3 Questions

There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 Questions. Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.

Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?

Scholar: I am one of Allah Subhana Wa Ta`ala’s slaves and Insha-Allah I will be able to answer your questions.

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.

Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah Subhana Wa Ta`ala.

Young man: I have 3 questions:            

       1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
       2. What is the qadr (fate)?
       3. If shaitan was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that is also     created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man’s face very hard.

Young man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?

Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.

Young man: I really don’t understand.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: Of course, I felt the pain.

Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?

Young man: Yes.

Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!

Young man: I cannot.

Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel Allah’s existence without being able to see His shape… Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?

Young man: No.

Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me today?

Young man: No.

Scholar: That is takdir (fate), my second answer…….. My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?

Young man: It is created from flesh.

Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?

Young man: Flesh.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: In pain.

Scholar: That’s it. This is my third answer. Even though Shaitan and Hellfire were created from fire, if Allah wants, insha-Allah, then hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan.

The Four Poisons of the Heart (Part 1 of 4)

Ibn Qayyim al JawziyyahYou should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts,
And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them.
Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts,
And opposing your self is best for it.

Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.By the four poisons we mean unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food and keeping bad company. Of all the poisons, these are the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart’s well-being.  

Unnecessary Talking

It is reported in al-Musnad, on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet said: “The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right.” This shows that the Prophet has made the purification of faith conditional on the purification of the heart, and the purification of the heart conditional on the purification of the tongue.

At-Tirmidhi relates in a hadith on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar: “Do not talk excessively without remembering Allah, because such excessive talk without the mention of Allah causes the heart to harden, and the person furthest from Allah is a person with a hard heart.”  

‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “A person who talks too much is a person who often makes mistakes, and someone who often makes mistakes, often has wrong actions. The Fire has a priority over such a frequent sinner.”

In a hadith related on the authority of Mu’adh, the Prophet said, “Shall I not tell you how to control all that?” I said, “Yes do, O Messenger of Allah.” So he held his tongue between his fingers, and then he said: “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allah, are we accountable for what we say?” He said, “May your mother be bereft by your loss! Is there anything more than the harvest of the tongues that throws people on their faces (or he said “on their noses”) into the Fire?“  

What is meant here by “he harvest of the tongues” is the punishment for saying forbidden things. A man, through his actions and words, sows the seeds of either good or evil. On the Day of Resurrection he harvests their fruits. Those who sow the seeds of good words and deeds harvest honour and blessings; those who sow the seeds of evil words and deeds reap only regret and remorse.

A hadith related by Abu Huraira says, “What mostly causes people to be sent to the Fire are the two openings: the mouth and the private parts.“

Abu Huraira also related that the Messenger of Allah said, “The servant speaks words, the consequences of which he does not realise, and for which he is sent down into the depths of the Fire further than the distance between the east and the west.“

The same hadith was transmitted by at-Tirmidhi with slight variations: “The servant says something that he thinks is harmless, and for which he will be plunged into the depths of the Fire as far as seventy autumns.”

Uqba ibn Amir said: “I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is our best way of surviving?” He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied: “Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your privacy, and weep for your wrong actions.”

It has been related on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa’d that the Prophet said, “Whoever can guarantee what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee him the Garden.”

It has also been related by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent.”

Thus talking can either be good, in which case it is commendable, or bad, in which case it is haram.

The Prophet said: “Everything the children of Adam say goes against them, except for their enjoining good and forbidding evil, and remembering Allah, Glorious and Might is He.” This was reported by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah on the authority of Umm Habiba, may Allah be pleased with her.

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them, and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar said “Stop! may Allah forgive you!” Abu Bakr replied; “This tongue has brought me to dangerous places.“

Abdullah ibn Masud said: “By Allah, besides Whom no god exists, nothing deserves a long prison sentence more than my tongue.” He also used to say: “O tongue, say good and you will profit; desist from saying evil things and you will be safe; otherwise you will find only regret.”

Abu Huraira reported that Ibn al-Abbas said: “A person will not feel greater fury or anger for any part of his body on the Day of Judgement more than what he will feel for his tongue, unless he only used it for saying or enjoining good.” Al-Hassan said: “Whoever does not hold his tongue cannot understand his deen.”

The least harmful of a tongue’s faults is talking about whatever does not concern it. The following hadith of the Prophet is enough to indicate the harm of this fault: “One of the merits of a person’s Islam is his abandoning what does not concern him.“

Abu Ubaida related that al-Hassan said: “One of the signs of Allah’s abandoning a servant is His making him preoccupied with what does not concern him.”

Sahl said, “Whoever talks about what does not concern him is deprived of truthfulness.”

As we have already mentioned above, this is the least harmful of the tongue’s faults. There are far worse things, like backbiting, gossiping, obscene and misleading talk, two-faced and hypocritical talk, showing off, quarrelling, bickering, singing, lying, mockery, derision and falsehood; and there are many more faults which can affect a servant’s tongue, ruining his heart and causing him to lose both his happiness and pleasure in this life, and his success and profit in the next life. Allah is the One to Whom we turn for assistance.

Hell is Real

I went into my classroom
Ready for another year at school
I didn’t want the work
Just wanted to hang and be cool

I had on new clothes
New sneaks on my feet
I was there for class on time
Went to the back and took my seat

Yeah, I’m moving up
I’m already grown
Soon I’ll be graduating
And out on my own

I spoke to some of my friends
We were all having fun
Said some things I shouldn’t have said
Did stuff I shouldn’t have done

I knew I was different
I felt God touch my heart
I knew I should set a standard
But then I’d be set apart

Later crossing the road
Time to face my fate
I heard the car tires screeching
But now it’s too late

I’m standing in this room
And I can see the heavenly gate
Oh no! I never prayed
I thought I had time to get it straight

An angel walked to me
With a book in one hand
I knew it was the Book of Life,
When would this dream end?

