Imaam Shaafi’i’s Sincerity
December 27, 2011 § Leave a comment
Al-Hasan ibn Abdul-Aziz al-Jarawi, al-Misri said, “Ash-Shaafi’i said, ‘I have never debated with anyone whilst wishing that he would make a mistake. And there is no knowledge in my heart except that I wish everyone had it and that it would not be attributed to me.’”
Aadaabush-Shaafi’i wa Manaaqibuh, p. 68.
Concentrate Firstly on the Heart
December 26, 2011 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “It is fitting that a person always asks Allaah to purify his heart. He should devote his attention to the actions of the heart. The care a person gives to the actions of the heart must be more than the care he gives to the actions of the body—because everyone performs bodily actions, the believer and the hypocrite.”
Tafseer Surah al-Maa’idah, vol. 1, p. 410.
Attaining Two Rewards for Trying to Accomplish what You are Aiming For
December 25, 2011 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Indeed those things which inhibit a person from attaining what he is aiming for are numerous. But by seeking Allaah’s Aid, the Mighty and Majestic, and by expending [the required] effort he will achieve his goal. And let it be known that every time the diversion is stronger then the one seeking [his goal] will be in a jihaad, and that every time the distraction is stronger but the person drives it away then through that he will receive two rewards: the reward for doing the [righteous] action and the reward for repelling the hindrance and for this reason the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said, “Ahead of you there are days of patience, when patience will be like grasping live coals, and the one who does good deeds will have the reward of fifty Companions,” because of the numerousness of the things that hinder.”
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti, vol. 1, pp. 22-23.
Allaah تعالى gave Salaam to Khadijah, Jibreel عليه السلام gave Salaam to Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with them both
December 24, 2011 § 1 Comment
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Khadijah bint Khuwailid ibn Asad ibn Abdul-Uzza ibn Qusai ibn Kilaab, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم married her in Makkah when he was twenty-five years old and he remained with her until Allaah honoured him with His Message. She believed in him and aided him, and so was a truthful vizier to him. She died three years before the [Prophet’s] hijrah according to the most correct opinion, and it is said four years [before] and it is [also] said five years [before].
And she has special characteristics, may Allaah be pleased with her, from them being the fact that: the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with her; that all of his children were from her, except Ibrahim عليه السلام for he was from Maariyah; that she is the best of the women of this ummah.
And there is a difference of opinion regarding her superiority over Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, there being three opinions concerning that, the third of which is abstaining [from saying who is better].
And I asked our Shaikh, Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him [about this issue] and he said, “Each one of the two has a special characteristic specific to her. So Khadijah’s impact was in the beginning of Islaam, she used to console Allaah’s Prophet and make him firm and soothe him, and would spend her wealth for him, so she met the dawn of Islaam, and bore harm for Allaah’s Sake and the sake of His Messenger, and the help she gave to the Prophet was at the time he was in the most dire need of it. So the [merit] she has for her aid and her sacrifice is something which others do not have.
And Aishah’s impact, may Allaah be pleased with her, was at the final stage of Islaam, so the [merit] she has for her understanding of the religion and for conveying it to the ummah and benefitting her children [i.e., the Muslims] with the knowledge she imparted to them is something others do not have.” This is the meaning of what he said.
I [i.e., Ibn al-Qayyim] say: and from her special qualities is that Allaah, the One free of all defects, sent [His Own Greeting of] Salaam to her through Jibreel عليه السلام so the Prophet of Allaah informed her [of that]. In his Sahih, Al-Bukhaari said, “Qutaibah ibn Sa’eed narrated to us [saying]: Muhammad ibn Fudail narrated to us from Ummarah from Abu Zur’ah from Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said, “Jibreel came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! This is Khadijah coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord and on my behalf and give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab in Paradise, wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil.’” [Bukhaari, no. 3820 and Muslim, no. 2432]. And by the everlasting existence of Allaah! This was a special quality that was for none other than her.
And as for Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, then verily Jibreel عليه السلام gave her salaam on the tongue of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. Al-Bukhaari said: Yahya ibn Bukair narrated to us [saying]: al-Layth narrated to us from Yunus from Ibn Shihaab that Abu Salamah said, “Once Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘O Aa’ish [i.e., Aishah]! This is Jibreel greeting you.’ So she said, ‘Wa alaihis-salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. You see what I do not see.’ She was addressing Allaah’s Messenger [with the last sentence].” [Bukhaari, no. 3768 and Muslim, no. 2447]
And from Khadijah’s special qualities, may Allaah be pleased with her, is that she never hurt him—ever, and she never made him angry, and he never swore not to have sexual relations with her [الإيلاء, cf. Surah Baqarah, aayah, 226], nor did he give her a gentle reprimand, ever, nor boycott her—and sufficient is that as a virtue and merit. And from her distinguishing qualities is that she was the first woman from this Ummah to believe in Allaah and His Messenger.”
