it to cool down before you pray, for intense heat is from the flaring up of the Hell-fire,” this is a reminder for people who fear Allaah.
When some of the Salaf, may Allaah have mercy on them, would leave after the Jumuʿah prayer during the severe heat, they would remember the people departing on the Day of Judgement—departing either to Paradise or the Fire because that Day will be on a Friday, the Day of Reckoning will be on a Friday, and by midday on that Day the inhabitants of Paradise would be having their midday nap and those of the Fire settled theirs, as Ibn Masʿūd said and then he recited Allaah’s Saying, “On that Day the residents of Paradise will have the best settlement and the finest place to rest.” [Furqān: 24]
The sun which Allaah has created in this life reminds us of the Fire of the Day of Judgement, its heat reminds us of the heat to come on the Day of Judgement.
Indeed it reminds the people of when it will come close to the creation on the Day of Judgement, the Day when they will stand on a flat plain with a reddish tinge, there being no shade, no refuge, no dwelling place for anyone except whoever Allaah provides shade to under His Shade on the Day when there will be none except His.”
Death
March 24, 2021 § Leave a comment
Ibn Abid-Dunya mentioned, “A wise man wrote to one of his friends, ‘Brother, beware of death in this abode before you go to one where you will wish for it but won’t find it.’”
Dhikrul-Mawt, p. 66.
A Muslim Can Repent as Long as …
March 23, 2021 § Leave a comment
Abu Mijlaz said, “The servant continues to be in a state of repentance as long as he doesn’t see the Angels.”
Dhikrul-Mawt, p. 63.
“I Haven’t Envied Anyone the Way I do …”
March 16, 2021 § Leave a comment
Masrūq said, “I haven’t envied anyone the way I do a believer in the grave, relieved from the hardships of the world, safe from Allaah’s Punishment,” and in another wording, “There is no home better for the believer than the grave, relieved from the world’s worries, safe from Allaah’s Punishment.”
Dhikrul-Mawt, p. 38, ṣaḥīḥ.
Having Good Thoughts About Allaah
August 29, 2020 § Leave a comment
Al-Fuḍail ibn ʿIyāḍ said, “If Allaah put me in the Fire and so I ended up there, I wouldn’t lose hope in Him.”
Ḥusnuẓ-Ẓann billāh of Ibn Abid-Dunyā, no. 81.
Going with the Crowd
August 3, 2020 § Leave a comment
“And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged
[in it].” [Muddathir:45]
Qatādah said, “Every time some astray person went astray we went with him.” Tabarī.
“The Thing that You’d Like to Have with You in the Hereafter …”
July 20, 2020 § Leave a comment
The Tābiʿī Abū Ḥāzim Salamah ibn Dīnār said, “The thing that you’d like to have with you in the Hereafter, do it today, and the thing you’d hate to have, leave it today.”
Al-Maʿrifah wat-Tārīkh, 1/381.
The Ka’bah of the Seventh Heaven.
May 7, 2020 § Leave a comment
وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ
“And By the Much-Frequented House.”
In his explanation of Sūrah Tūr [52:4], Ibn Kathir said, “And it is the Kaʿbah for the residents of the Seventh Heaven, and it is for this reason that [on the Night Journey] Ibrahim al-Khalil [Prophet Abraham], peace be upon him, was seen there reclining with his back against it—because he is the one who built the Kaʿbah [in Mecca] on earth—and you reap what you sow.”
Ibn al-Jawzi’s Admonition
April 25, 2020 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Jawzi said, “O you, wallowing in filth, for how long will you dictate—the scribes are exhausted.”
Al-Mudhish, p. 294.
“You there!”
May 4, 2018 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Jawzee, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “You there! Sort your religion out like you sorted your dunyaa out—if your garment got caught on a nail you’d take a few steps back to free yourself from it. Here is the nail of continuous sin stuck to your heart, if you took two steps back in regret you’d free yourself from it.