I told the angel my name
And the angel began to look
Then he looked at me sadly and said
‘Your name is not in this Book.’

‘Angel, this is a dream
No, I can’t be dead!’
The angel closed the Book and turned away
And whispered, ‘You cannot proceed ahead.’

‘No…no this can’t be real
Angel, you can’t turn me away
Let me talk to God
Maybe He’ll let me stay.’  

He led me to the gate and Allah came to me

He did not let me in but said
‘Beloved what is your need?’

 ‘Allah,’ I cried, ‘Please,’

‘Don’t cast me away from You.’
Tears ran down my face as He said,
‘You knew what you had to do.’

‘Lord, please, I’m young,
I never thought I would die
I thought I’d have plenty of time
Death caught me by surprise

Lord, I went to Mosque
Please Allah, I believe.’
He said, ‘You would not accept Me
My love you would not receive.’

‘Lord, there were too many hypocrites
They weren’t being true
He looked at me and asked,
‘What does that have to do with you?’

‘Lord, my family claimed to be saved
They weren’t real, you know’
He said, ‘I’m done with you; Now I must go.’

I fell to my knees crying to Him
‘Lord, I planned to be real tomorrow.’
I couldn’t make Him understand
I had never felt such sorrow

Then it hit me hard, I said
‘Lord, where will I go?’
He looked into my eyes and said
‘I think you already know.’

‘Please Allah,’ I begged, ‘The place is so hot’
It seemed to trouble and grieve Him
He whispered, ‘Depart from Me, I know you not.’

‘Lord, you’re supposed to be Love
How can you send me to damnation?’
He replied, ‘With your mouth you said you loved Me
But each day you rejected my salvation.’

And with that, in an instant Day turned into night
I never knew such torture could be
Now too late, I know the Qur’an is right

If I can tell you anythingHell has no age
It is a place of torture
Separated from God and full of rage

You know, I thought it was funny – a joke
But this one thing is true:
If you never accept Allah
Hell is waiting for you

Abdullah ibn Abbas

‘Abdullah was the son of ‘Abbas, an uncle of the noble Prophet. He was born just three years before the Hijrah. When the Prophet died, ‘Abdullah was thus only thirteen years old.

When he was born, his mother took him to the blessed Prophet who put some of his saliva on the babe’s tongue even before he began to suckle. This was the beginning of the close and intimate tie between ‘Abbas and the Prophet that was to be part of a life-long love and devotion.

When ‘Abdullah reached the age of discretion, he attached himself to the service of the Prophet. He would run to fetch water for him when he wanted to make wudu. During Salat, he would stand behind the Prophet in prayer and when the Prophet went on journeys or expeditions, he would follow next in line to him. ‘Abdullah thus became like the shadow of the Prophet, constantly in his company.

In all these situations he was attentive and alert to whatever the Prophet did and said. His heart was enthusiastic and his young mind was pure and uncluttered, committing the Prophet’s words to memory with the capacity and accuracy of a recording instrument. In this way and through his constant researches later, as we shall see, ‘Abdullah became one of the most learned companions of the Prophet, preserving on behalf of later generations of Muslims, the priceless words of the Messenger of God. It is said that he committed to memory about one thousand, six hundred and sixty sayings of the Prophet that are recorded and authenticated in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The Prophet would often draw ‘Abdullah as a child close to him, pat him on the shoulder and pray: “O Lord, make him acquire a deep understanding of the religion of Islam and instruct him in the meaning and interpretation of things.”

There were many occasions thereafter when the blessed Prophet would repeat this dua or prayer for his cousin and before long ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas realized that his life was to be devoted to the pursuit of learning and knowledge.

The Prophet moreover prayed that he be granted not just knowledge and understanding but wisdom. ‘Abdullah related the following incident about himself: “Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, was on the point of performing wudu. I hurried to get water ready for him. He was pleased with what I was doing. As he was about to begin Salat, he indicated that I should stand at his side. However, I stood behind him. When the Salat was finished, he turned to me and said: ‘What prevented you from being at my side, O ‘Abdullah?’ ‘You are too illustrious and too great in my eyes for me to stand side by side with you,’ I replied.

Raising his hands to the heavens, the Prophet then prayed: ‘O Lord, grant him wisdom.” The Prophet’s prayer undoubtedly was granted for the young ‘Abdullah was to prove time and again that he possessed a wisdom beyond his years. But it was a wisdom that came only with devotion and the dogged pursuit of knowledge both during the Prophet’s lifetime and after his death.

During the lifetime of the Prophet, ‘Abdullah would not miss any of his assemblies and he would commit to memory whatever he said. After the Prophet passed away, he would take care to go to as many companions as possible especially those who knew the Prophet longer and learn from them what the Prophet had taught them. Whenever he heard that someone knew a hadith of the Prophet, which he did not know he would go quickly to him and record it. He would subject whatever he heard to close scrutiny and check it against other reports. He would go to as many as thirty companions to verify a single matter.