Jilaa’ul-Afhaam fis-Salaati was-Salaam alaa Khairil-Anaam, pp. 236.
Don’t just be patient, be patient and along with that hope for a reward from Allaah for your patience during your calamity
December 24, 2011 § 5 Comments
Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Indeed when a person faces calamities with patience [but] without hoping for a reward from Allaah, the calamity will become an expiation for his sins. And if he shows patience along with hoping for a reward [from Allaah], then along with being an expiation for his sins it becomes a good recompense and reward. And the meaning of hoping for Allaah’s reward [al-Ihtisaab] is that a person believes that he will soon be rewarded for the patience [he is showing], so he makes good his thoughts about Allaah and thus Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, will give him [a reward] according to what he thought of Him.”
At-Ta’leeq alaa Saheeh Muslim, p. 342.
The Pleasure of Sinning or the Pleasure of Repenting?
December 24, 2011 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “So if the sinner knew that the pleasure of repenting and the joy associated with it is multiple times greater than the pleasure of sinning and the joy associated with it, he would rush to it much more than the way he rushes to the pleasure of sinning.”
Ar-Rooh
You present evil to Allaah and want good in return? Then do this.
December 22, 2011 § 3 Comments
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Whoever would love that Allaah reciprocates his evil with goodness, let him reciprocate the evil people do towards him with goodness.”
Miftaah Daaris-Sa’aadah, vol. 1, p. 292.
If you see this … start curing yourself now
December 21, 2011 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “If you see that you have turned away from something from Allaah’s Religion or you see that you have turned away from the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, either from reciting its [actual] words, or reciting it [by pondering over] its meaning, or reciting it by acting on it, then it is obligatory on you to cure yourself–and know that the cause of that turning away is sins.”
Tafsir Surah al-Maa’idah, vol. 1, p. 483.
And We Want to Become Scholars Overnight …
December 20, 2011 § 5 Comments
In the biography of the Imaam Ghaalib ibn Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ghaalib ibn Tamaam ibn Atiyyah al-Muhaaribi (d. 517) [which is mentioned] in the book Al-Ghunyah of al-Qaadi Iyaad, and in As-Silah of Ibn Bashkuwaal there occurs that he said:
“I read what one of my companions had written in his own handwriting [where he said] that he heard Abu Bakr [Ghaalib ibn Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ghaalib ibn Tamaam] ibn Atiyyah mention that he had read Sahih Bukhaari seven hundred times.”
And in [the book] Inbaa’ul-Ghamr in the biography of Sulaimaan ibn Ibrahim ibn Umar Nafeesud-Deen al-Alawi (d. 825) [there occurs]:
“So he mentioned to me that he went over Sahih Bukhaari one hundred and fifty times, [whether that was] by reading it himself, listening to his Shaikh read it, reading it himself to his Shaikh [or someone else] or comparing it against a manuscript.”
And in Fahrisul-Fahaaris quoting from Tabaqaatul-Khawaas of as-Sharji that he went over The Sahih [of Bukhaari] two hundred and eighty times, reading it himself, listening to others read it to him or reading it himself to his Shaikh [or someone else].”
And in the biography of Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullaah ibn Muqbil al-Qaahiri al-Hanafi, well-known as ‘At-Taajir [The Trader]’ (d. 805) [which is mentioned] in [the book] Ad-Daw al-Laami’, [there occurs]:
“Al-Burhaan al-Halabi, his student, said that he [i.e., his teacher Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad] informed him that up until the year 780ah he had read Sahih Bukhaari ninety-five times, and he read it after that many times [too].”
And in the biography of Al-Burhaan al-Halabi [d. 840] [which is mentioned] in Ad-Daw al-Laami’, [it is stated that]:
“He read [Sahih] Bukhaari more than sixty times and [Sahih] Muslim about twenty times, this is not including the times he read it when he was a student [of knowledge and not yet a Shaikh] or the times other people read the two collections to him as he listened on.”
ِAnd Abul-Arab at-Tamimi mentioned in Tabaqaat Ulemaa Ifriqiyyah wa Tunis in the biography of Abbaad ibn al-Walid al-Faarisi [d. 218] that at the end of one of his books [there was written]:
“I studied it a thousand times.”
