On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 14: “Shame on Him. Again, Shame on Him.”
December 28, 2015 § Leave a comment
Abu Ja’far al-Mukhawwali said, “Shame on the one who prefers his stomach over his deen! Shame on him. Again, shame on him.”
Al-Joo’, p. 151.
See here for No. 13.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 13: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and the Mother of the Believer’s Eating Habits
December 27, 2015 § Leave a comment
“From ’Urwah, from his father, from Aaishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, who said, ‘By Allaah! A month would pass by the family of Muhammad ﷺ and no bread would be made in it.’ He said, ‘I said, ‘O Mother of the Believers! So what would the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ eat?’’ She said, ‘We used to have some neighbours from the Ansaar, may Allaah reward them with good, who used to have some laban from which they would give some to Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ.’”
Az-Zuhd of Imaam Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 9.
For No. 12, see here.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 12: Ath-Thawree Said, “If You Want Your Body to Be Healthy …”
December 27, 2015 § Leave a comment
“’Uthmaan ibn Zaaidah said, ‘Sufyaan ath-Thawree, may Allaah have mercy on him, wrote to me saying, ‘If you want your body to be healthy and to sleep less, eat less.’’”
Al-Joo’, p. 100.
See here for No. 11.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 11: “The First Thing a Believing Servant Works on is His Stomach.”
December 26, 2015 § Leave a comment
“’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Zaid said, ‘The first thing a believing servant works on is his stomach. If it remains on the right course, then his religion will remain on the right course, and if his stomach doesn’t remain on the right course, then his religion won’t remain on the right course.’”
Al-Joo, p. 78.
For No. 10, see here.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 10: Ibn Umar’s Wife, Safiyyah, Talking About His Eating Habits
December 26, 2015 § Leave a comment
Ibn ’Umar’s wife, Safiyyah bint Abi ’Ubaid, said, “I can’t say I saw him eat his fill because I never saw him eat until he was full. So when I saw that that was the case I made him something—he used to have two orphans and so he called them and they ate with him. When they got up, I went and brought him something [else to eat], so he said, ‘Call so and so and so and so [i.e., the orphans],’ so I said, ‘They’ve gone to sleep and you’ve already given them their fill.’ So he said, ‘Call some of the People of As-Suffah for me.’ So some poor people were called and ate with him.”
Al-Joo’, p. 58.
For No. 9, see here.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 9: “If You’re Fat, Then …”
December 25, 2015 § Leave a comment
“Al-Hussain ibn ’Abdur-Rahmaan said, ‘One of the scholars said, ‘If you are potbellied, consider yourself an invalid/chronically ill until you become lean.’’”
Al-Joo of Ibn Abid-Dunyaa, p. 73.
See here for No. 8.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 8: Al-Hasan al-Basri on the Trial of Food
December 24, 2015 § Leave a comment
“Al-Hasan al-Basri … said, ‘Your father Aadam’s trial عليه السلام was a bite [of food], and it will be your trial up until the Day of Resurrection.’”
Al-Joo, p. 77.
See here for No. 7.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 7: The Companion, Ibn Umar’s Eating Habits رضي الله عنه
December 23, 2015 § Leave a comment
“A man came to Ibn ’Umar and said, ‘Shall I not make some ‘Jawaarshan’ for you?’
So Ibn ’Umar said, ‘And what is, ‘Jawaarshan?’
He said, ‘Something you eat which will make you feel better if you overstuff yourself with food.’
So Ibn ’Umar said, ‘I’ve not eaten my fill for four months—and that isn’t because I don’t have it, but it’s because I met a people who would go hungry one time and satisfy their appetite the next.’”
In another narration, Ibn ’Umar said, “I’ve not eaten my fill since I became a Muslim.”
Al-Joo’, p. 61.
See here for No. 6.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 6: The Companion’s Son Who Ate Too Much One Night and His Father’s Reaction
December 22, 2015 § Leave a comment
“It was said to [the Companion] Samurah ibn Jundub, may Allaah be pleased with him, ‘Your son spent the night gorged such that he suffered from indigestion.’ So he said, ‘If he had died I wouldn’t have prayed over him.’
Shaikh Taqiyud-Deen said, ‘Namely, because he would have aided in killing himself, and so would be like someone who committed suicide.’”