‘Abdullah described what he once did on hearing that a companion of the Prophet knew a hadith unknown to him: “I went to him during the time of the afternoon siesta and spread my cloak in front of his door. The wind blew dust on me (as I sat waiting for him). If I wished I could have sought his permission to enter and he would certainly have given me permission. But I preferred to wait on him so that he could be completely refreshed. Coming out of his house and seeing me in that condition he said: ‘O cousin of the Prophet! What’s the matter with you? If you had sent for me I would have come to you.’ ‘I am the one who should come to you, for knowledge is sought, it does not just come,’ I said. I asked him about the hadith and learnt from him.”

In this way, the dedicated ‘Abdullah would ask, and ask, and go on asking. And he would sift and scrutinize the information he had collected with his keen and meticulous mind.

It was not only in the collection of hadith that ‘Abdullah specialized. He devoted himself to acquiring knowledge in a wide variety of fields. He had a special admiration for persons like Zayd ibn Thabit, the recorder of the revelation, the leading judge and jurist consult in Madinah, an expert in the laws of inheritance and in reading the Quran. When Zayd intended to go on a trip, the young ‘Abdullah would stand humbly at his side and taking hold of the reins of his mount would adopt the attitude of a humble servant in the presence of his master. Zayd would say to him: “Don’t, O cousin of the Prophet.”

“Thus we were commanded to treat the learned ones among us,” ‘Abdullah would say. “And Zayd would say to him in turn: “Let me see your hand.” ‘Abdullah would stretch out his hand. Zayd, taking it, would kiss it and say: “Thus we were commanded to treat the ahl al-bayt members of the household of the Prophet.”

As ‘Abdullah’s knowledge grew, he grew in stature. Masruq ibn al Ajda said of him: “Whenever I saw Ibn ‘Abbas, I would say: He is the most handsome of men. When he spoke, I would say: He is the most eloquent of men. And when he held a conversation, I would say: He is the most knowledgeable of men.”

The Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab often sought his advice on important matters of state and described him as “the young man of maturity”.

Sad ibn abi Waqqas described him with these words: “I have never seen someone who was quicker in understanding, who had more knowledge and greater wisdom than Ibn ‘Abbas. I have seen Umar summon him to discuss difficult problems in the presence of veterans of Badr from among the Muhajirin and Ansar. Ibn ‘Abbas would speak and Umar would not disregard what he had to say.”

It is these qualities which resulted in ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas being known as “the learned man of this Ummah”.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas was not content to accumulate knowledge. He felt he had a duty to the ummah to educate those in search of knowledge and the general masses of the Muslim community. He turned to teaching and his house became a university – yes, a university in the full sense of the word, a university with specialized teaching but with the difference that there was only one teacher ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas.

There was an enthusiastic response to ‘Abdullah’s classes. One of his companions described a typical scene in front of his house: “I saw people converging on the roads leading to his house until there was hardly any room in front of his house. I went in and told him about the crowds of people at his door and he said: ‘Get me water for wudu.’

He performed wudu and, seating himself, said: ‘Go out and say to them: Whoever wants to ask about the Quran and its letters (pronunciation) let him enter.’

This I did and people entered until the house was filled. Whatever he was asked, ‘Abdullah was able to elucidate and even provide additional information to what was asked. Then (to his students) he said: ‘Make way for your brothers.’

Then to me he said: ‘Go out and say: Who wants to ask about the Quran and its interpretation, let him enter’.

Again the house was filled and ‘Abdullah elucidated and provided more information than what was requested.”

And so it continued with groups of people coming in to discuss fiqh (jurisprudence), halal and haram (the lawful and the prohibited in Islam), inheritance laws, Arabic language, poetry and etymology.

To avoid congestion with many groups of people coming to discuss various subjects on a single day, ‘Abdullah decided to devote one day exclusively for a particular discipline. On one day, only the exegesis of the Quran would be taught while on another day only fiqh (jurisprudence). The maghazi or campaigns of the Prophet, poetry, Arab history before Islam were each allocated a special day.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas brought to his teaching a powerful memory and a formidable intellect. His explanations were precise, clear and logical. His arguments were persuasive and supported by pertinent textual evidence and historical facts.

One occasion when his formidable power of persuasion was used was during the caliphate of Ali. A large number of supporters of Ali in his stand against Muawiyah had just deserted him. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas went to Ali and requested permission to speak to them. Ali hesitated fearing that ‘Abdullah would be in danger at their hands but eventually gave way on ‘Abdullah’s optimism that nothing untoward would happen.

‘Abdullah went over to the group. They were absorbed in worship. Some were not willing to let him speak but others were prepared to give him a hearing.

“Tell me” asked ‘Abdullah, “what grievances have you against the cousin of the Prophet, the husband of his daughter and the first of those who believed in him?”  

“The men proceeded to relate three main complaints against Ali. First, that he appointed men to pass judgment in matters pertaining to the religion of God – meaning that Ali had agreed to accept the arbitration of Abu Musa al-Asbari and Amr ibn al-As in the dispute with Muawiyah. Secondly, that he fought and did not take booty nor prisoners of war. Thirdly, that he did not insist on the title of Amir al-Muminin during the arbitration process although the Muslims had pledged allegiance to him and he was their legitimate amir. To them this was obviously a sign of weakness and a sign that Ali was prepared to bring his legitimate position as Amir al-Muminin into disrepute.