Al-Mushawwiq ilaa Qiraa’ah wa Talabil-Ilm, pp. 90-95.
Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah!’ Instead he said, ‘King! Rook! Checkmate!’
December 18, 2011 § 6 Comments
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “So it may become impossible for him to pronounce the shahaadah, as many people have witnessed happen to those on the deathbed, such that it was said to some of them:
“Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he replied, “Aaah! Aaah! I cannot say it!”
And it was said to another, “Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he replied, “King! Rook! Checkmate!” and then he passed away.
And it was said to another, “Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he started singing irrationally, saying, ‘Taatinaa tinintaa, [no meaning, just irrational singing]’ and then passed away.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “And how will what you are saying help me when I left no sin except that I committed it?” and then he passed away without saying it.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “And how will that benefit me? And I don’t know if I have ever prayed a single time to Allaah?” and then he passed away without saying it.
And the same was said to another, so he replied [talking about himself], “He is a disbeliever in what you say,” and then he passed away.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “Every time I want to say it my tongue withholds.”
And someone who was present at the death of someone who would beg told me that [they told him to say the shahaadah] so he started saying, “For Allaah’s Sake. A penny for Allaah’s Sake,” until he passed away.
And a trader told me that he was present when one of his relatives was on his deathbed, so they told him to say Laa ilaaha illallaah and he was saying, “This piece is cheap. This is a good buy. This is such and such,” until he passed away.
So if the devil has gained mastery over the servant in the state when his mind is present and his strength [is also present] and he has complete cognizance [i.e., while he is alive and healthy], and has employed him in committing whichever acts of disobedience to Allaah he wants him to do, and has made him unmindful of the remembrance of Allaah the Most High, and has paralysed his tongue from remembering Him and his limbs from obeying Him—then what does one think will be the case when his strength breaks down and his heart and soul become preoccupied with the death pangs that he is in?
And [all the while] Shaitaan will have gathered all of his strength and determination and assembled everything that he is capable of to avail his opportunity concerning him—for that is the last action.
So the strongest his Shaitaan will be against him is at that time, and the weakest he [i.e., the person] will be is at that time.
So who do you think will be safe from that? So it is there that, “Allaah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word [i.e., ‘the firm word’ is Laa ilaaha illallaah], in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allaah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allaah does what He wills.” Ibraaheem 14:27
So how can someone whose heart Allaah has made heedless from His remembrance and who has followed his desires and whose affair is ever [in] neglect be granted the success to have a good ending?
Thus far away—the one whose heart is distant from Allaah the Most High, heedless of Him, worshipping his own desires, a slave to his lusts, his tongue dry from ever remembering Allaah [i.e., not moist with His remembrance], his limbs incapacitated from obeying Him actively working to disobey Him—far away [is such a person] from being granted the success to have a good ending.”
Ad-Daa wad-Dawaa, pp. 91-92, slightly edited.
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The True Man
December 17, 2011 § 1 Comment
“A man is the one who fears the death of his heart, not his body.”
Ibn al-Qayyim.
Madaarijus-Saalikeen, v. 3, p. 248.
“I Can’t Stand to Pray at Night.”
December 16, 2011 § 1 Comment
From Qataadah who said that a man came to Salmaan and said, “I can’t perform the night prayer.” He replied, ‘”Then don’t fail to do it during the day.”
Lataa’iful-Ma’aarif, p. 31.
“Who am I? And What am I?!” said Imaam Ahmad
December 16, 2011 § 2 Comments
“A man said, ‘I saw signs of grief on Abu Abdullah’s face [i.e., Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal] because someone had praised him.’ And [another time] it was said to him, ‘May Allaah reward you with good on behalf of Islaam.’ So he said, ‘Rather, may Allaah reward Islaam well on behalf of me. Who am I? And what am I?!’”
Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa, v. 11, p. 225.
What is the meaning of the hadith about performing wudoo properly during times when it is difficult to do so?
December 15, 2011 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “What is the meaning of the hadith about performing wudoo properly during times when it is difficult to do so and waiting for prayer after prayer?” So he replied, “Performing wudoo properly during times when it is difficult to do so,’ means that a person performs his wudoo in the most complete manner during days when it is cold and likewise after each prayer he waits for the next whether that is in the mosque or not. And that his heart is connected to the prayer such that when he completes one he waits for the next, so his heart is always connected to the prayer.”
Fataawaa Nurun-alad-Darb, CD.