[But] how farfetched! A child given to heedlessness, every time he’s moved he falls asleep.”
Al-Mudhish p. 223.
Unrivalled Hope Followed by Utter Despair
April 27, 2018 § Leave a comment
“Sayyaaraa ash-Shaami said, ‘They will come out of their graves, all of them terror-stricken. Then a caller will announce, ‘My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve!’ [Zukhruf 43:68]—and so all of creation will ardently hope on account of it, then it will be followed by, ‘Those who believed in Our verses and were Muslims!’ [Zukhruf 43:69]—and so the entire creation will lose all hope, apart from the Muslims.’”
Mowsoo’ah Ibn Abid-Dunyaa, vol. 1, p. 567.
“Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’ So he replied …”
April 5, 2018 § Leave a comment
Ibn Asaakir reported from Abdur-Rahmaan al-Muhaaribi that he said, “A man was on his deathbed and so it was said to him, ‘Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’ So he replied, ‘I can’t, I used to accompany people who would order me to abuse Abu Bakr and Umar.’”
Al-Buhoor Az-Zaakhirah fi Uloomil-Aakihrah, vol. 1, p. 78.
Uthaimeen on The Heart
April 2, 2018 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “When you are afflicted with a physical illness, you knock on every doctor’s door for a cure and are patient with any pain that you must endure due to an operation [if needed] and [you are also patient] with the bitter taste of the medicine [you take]—so why don’t you do the same concerning your heart’s illness which was caused by sinning?”
Aqidatu Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, p. 42.
On Being Deceived
March 28, 2018 § Leave a comment
Haatim al-Asamm said, “Don’t be deceived by a virtuous place, for there is no place more virtuous than Paradise and yet Aadam faced what he faced there.
And don’t be deceived by an abundance of worship because Iblees met what he met with after lengthy worship.
And don’t be deceived by a wealth of knowledge because Bul’aam Ibn Ba’ura faced what he faced even though he knew Allaah’s Greatest Name [al-Ism al-A’dham].
And don’t be deceived by meeting the righteous or seeing them for there was no one more righteous than the Prophet ﷺ yet his enemies or the hypocrites didn’t benefit from meeting him.”
Madaarijus-Saalikeen, vol. 1, p. 510.
While You’re Asleep …
April 28, 2017 § Leave a comment
Khalaf ibn Hishaam, one of the reciters of the ten dialects, said, “I went to Sulaim ibn Isa to recite to him. One day when reciting I reached Surah Ghaafir and when I got to the Most High’s Statement:
“Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], “Our Lord! You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge! So forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire!” [Ghaafir 40:7]
He started crying severely, and then said to me, ‘O Khalaf! Don’t you see how great the right of a believer is? You will see him sleeping on his bed and the Angels are seeking forgiveness for him.’”
Wafayaatul-A’yaan, 2/142.
“I’m a Scholar.”
December 16, 2015 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Everyone, no matter what level they have reached, is in need of Allaah عز وجل for guidance, so let no one say, ‘I’m a scholar,’ ‘I’m a worshipper,’ thereby relying on himself and being conceited, he must instead recognise the extent of Allaah’s Blessings on him in terms of the guidance that He has given him, for how many people there are whom Allaah has misguided despite their strength and intellect.”
Tafseer Surah as-Saaffaat, p. 268.
Hishaam ad-Dastuwaa’i said, ‘By Allaah, I am not able to say that I ever …’
December 6, 2015 § Leave a comment
Imaam adh-Dhahabi said, “Hishaam ad-Dastuwaa’i said, ‘By Allaah, I am not able to say: ‘That there was ever a single day where I went to seek hadith seeking Allaah’s Face thereby [i.e., sincerely for Allaah].’’ Imaam ad-Dhahabi said, ‘And, by Allaah, me neither.’”
As-Siyar, its summary, 2/687.