In reply, ‘Abdullah asked them that should he cite verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet to which they had no objection and which related to their criticisms, would they be prepared to change their position. They replied that they would and ‘Abdullah proceeded: “Regarding your statement that Ali has appointed men to pass judgment in matters pertaining to Allah’s religion, Allah Glorified and Exalted is He, says: ‘O you who believe! Kill not game while in the sacred precincts or in pilgrim garb. If any of you do so intentionally, the compensation is an offering, of a domestic animal equivalent to the one he killed and adjudged by two just men among.” “I adjure you, by God! Is the adjudication by men in matters pertaining to the preservation of their blood and their lives and making peace between them more deserving of attention than adjudication over a rabbit whose value is only a quarter of a dirham?”

Their reply was of course that arbitration was more important in the case of preserving Muslim lives and making peace among them than over the killing of game in the sacred precincts for which Allah sanctioned arbitration by men.

“Have we then finished with this point?” asked ‘Abdullah and their reply was: “Allahumma, naam – O Lord, yes!” ‘Abdullah went on: “As for your statement that Ali fought and did not take prisoners of war as the Prophet did, do you really desire to take your “mother” Aishah as a captive and treat her as fair game in the way that captives are treated? If your answer is “Yes”, then you have fallen into kufr (disbelief). And if you say that she is not your “mother”, you would also have fallen into a state of kufr for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has said: ‘The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves and his wives are their mothers (entitled to respect and consideration).’ (The Quran, Surah al-Ahzab, 34:6).

“Choose for yourself what you want,” said ‘Abdullah and then he asked: “Have we then finished with this point?” and this time too their reply was: “Allahumma, naam – O Lord, yes!” ‘Abdullah went on: “As for your statement that Ali has surrendered the title of Amir al-Muminin, (remember) that the Prophet himself, peace and blessings of God be on him, at the time of Hudaybiyyah, demanded that the mushrikin write in the truce which he concluded with them: ‘This is what the Messenger of God has agreed…’ and they retorted: ‘If we believed that you were the Messenger of God we would not have blocked your way to the Kabah nor would we have fought you. Write instead: ‘Muhammad the son of ‘Abdullah.’ The Prophet conceded their demand while saying: ‘By God, I am the Messenger of God even if they reject me.” At this point ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas asked the dissidents: “Have we then finished with this point? and their reply was once again:

“Allahumma, naam – O Lord, yes!”

One of the fruits of this verbal challenge in which ‘Abdullah displayed his intimate knowledge of the Quran and the sirah of the Prophet as well as his remarkable powers of argument and persuasion, was that the majority, about twenty thousand men, returned to the ranks of Ali. About four thousand however remained obdurate. These latter came to be known as Kharijites.

On this and other occasions, the courageous ‘Abdullah showed that he preferred peace above war, and logic against force and violence. However, he was not only known for his courage, his perceptive thought and his vast knowledge. He was also known for his great generosity and hospitality. Some of his contemporaries said of his household: “We have not seen a house which has more food or drink or fruit or knowledge than the house of Ibn ‘Abbas.”

He had a genuine and abiding concern for people. He was thoughtful and caring. He once said: “When I realize the importance of a verse of God’s Book, I would wish that all people should know what I know.

“When I hear of a Muslim ruler who deals equitably and rules justly, I am happy on his account and I pray for him…

“When I hear of rains which fail on the land of Muslims, that fills me with happiness…”

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas was constant in his devotions. He kept voluntary fasts regularly and often stayed up at night in Prayer. He would weep while praying and reading the Quran. And when reciting verses dealing with death, resurrection and the life hereafter his voice would be heavy from deep sobbing.

He passed away at the age of seventy-one in the mountainous city of Taif.

The Conditions of La ilaha illallah

Source: Article by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo from AL-BASHEER magazine (Vol.7, No.5). Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the statement, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah.” Yet too many Muslims simply rely upon this statement and believe that as long as they have made this statement, nothing will harm them. They think they will be granted Paradise because of this mere verbal statement of the Shahadah. There is no question that the mere saying of,” I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger,” is not sufficient for salvation. In fact, the hypocrites used to make this statement quite often yet Allah describes them as liars and says that they shall abide in the lowest abyss of the Hell-fire.

As many scholars state, though, this statement or testimony is the key to Paradise. The famous follower Wahb ibn Munabbih was once asked,

” Isn’t the statement of la ilaha illa-llah the key to Paradise?” He answered, “Yes, but every key has ridges. If you come with the key that has the right ridges, the door will open for you. Yet if you do not have the right ridges the door will not open for you.”

That is, the statement must meet certain conditions. These conditions are what will differentiate the person who will benefit from his making of that statement from the one who will not benefit from that statement, no matter how many times a day he may have made that statement.

Before discussing the conditions of the Shahadah, there is one more point that I feel compelled to make. That is, some people have a tendency to take one hadeeth or one verse and then based on that one text, they will make some conclusion that, for example, whoever simply says,” There is no God except Allah,” will enter Paradise. But, actually, we should all realise that all of the Qur’an and Hadeeth complement each other and explain one another. To find the correct position on any one question, one must bring together all of the related verses and hadeeth and see what the true Islamic position is of that question. The same is true for the conditions of the shahadah.

If we study the verses of the Qur’an and the Hadeeth of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we will find that the conditions of the shahadah are seven, eight or nine in number depending on how we look at them. It is important that all of us make sure that we are meeting these conditions in our own lives and in our own testimony of faith. We must do our best to satisfy these conditions before it is too late and our testimony will be of no avail whatsoever. It is not simply for the sake of teaching these conditions, indeed there is no benefit to that. But it is, instead, for all of us to look to ourselves and to make sure that we are actually meeting these conditions so that, by Allah’s mercy, the doors to Paradise will be open for us by our key of la ilaha illa-llah.