Al-Aadaab ash-Shar’iyah wal-Manh al-Mar’iyah, vol. 3, p. 196.
For No. 5, see here.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 5: “Give Me! Give Me! More! More! More!”
December 22, 2015 § Leave a comment
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 4: “O Fool—You See That Stomach?”
December 21, 2015 § Leave a comment
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 3: Stop Eating While You Still Want to Eat More, Not Until You’re Stuffed And Ready to Burst
December 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
’Abdul-Waahid ibn Ziyaad said, “I heard Malik [ibn Deenaar] saying to Hawshab:
‘O Abaa Bishr! Take two things from me: don’t go to sleep at night while you’re full, and stop eating while you still want [to eat more of] the food.’
So Hawshab said to him, ‘O Abaa Yahya, this is the prescription of the doctors of this world.’
While both of these were talking Muhammad ibn Waasi’ was listening, so he then said, ‘Yes, and it is [also] the prescription given as the way of the people of the Hereafter.’
Upon which Maalik said, ‘Excellent! Excellent! The Hereafter and this world.’”
A-Joo’, p. 56.
For the second post in this series, see here, and for No. 4, see here.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 2: Umar ibn al-Khattaab’s Eating Habits رضي الله عنه
December 19, 2015 § 1 Comment
﷽
From Ibn ’Abbaas who used to bring ’Umar ibn al-Khattaab’s food to him, “He used to eat eleven mouthfuls, and then the same amount the next day.”
Kitaab Islaahul-Maal, no. 334.
From Ibn ’Abbaas who said, “I used to bring [Umar] Ibn al-Khattaab’s food to him, so I would count what he ate and it would come to eleven mouthfuls, [after eating them] he would clean his hand and not eat anymore, but they were large morsels/mouthfuls. So I asked the person who would prepare his food, ‘Does the Ameerul-Mu’mineen eat anything else apart from this?’ He said, ‘No, he eats the same amount as this the next day, unless he wants to fast in which case he will have the suhoor meal.’”
Az-Zuhd, no. 241.
On Overeating and Being Fat and Obese | No. 1: Your Stomach is a Dog
December 18, 2015 § Leave a comment
Maalik ibn Deenaar said, “Your stomach is but a dog. Throw that dog a scrap or the top part of some guava [not even a whole one] to keep it at bay, and don’t make your stomachs containers for the devil, letting Iblees collect in it whatever he wants.”
Al-Joo’ [Hunger], p. 64.
Abu ’Ubaidah al-Khawwaas said, “The worst people are the ones who enter the Fire due to someone else. Your stomach is your dog, keep it away with a bite of food.”
Al-Joo’ [Hunger], p. 63.
See No. 2 here.
“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.
So He ﷺ Said, “Stay in Your House … Tend to Your Own Affairs and Leave the Affairs of the Common Folk.”
December 11, 2015 § Leave a comment
“It was narrated from ’Umaarah bin ’Amr from ’Abdullaah bin ’Amr bin al-’Aas that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, said, “How will you be at a time …” or “Soon there will be a time …” “… when people are sifted and the dregs of mankind will be left, who will break their promises and betray their trusts, and they will become mixed together* like this …” and he interlaced his fingers. They said, “How should we be, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Accept that which you approve of and reject that which you disapprove of …
تُقْبِلُونَ عَلَى أَمْرِ خَاصَّتِكُم
… tend to your own affairs.
وتَذَرُونَ أَمْرَ عَامَّتِكُم
And leave the affairs of the common folk.””
[Abu Dawud no. 4342, Hasan]
* “‘Mixed together,’ meaning, to such an extent that one will not be able to tell the good from the bad, and people will be so confused about religious matters that they will not be able to tell the difference between honesty and betrayal, good and evil.”
“It was narrated from ’Ikrimah, he said, “’Abdullaah bin ’Amr bin al-’Aas narrated to me, he said, ‘While we were around the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ he mentioned Fitnah and said, ‘If you see that the people have started to break their promises, and are not trustworthy, and they are like this …’ and he interlaced his fingers. I stood up and said, ‘What should I do at that time? May Allaah cause me to be ransomed for you.’ He said:
الْزَمْ بَيْتَك
‘Stay in your house
وَامْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ
and hold your tongue
accept that which you approve of, and reject that which you disapprove of
وَعَلَيْكَ بِأَمْرِ خَاصَّةِ نَفْسِكَ
tend to your own affairs
وَدَعْ عَنْكَ أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ
and leave alone the affairs of the common folk.’””