’Uthaimeen on the Heart
September 5, 2014 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The heart is a vessel, when it is filled with something no space for anything else remains [in it], so when it is filled with the love of this world it becomes preoccupied with that instead of the love of Allaah عزوجل and His Messenger ﷺ and [thus] a person becomes such that he has no interest except to gain [more and more].”
Sharh Bulugh al-Maraam, vol. 9, p. 366.
’Uthaimeen on Bringing Solace to Someone Ill or Struck by a Calamity
April 1, 2014 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Part of lofty manners and praiseworthy characteristics is that when you find a person broken hearted either due to losing someone beloved etc., then you should try to bring him joy and happiness and [try to] lessen his calamity by reminding him of that which is greater. So if he lost some money, you say to him, ‘There are people who have lost all of their wealth,’ and if [for example] he is afflicted with an illness in his eye, you say to him, ‘Some people have been afflicted with blindness,’ [saying such things to him] so that you will ease his affairs, part of which is bringing solace to a person struck with a calamity.”
At-Ta’leeq alaa al-Qawaa’id al-Hisaan, p. 161.
’Uthaimeen on Sincerity, May Allaah Grant Us It
March 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “When the servant performs Allaah’s worship, sincere to Him in his statements, actions and intentions, not wanting anything but Allaah’s Countenance and the Abode of the Hereafter, not wanting glory nor praise from the people, nor wealth or any worldly thing, and continues in that sincere worship in adversity and prosperity, in times of difficulty and comfort—then Allaah will establish him firmly/give him authority in the land.”
Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p. 147.
’Uthaimeen when He would be Absent from His Assigned Duties at his Mosque and when Late for Work
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“An amazing example of his piety was that when he would be absent from leading the prayer at the Al-Jaami’ al-Kabir [mosque] in ’Unaizah where he was the appointed Imaam and for which he would receive a monthly stipend, he would give the money equal to his absence, even if it was only one day, to the person who covered him as Imaam.
Likewise, when he was teaching at the educational academy in ’Unaizah, if he were late to work—even if it were only a few minutes—he would write his lateness down in the [signing in] register and next to it write, ‘Without an excuse.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, pp. 24-25.
Imaam adh-Dhahabi’s Epic Advice
February 9, 2014 § Leave a comment
Imaam adh-Dhahabi said, “So may Allaah have mercy on a man who devotes himself to his own situation, restricts his tongue, dedicates himself to reciting his Quraan, cries over his time, constantly ponders over the two Sahihs, and worships Allaah before the appointed time overtakes him unawares—O Allaah, so grant success and have mercy.”
Tadhkiratul-Huffaadh, vol. 2, p. 86.
Ibn Abbaas’ Advice on How to Stop Backbiting
December 30, 2013 § 1 Comment
From Ibn ’Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, “Whenever you want to mention your brother’s faults, mention yours.”
Hayaatus-Salaf bainal-Qawl wal-’Amal, p. 606.
Al-Qurtubi, “There is Nothing More Beneficial for the Hearts Than …”
December 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
Al-Qurtubi said, “The scholars, may Allaah have mercy on them, said, ‘There is nothing more beneficial for the hearts than visiting the graves, especially if the hearts are hard.’”
At-Tadhkirah, p. 132.
Supplicating for Your Brothers
October 14, 2013 § 2 Comments
Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “[The Companion] Abud-Dardaa used to supplicate for a group of his brothers every night. And Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to [Imaam] Shaafi’i’s son, ‘Your father is one of six for whom I supplicate every night before daybreak.’”
Saidul-Khaatir, p. 46.
Acquiring Allaah’s Love
September 24, 2013 § Leave a comment
Muhammad ibn Nu’aim al-Mowsilee said, “Indeed the heart that loves Allaah, loves being exhausted and exerting itself for Allaah—verily Allaah’s Love is not acquired through comfort/relaxation.”
Majmoo’ Ar-Rasaa’il al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, vol. 3, p. 327.