1st condition: Knowledge

That is, one must have the basic and general knowledge of what is meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is affirming and what the shahadah is denying. Allah says in the Qur’an,

“So know that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin”(Muhammad : 19)

Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allaah shall enter Paradise.”(Recorded by Muslim)

In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to something, one must know what it is that he is testifying concerns. Obviously, a testimony about something that one does not have any knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable. Allah says in the Qur’an

” Save him who bears witness unto the truth knowingly”(al-Zukhruf : 86)

Now this condition probably sounds obvious; if someone said to you, “There is no God except Allah,” and then said that what he meant by Allah was Jesus, you would immediately tell him that this shahadah is nonsense. Yet can you imagine that there is a Muslim country in the world that until recently used to have a yearly week-long celebration to “the Gods of the Sea”! All along they call themselves Muslims and they make the shahadah numerous times a day. This clearly shows that they have no idea what the meaning of their shahadah is. Do you think that this kind of shahadah will open the doors to Paradise for them? Today, there are many Muslims who wonder why we should not accept secularism. They think that there is nothing wrong with secularism! Many of these Muslims pray five times a day and utter the shahadah repeatedly. Yet they see nothing wrong with accepting a Lawgiver other than Allah? What kind of shahadah are these people making?

All of us do our best to learn at least the basics of Islamic beliefs, the basics of what shahadah means. In this way, Allah willing, we will be making the correct shahadah. We will be witnessing to the truth as we are supposed to be witnesses to it.

2nd condition: Certainty – ‘Al-Yaqeen’

This is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. In Islam, in fact, any kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth of, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah.” Allah describes the believers in the Qur’an as those who have belief in Allah and then their hearts waver not. Allah says,

“the (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere”(al-Hujuraat : 15)

Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

“No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about hat statement, except that he will enter Paradise.”(Recorded by Muslim.)

Indeed, Allah describes the hypocrites as those people whose hearts are wavering. For example, Allah says

“They alone seek leave of thee (not to participate in jihad) who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver”(al-Tauba : 45)

Many scholars have stated that the diseases of the heart, or the doubt and suspicions that one allows into one’s heart, are more dangerous for a person’s faith than lusts and desires. This is because lusts and desires may be satisfied at some time yet the person still knows them to be wrong and he may control himself and repent and give up that evil deed. On the other hand, the doubts and suspicions may linger in the heart, with no cure, until the person finally leaves Islam entirely or continues to practice Islam while, in fact, in his heart he does not have the true faith.

The greatest cure for these doubts is seeking knowledge. It is through sound knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah that most of these doubts will be removed. By study and understanding, one will attain certainty. And as one studies and learns more, his certainty will be made firmer and firmer.

I will give you just one example on this point; this is related to all of the doubts, suspicions and misconceptions that are circulating about the authenticity of the hadeeth literature. For example, some Muslims even claim that hadeeth were not recorded until at least 200 years after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Indeed, there are Muslims who seem to have a great deal of doubt about hadeeth and very quick to reject hadeeth on that basis. But, in fact, if one actually takes the time to study the history and preservation of hadeeth, one will immediately recognise that all those claims and charges against the hadeeth are not based on anything scientific whatsoever. They are nothing but false claims that come from Satan and which Muslims with poor understanding and knowledge have allowed to creep into their hearts.

One last point about this condition of certainty, doubts and misconceptions are very dangerous for a person’s faith. Doubt and wavering are tantamount to apostasy in Islam. Hence, every Muslim should do best to safeguard himself from such doubts and remain away from the sources of doubts- especially if they are not well grounded in the Islamic sciences and do not have the knowledge to refute such doubts and misconceptions. Hence if a person has an associate or friend, even if he be a Muslim friend, who is always making him doubt Allah or the religion, then he should remain away from that person in order to safeguard his own religion.

Many Muslims nowadays study courses on Islam taught by Orientalists and because of their weak backgrounds in Islamic studies, they are influenced by the nonsense that some of these Orientalists are teaching in the name of “science”. Similarly, many brothers and sisters nowadays are spending hours at a time with the computer news groups and bulletin boards. A lot of nonsense and falsehood are posted on those news groups and bulletin boards. Again, the one who is not very knowledgeable of his religion may easily be influenced and affected by the misconceptions and false arguments that he reads in those bulletin boards. He should remain away from those things and get a deeper knowledge of Islam through the authentic sources of the religion. Again, the greatest counterforce that can defeat doubts and misconceptions, after the bounty and guidance of Allah, is sound knowledge and understanding of the religion. When a person has that, he will not be affected by the weak arguments put out by the enemies of Islam and he will be, Allah willing, from among those described in the Qur’an,

” It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah”(Faatir : 28)

3rd condition: Acceptance – ‘Al-Qabool’

If a person has knowledge of and certainty in the shahadah, this must followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that it is true and certain about its truth, than he is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept is sometimes due to pride, envy or other reasons. In any case, the shahadah is not a true shahadah without its unconditional acceptance. The scholars all talk about this condition as a general condition in the way that I have just stated. However, there is also a more detailed aspect that we must all be aware of. The believer accepts whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This also means that he believes in whatever is stated in the Qur’an or stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him), without any right to choose what he wants to believe and what he wants to reject. Allaah says in the Qur’an,

“Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom”(al-Baqarah: 85)

This is one aspect that the Muslims must be aware of. Although it is not the same as the complete refusal to accept the truth, by rejecting part of the truth that has come from Allah, one also negates his testimony of faith. Unfortunately, many Muslims are doing this nowadays in various ways. Although not all of these forms may necessarily be considered apostasy, they are still very dangerous. For example, if they do not like what is stated in a verse in the Qur’an, they simply reinterpret the verse according to their liking. If they do not like what is stated in a hadeeth, they simply state that the hadeeth must not be authentic although they are not scholars in that area. This kind of behaviour is the antithesis of the behaviour of the true Muslims. Whatever comes from Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), the true Muslim believes in as the truth. This goes hand in hand with their testimony of faith.