The Doctor of the Heart, Ibn al-Qayyim, on Allaah, the Most High’s, Reprimand of Those who Take The Devil as an Ally
December 15, 2011 § Leave a comment
Allaah, the Most High, said, “And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam,” and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from [i.e., disobeyed] the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.” Kahf 18:50
Commenting on this aayah, one of the things Ibn al-Qayyim said was:
“It is almost as though beneath this address there is an astonishing, delicate reprimand and it is that: I showed enmity to Iblees because he didn’t prostrate to your father Aadam with My Angels, so the enmity [I showed] was on your behalf, and then the final result of this enmity [which I showed on your behalf] is that between yourselves and him—you [went and] sealed a pact of reconciliation.”
Ad-Daa wad-Dawaa, p. 83.
The Young Ibn Taymiyyah
December 14, 2011 § 1 Comment
Ibn Abdul-Haadi, Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah’s student wrote:
“And it so happened that a Shaikh from Aleppo came to Damascus,
saying, “I have heard that in this city there is a boy who goes by the
name of Ahmad the son of Taymiyyah and that he is extremely quick in
memorising. I have come perchance I may see him.”
So a tailor said to him, “This is his route to school and he has not
yet come, so sit with us. Anytime now he will pass us on his way to the
school.”
So the Aleppan Shaikh sat down for a short while. Then two young boys
walked by, so the tailor said to the Shaikh, “The young boy carrying
that large tablet—he is Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah.”
So the Shaikh called him and he came to him. Then the
Shaikh took the tablet and looked at what was written therein. Then he
said, “O my son! Wipe this out so that I can dictate something to you
which you can write.”
So Ibn Taymiyyah did so. Then the Shaikh dictated eleven or thirteen sayings of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallaam) to him. Then the Shaikh said to him, “Read this.”
So Ibn Taymiyyah looked over it once after he had written it and then
gave the tablet back to the Shaikh. So he said, “Read it to me.”
So he read it back to him in the best way possible. Then the Shaikh said to him, “O my son! Wipe this out.”
So he wiped it out and the Shaikh dictated a number of chains of narrations that he had chosen and said, “Read this.”
Ibn Taymiyyah looked at it and he did as he had done the first time.
So the Shaikh stood up, saying, “If this young boy lives long he will
have a great standing and rank—since the like of this has not been seen
before.”
Ibn Naasirud-Deen narrated the saying of Abul-Muzaffar As-Sarmari,
“And from the amazing matters regarding memorisation in our time is the
Shaikh of Islaam Abul-Abbaas Ahmad bin Abdul-Haleem bin Taymiyyah. Since
he would come across a book and would look over it once only after
which it would be inscribed in his mind. He would be able to discuss it
thereafter, narrating from it in his written works with its precise
wording and meaning.
And from the most amazing of what I have heard about him is what some of his companions narrated to me.
They said that in the start of his affair when he was a young boy his
father wanted to take his sons for an outing to a garden. So he said to
Ibn Taymiyyah, “O Ahmad! Go out with your brothers and relax.”
So he excused himself from that however his father persisted. But the
young Ibn Taymiyyah strongly declined, saying, “I would like you to
excuse me from going out.”
So his father let him stay and left with his other sons. They spent
their day in the garden and returned at the end of the day whereupon his
father said to him, “O Ahmad! You deserted your brothers today! And you
annoyed them because of your absence from them. So what is this?”
So he replied, “O father! Today I memorised this book,” alluding to a
book with him. So his father replied, “You memorised it?!” In denial,
shocked and amazed at what his son had just said. So he said to him,
“Read it to me.”
So he did.
He had indeed memorised the entire book. Then his father held him and
kissed him between his eyes and said, “O my son! Do not tell anyone
about what you have done,” fearful lest the Evil Eye should befall him.”
Taken from Ibn Abdul-Haadi’s Al-‘Uqood Al-Durriyah min Manaaqib Shaikhil-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 7
The More One Obeys the More He is Guided
December 14, 2011 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “The more a person sticks to Allaah’s Legislation the more The Most High will guide him, due to His Saying, ‘And He guides them to a Straight Path.’ [5:16] So sins are a cause for deviation and obedience and submission a cause for guidance.”
Tafsir Suratul-Maa’idah, v. 1, p. 221.
Performing Optional Prayers at Home
December 13, 2011 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “It is wise for a person to perform the optional prayers in his house so that his children can see and learn from him, and so that the women can follow his example and so that his house does not become a grave which is not prayed in.”
Bulugh al-Maraam, v.3, p. 46.