[Abu Dawud no. 4343, Hasan]
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.
Ibn Taymiyyah on, “Thee (alone) we worship and Thee (alone) we ask for help.”
December 5, 2015 § Leave a comment
The Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Because worship and tawakkul encompass the religion in its entirety, and that is why one of the Salaf said, ‘Indeed Allaah brought [all] the revealed Books together in the Quraan, and He combined the knowledge of the Quraan in the mufassal Surahs, and He gathered the knowledge of the mufassal Surahs in al-Faatihah, and He combined the knowledge of al-Faatihah in His Saying, ‘Thee (alone) we worship and Thee (alone) we ask for help.’’”
At-Tuhfah al-’Iraaqiyyah, p. 315.
The Verses of Tranquillity—Ibn Taymiyyah Asking for Them to be Recited When He was Sick and Attacked by Devils
December 4, 2015 § 1 Comment
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “And Allaah has mentioned tranquility in six places in His Book:
وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلۡكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَبَقِيَّةٞ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَٰرُونَ تَحۡمِلُهُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
1) “And their Prophet said to them, ‘Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance [sakinah] from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.’” [2:248]
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودٗا لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
2) “Then Allaah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down hosts whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.” [9:26]
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٖ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
3) “If you do not aid the Prophet—Allaah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve, indeed Allaah is with us.’ And Allaah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allaah—that is the highest. And Allaah is Mighty, Wise.” [9:40]
هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمۡۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا
4) “It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allaah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise.” [48:4]
لَّقَدۡ رَضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحۡتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَأَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَأَثَٰبَهُمۡ فَتۡحٗا قَرِيبٗا
5) “Certainly was Allaah pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muhammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with a near victory.” [48:18]
إِذۡ جَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلۡحَمِيَّةَ حَمِيَّةَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِيَّةِ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَأَلۡزَمَهُمۡ كَلِمَةَ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَكَانُوٓاْ أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهۡلَهَاۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٗا
6) “When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism, the chauvinism of the time of ignorance. But Allaah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers and imposed upon them the word of righteousness, and they were more deserving of it and worthy of it. And ever is Allaah, of all things, Knowing.” [48:26]
And when things would become severe against the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, he would recite the Verses of Tranquillity [listed above].
And during a formidable calamity which he faced when he was sick and which [was so severe that both] intellects and [a person’s] strength are unable to bear it—and which saw him battling Satanic spirits which appeared before him at that time of being in a state of weakened strength—he said, ‘And so when the situation become most severe against me I said to my relatives and those around me, ‘Recite the Verses of Tranquillity,’ and thus did that state cease and I sat up having no ailment.’
And I [i.e., Ibn al-Qayyim] too have tried reciting these verses during times when the heart is uneasy/disturbed/agitated due to what it faces, and I saw them to have a tremendous effect in bringing it tranquillity and repose.”
Madaarijus-Saalikeen, vol. 3, pp. 391-392, verses quoted in part in the book, quoted in full here in the article.
Uthaimeen: “The More Merciful Someone is Towards People, the More Merciful Allaah will Be to Him.”
November 29, 2015 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The more merciful someone is towards people, the more merciful Allaah will be to him—because you reap what you sow—so if a person finds that he is hardhearted towards Allaah’s believing servants then he must cure that disease. One of the ways for a person’s heart to become soft towards Allaah’s servants is for him to be gentle with children and loving towards orphans, for that will place some tenderness and mercy in it, and this is something that has been seen to occur.”
At-Ta’leeq ’alaa al-Muntaqaa, vol. 4, p. 121.
A Sister Asking Ibn Baaz for Advice Concerning Finding the Quraan Difficult to Memorise
November 27, 2015 § 1 Comment
Host: Her last question which we put to you, she says, “I want to memorise the noble Quraan but I find it difficult, what advice and guidance do you have for me about this?”