4th condition: Submission and Compliance – ‘Al-Inqiyad’

This implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meanings of the word Islam itself, “the submission to the will and commands of Allah.” This is what Allah commands in the Qur’an,

“Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him” (al-Zumar : 54)Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions. Allah says,”Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing good” (al-Nisa : 125)

Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one submits to the command of Allah and His messenger. Allah says,

“But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of which you decide, and submit with full submission”(al-Nisa : 65)

Unfortunately, there are many who claim that there is no relationship between faith and deeds. You can even hear one Muslim saying about another, “That is the best Muslim I have ever met,” Yet the other person performs scarcely any of the deeds of Islam whatsoever. This incorrect understanding of faith has spread throughout the Muslim world. Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented or realised in our hearts, tongues and actions. In our hearts, we must have love for Allah, fear Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues we must testify to the shahadah. And with our actions, we must implement what the testimony of faith requires from us. Anyone who claims to be a Muslim and yet does no deeds, either does not understand Islam whatsoever or is bearing testimony against himself that his testimony of faith is not a true and correct testimony of faith.

This does not mean that the true believer never commits a sin. Indeed, true believers do commit sins, but as long as they recognise that what they did is not correct and it is inconsistent with their obligation of submitting to Allah, then they have not violated the soundness of their testimony or shahadah. But do not forget, they are still sinners. And what is the minimum of submission that is required from a person beyond which there can be no claim to faith? For those scholars who say that the abandonment of prayers is infidelity, it is the five daily prayers. Whoever does not perform, at least, the five daily prayers has gone beyond the limit that is acceptable for lack of deeds. Allah knows best.

5th condition: Truthfulness – ‘As-Sidq’ – as opposed to hypocrisy and dishonesty

This means that when we say the shahadah, we are saying it honestly. We actually mean it. We are not lying when it comes to our testimony of faith. The Prophet (peace be upon his) said,

“No one bears testimony to there being no one worth of worship save Allah, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah makes the Hell-fire forbidden for him.”(Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

We are all familiar with those who say the testimony of faith yet they are not saying it honestly. They do not believe in it but they are simply saying it in order to protect themselves or to get some gain from doing so; these are the hypocrites. Allah has described them in the opening of the Qur’an with the following words,

“And of mankind are some who say, ‘We believe in Allah and the Last Day,’ when they believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie”(al-Baqarah 8-10)

Obviously, the shahadah of those who become Muslims simply to benefit from being Muslim and not because they believe in Islam will be rejected by Allah in the Hereafter. They will face a painful punishment due to their lying.

6th condition: Sincerity – Al-Ikhlaas’

That is, when we make the shahadah, we must do so solely for the sake of Allah. We must not do it for any other reason. And we must not do it for anyone else’s sake. In this manner, the meaning of sincerity is opposite of Shirk or ascribing partners with Allah. We became and remain Muslims solely for Allah’s sake. Allah says in the Qur’an,

“Worship Allah, making religion pure for him” (al-Zumar : 2)And Allah also says,”And they are ordained not else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion” (al-Bayyinah : 5)

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) added,

“Allah has forbidden for the Hell-fire anyone who says, ‘There is no one worthy of worship except Allah,’ and say so desiring the face [and pleasure] of Allah.”(Recorded by Muslim)

This is something that we should all think about, especially those of us who grew up in Muslim families and were born Muslim. We should make it very clear to ourselves that we are Muslims only for the sake of Allah. We are not Muslims for the sake of our parents, friends, family or community. It must be clear in our minds that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah first, last and only.

One of the signs that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah is that we do whatever Allah asks of us, regardless of what anybody else desires or wants from us. That is, in the same way that we are Muslims solely for the sake of Allah, all of our actions are done for the sake of Allah. Some people from the Muslim world practice Islam to the extent that it is pleasing to their families. If there is anything in Islam that their families do not like- although their families are Muslim and therefore they actually should like all of Islam- then they do not practice that aspect of Islam. One common example of that nature is mixing between men and women. Such people must sincerely ask themselves why they are Muslims. Are they Muslims for the sake of their parents, friends etc and therefore whatever people like they will do and whatever people do not like they won’t do? Or are they Muslims for the sake of Allah and therefore whatever Allah dislikes they will not do and whatever Allah is pleased with they do?

7th condition: Love – ‘Al-Mahabbah’

That is, the believer loves this shahadah, he loves in accordance with the shahadah, he loves the implications and requirements of the shahadah and he loves those who act and strive for the sake of this shahadah. This is a necessary condition of the shahadah. If a person makes the shahadah but does not love the shahadah and what it stands for, then, in fact, his faith is not complete. It is not the faith of a true believer. And if he loves something more that this shahadah or if he loves something more than Allah, then he has negated his shahadah. The true believer, the one meeting the conditions of the shahadah puts no one whatsoever as an equal to Allah in his love. Allah says in the Qur’an,

“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves (objects of worship which they set as) rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is due to) Allah only. However, those who believe are stauncher in their love of Allah”(al-Baqarah : 165)

And elsewhere Allah says

“Say: If your fathers, or your sons, or your brethren, or your wives, or your tribe, or the wealth you have acquired, or merchandise for which you fear that there will be no sale, or dwellings you desire are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah brings His command to pass. Allah guides not wrongdoing folk”(al-Tauba : 24)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“Whoever has three characteristics has tasted the sweetness of faith. [The first of these] is that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than he loves anyone else…” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

This is one of the most important aspects of Islam yet, for some reason, it is missing from the lives of many Muslims. They act in Islam as if Islam were a chore instead of doing things out of the love of Allah. When Allah orders us to do something, like bear witness to the faith, we should realise that that thing is pleasing to Allah and, therefore, out of our love for Allah, we should be very pleased to do the acts that are pleasing to Allah. But, as I said, this feeling is missing from many, many Muslims today.

8th condition: To Deny Every Other Object Of Worship

Although that is clear in the words of the testimony of faith, it does not seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I am mentioning it explicitly here. In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah clearly reminds us of this important aspect of the shahadah, the shahadah is not merely an affirmation but it is both and affirmation and a negation. Allah states,

“And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break”(al-Baqarah : 256)

Perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) made this point even clearer when he said,

“Whoever says there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and denies whatever is worshipped besides Allah, then his wealth and blood are protected and his accounting will be with Allah.”(Recorded by Muslim)

Although this condition should be obvious to everyone who says the words of shahadah, you can still find Muslims who say the shahadah and then make acts of worship for beings or things other than Allah. You will find them going to the graveyards and worshipping those in the graves. They will perform acts of worship, not for the sake of Allah, but for the sake of the dead “saints” in the grave. What kind of shahadah have these people made? Do you really think that their shahadah will mean anything on the Day of Judgement as long as they believe that acts of worship may be done for other than Allah?

9th condition: Adherence to the Shahadah until death

This is must if the shahadah is to mean anything for you in the Hereafter. You cannot rest on your laurels of what you may have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must be your banner until your death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“A man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of Paradise and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire. And a man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of Paradise.” (Recorded by Muslim)In another hadeeth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,”By the One whom there is no other God, one of you does the actions of Paradise until there is just a hand span between him and Paradise and then the book [preordainment] overtakes him and he does the actions of the people of Hell and he enters into it” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

And Allah says in the Quran,

“O believers, observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as Muslims [surrendering yourselves to Allah]“(al-Imran : 102)

Dear brothers and sisters, these are the conditions of the shahadah. These are the aspects of the shahadah that each and every one of us should look to in ourselves and ask ourselves, “Is my shahadah meeting those requirements? Am I saying it sincerely, honestly and out of love for Allah? Am I saying it based on what it really means? Am I denying all other false objects of worship?”

These questions we should ask ourselves now before we meet Allah. Allah willing, we shall ask ourselves these questions now and we shall find that we have all the right answers for them. Or, if we find we have some deficiency, we shall work to remove that deficiency. Such that, by Allah’s mercy, in the Hereafter, our shahadah will be the key to Paradise for us and the gates of Paradise will swing wide open for us and we will be able to live forever in the bounties of Paradise, with Allah being pleased with us.

Again, it is not simply a matter of knowing these conditions. Indeed, one can meet many Muslims who have these conditions memorised, yet when one looks to their deeds and behaviour, one can see that these conditions have no effect on them. This means, in fact, no matter how well he knows and can rattle off these conditions, he, in fact, is not fulfilling them. In the Hereafter, his knowledge of these conditions will be of no avail to him. Indeed, his knowledge will be a proof against him as he clearly knows what the conditions are that he must satisfy yet he has shown that he is not willing to satisfy them in his life.

17 minutes for Allah?

There was once a man who was going to travel to a dangerous land.

He goes to the house of a man, well known for his honesty. He knocks on the door and tells him: ‘I’m giving you £1440 to keep with you as I am travelling to a dangerous place. When I get back, I only want £17 back.’ The honest man stood their perplexed but agreed.  

The next day, the traveller comes back to the honest man’s house and asks him for £17. The honest man tells him that he forgot that he had spent it all. The traveller forgave him since he knew that this man is honest enough to give it back later.

The next day, the same man travels to the same dangerous place gives the same honest man £1440 to keep and at the end of the day, he will take £17 back. The traveller returns from his travels and asks the honest man for his £17. The honest replies that he was so engrossed in having a good time with his friends, that he spent all the money again.

Once again, the traveller forgave him, knowing he didn’t do it on purpose. This same incident starts to happen everyday, whereby the honest man is given £1440 and is expected to return only £17 but fails to do so.

Later on, the honest man’s child becomes sick and the doctor who was going to give the treatment tells the honest man that if he wishes for his child to be looked after, the fee was £1440. The honest man starts to panic realising he can’t afford £1440.It then struck him that the traveller used to give him that same amount. He runs to the traveller’s house and asks him in a panic for £1440. The traveller told him that due to his feeble excuses, he has stopped going to his house as he has lost faith in his honesty.

The irony is, is that this story has once been directly relevant to each and every single one of us. It is quite remarkable that Allah Ta’ala gives us 1440 minutes each day and only specifies 17 minutes of that back in prayer. But due to the ignorance of people and the whisperings of Shaitaan the accursed, we are blinded towards the minute scale of what we are giving back. This story points out three things.