Ibn Baaz: I advise you to seek Allaah’s Aid, and to humbly beseech Him by asking Him in sajdah and at the end of the tahayyaat [in the prayer], or at night, or at the end of the night, during the middle of the night, you ask Him سبحانه وتعالى to help you memorise it—being truthful and humble—[saying], “O Lord! Help me to memorise your Mighty Book! O Allaah! Help me to memorise it! O Allaah! Make it easy for me to memorise it!” And along with that honest du’aa you strive to do [the necessary] actions, you strive to memorise at the appropriate times which you are free in during the day and night.
You start with al-Baqarah or the mufassal surahs, and you read what you are able to every day, even if it is only a little—you read every day even if it is only a little—and you strive to study it, you repeat it until it becomes firmly established, carrying on like that until you finish it, inshaa Allaah.
Aspire to seek out the appropriate times during the night or day when your heart is not preoccupied, organising it bit by bit, a half, an eighth, an eighth, a page every day, two pages, whatever you are able with honesty and a with desire for what Allaah has, and while asking Allaah to grant you success and help you, [if you do that then] rejoice at the good [that will come your way], Allaah سبحانه وتعالى says, “And whoever fears Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (of every difficulty),” [Talaaq 2], “And whoever fears Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (of every difficulty). And He will provide for him from (sources) he never could imagine,” [Talaaq 2-3], so He سبحانه وتعالى is with His Allies by making things easy for them, making them correct, granting them success and helping them.
May Allaah make your situation easy for you, and may He help you and make both me and you and all the Muslims firm upon the truth and guidance.
A Sister Asking Ibn Baaz About Playing the Quran While Sleeping Due to Being Scared or Frightened
November 27, 2015 § Leave a comment
Host: A sister who has a question, she says that I feel scared and frightened sometimes when I sleep alone in my room and so I’m forced to play the Quraan in order to sleep while listening to its verses, is this allowed?
Ibn Baaz: I do not see any harm in that, because the Quraan is what the believer feels at ease with and it is the remembrance of Allaah عز وجل and thus listening to it is worship, so if a person needs to listen to it in order not to feel lonely and so that his heart can be at ease, then there is no harm in that and all praise is due to Allaah.
Uthaimeen On What to do When One’s Eemaan Deteriorates
November 25, 2015 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “If you see yourself relapse/deteriorate, pick yourself up by repenting and seeking Allaah’s Forgiveness and by asking Him to keep you firm, and don’t become careless, and neither say, “Inshaa Allaah, my eemaan will become stronger,” [without doing anything about it], instead from right now—from the moment you feel that you are ill—you must implement the cure.”
Tafseer Surah an-Nisaa, vol. 2, p. 53.
He Memorised the Quraan in Six Months and then Helped Produce the Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah
November 24, 2015 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Muhammad bin Qaasim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said that when, at a young age, he wanted to help his father, Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan bin Qaasim رحمه الله collect and arrange the fatwaas and writings of Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah, his father made it a condition that in order for him to be allowed to help he must firstly memorise the Quraan, he said, “So I finished memorising the entire Quraan in six months and then began helping him produce this formidable collection.” [In the end it came to 37 volumes].
Warathatul-Anbiyaa, p. 14.
On Not Having to Pray Tahayyatul-Masjid if You Intentionally Return to the Mosque After Having Left it Briefly
November 21, 2015 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Whoever leaves the mosque with the intention of going back to it shortly does not have to pray the two rak’ahs performed upon entering the mosque (tahayyatul-masjid) because he falls under the ruling of someone who is still in it. As for someone who left the mosque with the intention of departing and then it so occurred that he goes back to it then he must pray two rak’ahs when he does, that is why the Prophet ﷺ said, “… he has more right to his seat …,” about a person who gets up from his place and then goes back to it, and this is a proof that he is still regarded as being in the mosque in terms of the ruling that applies to him, even if he has left it physically.”
At-Ta’liq alaa al-Muntaqaa, vol. 4, p. 92.
On Shaikh Hammaad al-Ansaari’s Reading Habits
October 22, 2015 § Leave a comment
“[Shaikh Hammaad al-Ansaari] would spend many a long hour going through books or checking manuscripts, when he came across a new book or a rare manuscript he wouldn’t sleep until he had read it all, until [sometimes] it would be fajr time and he still wouldn’t have finished his reading, then it would be the time of duhaa and he would still be engrossed in reading and researching, his addiction to reading, especially manuscripts, was one of the reasons that he had a problem with his eyes, may Allaah have mercy on him.
He mentioned to me that he read Fathul-Baari twenty times.”
Al-Majmoo’ fi Tarjuma al-’Allaamah, al-Muhaddith, ash-Shaikh Hammaad ibn Muhammad al-Ansaari, vol.1, p. 213.
On Your Devil
October 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “So whoever does not punish his devil in this abode through the remembrance of Allaah تعالى and tawheed, and seeking forgiveness from Him and obeying Him, then his devil will punish him in the Hereafter with the torment of the Fire—so everyone must punish his devil or else his devil will punish him.”
Badaa’i’ut-Tafseer, vol. 5, p. 450.
Al-’Abbaad on al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel
October 19, 2015 § Leave a comment
Questioner: There is a statement concerning the issue of al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel which the questioner wants to put to you: when respected scholars differ in their criticism [jarh] or praise [ta’deel] of someone, this variance [in opinion] remains present among Ahlus-Sunnah, thus whoever follows one of these scholars is not to be declared an innovator nor boycotted, and we hope that he receives a reward for the purity of his intention?
Al-’Abbaad: Firstly, the scholars used to use al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel to determine whether or not hadiths were valid, for this reason the books of narrators are replete with biographies that contain what the scholars said about people, “So and so said this … and so and so said that … and so and so said this … and so and so said that,’ some of them would praise and others would criticise.
But some of the scholars who praise [a certain individual] may not have come across anything [in terms of jarh] regarding a person who has been criticised [by others], and as a result they praise a person based upon what is apparent to them.
Others may criticise a person about something which does not stand up as a criticism. Some scholars are harsh in their jarh such that they perform jarh over an issue which does not stand up as a point of jarh.
[Anyway,] the important thing here is that they used to busy themselves with al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel in order to become acquainted with which hadiths were authentic and which weren’t, which were valid and which weren’t, this was the way they used to use it.
Preoccupying oneself with al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel in this day and age, speaking about people, abandoning them, tracking what is said about them, collecting what is said about them the result of which is that they are warned against—these are all unbecoming actions, what is proper for a Muslim is that he knows the truth and acts on it.
Whoever is known to be from the people of an innovation which is open and plain to see and concerning which there is no ambiguity, and who has a way and manhaj which is in accordance with the people of innovation, then such a person deserves [the jarh].
As for a person who erred in a statement, who made a mistake in a statement after which an all out onslaught is made against him and he is warned against, then this is not just and nor is it fair.”
On the Haughty and Arrogant Khawaarij and Takfiris
October 12, 2015 § Leave a comment
Al-Mu’allimi said, “And the khawaarij were well-spoken, eloquent Arabs, in their tongue was the Quraan revealed, the only reason they fell into their deviancy was out of their ignorance of the Prophetic guidance and their doing away with the need to seek guidance from the scholars of the Companions.
So what do you think the case in this time of ours is, where you find foreigners who can’t even produce a sound Arabic sentence and who aren’t acquainted in the least with the Sunnah and the tafseers of the Salaf, [one of them will go and] delve into Allaah’s verses like someone self-conceited—such that he will look at an aayah and then track the meanings of its words from books on linguistics, based upon which he conjures up a meaning that agrees with his desires, alleging that it is what Allaah meant, and then he will base a new religion and a contrived shari’ah upon that, declaring the Salaf to be misguided and belying the Sunnah, along with other [calamitous] things.”
Aathaar al-Mu’allimi, vol. 19, p. 64.
Ibn al-Qayyim’s Astounding Humility: Calling Himself Bankrupt Instead of a Shaikh
September 22, 2015 § 1 Comment
Ibn al-Qayyim wrote a priceless book on patience called Uddatus-Saabirin wa Dhakhiratush-Shakirin, out of his humility, he said the following about it and himself:
“Despite that, this book is the effort of someone who lacks the means [i.e., lacks knowledge], the output of someone bankrupt, in which he warns others against the disease even though he is among the ranks of those who suffer from it, in which he has outlined the remedy even though, due to his injustice and ignorance, he didn’t have the forbearance to use it himself, but he hopes that, through this advice which he is imparting to His believing slaves, the Most Kind and the Most Merciful will forgive the way he has cheated himself.
And so whatever in this book is correct is from Allaah, Alone, for it is He who is the Commendable, the One who helps, and whatever mistakes are found in it are from its author and the devil …”
Uddatus-Saabirin, p. 11.