1. The importance of Salah and how little we have to give back.
2. The mercy of Allah that he forgives us even after such blunders.
3. The fact that we only realise how important something is (in this case gift of wealth) until it is gone.

Allah’s Blessing are not always obvious to us…

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study.

His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy Qur’an.

Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Holy Qur’an?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the Holy book. He never contacted his father again for long, long time. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Holy Qur’an, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the Holy Qur’an and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Holy Qur’an. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss Allah’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

The Effects of Sins

Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

ONE. The Prevention of Knowledge: Knowledge is a light which Allaah throws into the heart and disobedience extinguishes this light. Imaam Shaafi’ee said: I complained to Wakee’ about the weakness of my memory So he ordered me to abandon disobedience And informed me that the knowledge is light And that the light of Allaah is not given to the disobedient TWO. The Prevention of Sustenance: Just as Taqwaa brings about sustenance, the abandonment of Taqwaa causes poverty. There is nothing which can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of disobedience THREE. The prevention of obedience (to Allaah). If there was no other punishment for sin other than that it prevents one from obedience to Allaah then this would be sufficient. FOUR. Disobedience weakens the heart and the body. Its weakening the heart is something which is clear. Disobedience does not stop weakening it until the life of the heart ceases completely. FIVE. Disobedience reduces the lifespan and destroys any blessings. Just as righteousness increases the lifespan, sinning reduces it. SIX. Disobedience sows its own seeds and gives birth to itself until separating from it and coming out of it becomes difficult for the servant. SEVEN. Sins weaken the hearts will and resolve so that the desire for disobedience becomes strong and the desire to repent becomes weak bit by bit until the desire to repent is removed from the heart completely. EIGHT. Every type of disobedience is a legacy of a nation from among the nations which Allaah Azzawajall destroyed. Sodomy is a legacy of the People of Lot, taking more than one’s due right and giving what is less is a legacy of the People of Shu’ayb, seeking greatness in the land and causing corruption is a legacy of the People of Pharoah and pride/arrogance and tyranny is a legacy of the People of Hud. So the disobedient one is wearing the gown of some of these nations who were the enemies of Allaah. NINE. Disobedience is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord. Al-Hasan al-Basree (rh) said: They became contemptible in (His sight) so they disobeyed Him. If they were honourable (in His sight) He would have protected them. Allah the Exalted said: “And whomsoever Allaah lowers (humiliates) there is none to give honour.” [Hajj 22:18] TEN. The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those besides him and also the animals as a result of which they are touched by harm. ELEVEN. The servant continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him and seem insignificant in his heart and this is a sign of destruction. Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allaah. Ibn Mas’ood (ra) said: Indeed, the believer sees his sins as if he was standing at the foot of a mountain fearing that it will fall upon him and the sinner sees his sins like a fly which passes by his nose so he tries to remove it by waving his hand around. [Bukhaaree] TWELVE. Disobedience inherits humiliation and lowliness. Honour, all of it, lies in the obedience of Allaah. Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: I have seen sins kill the hearts And humiliation is inherited by their continuity The abandonment of sins gives life to the hearts And the prevention of your soul is better for it THIRTEEN. Disobedience corrupts the intellect. The intellect has light and disobedience extinguishes this light. When the light of the intellect is extinguished it becomes weak and deficient. FOURTEEN. When disobedience increases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed so that he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said:   “But no! A stain has been left on their hearts on account of what they used to earn (i.e. their actions).” [Mutaffifeen 83:14] FIFTEEN. Sins cause the various types of corruption to occur in the land. Corruption of the waters, the air, the plants, the fruits and the dwelling places. The Exalted said: “Mischief has appeared on the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have earned; that He may give them a taste of some of (the actions) they have done, in order that they may return.” [Rum 30:41] SIXTEEN. The disappearance of modesty which is the essence of the life of the heart and is the basis of every good. Its disappearance is the disappearance of all that is good. It is authentic from the Messenger (sas) that he said: Modesty is goodness, all of it [Bukhaaree and Muslim] A Poet said: And by Allaah, there is no good in life Or in the world when modesty goes SEVENTEEN. Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allaah, the Mighty in the heart ofthe servant EIGHTEEN. Sins are the cause of Allaah forgetting His servant, abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself with his soul and his shaytaan and in this is the destruction from which no deliverance can be hoped for. NINETEEN. Sins remove the servant from the realm of Ihsaan (doing good) and he is prevented from (obtaining) the reward of those who do good. When Ihsaan fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience. TWENTY. Disobedience causes the favours (of Allaah) to cease and make His revenge lawful. No blessing ceases to reach a servant except due to a sin and no retribution is made lawful upon him except due to a sin. Alee (ra) said: No trial has descended except due to a sin and it (the trial) is not repelled except by repentance. Allaah the Exalted said: “Whatever misfortune afflicts you then it is due to what your hands have earned and (yet) He pardons many.” [Shura 42:30] And the Exalted also said:“That is because never will Allaah change the favour He has bestowed on a people until they change what is with themselves.” [Anfaal 8:53]

I am not crying because…

A man reached 70 years of age and he faced a disease; he could not urinate. The doctors informed him that he was in need of an operation to cure this disease. He agreed to have the operation done as the problem was giving him much pain for days.  

When the operation was completed, his doctor gave him the bill which covered all the costs. The old man looked at the bill and started to cry. Upon seeing this the doctor told him that if the cost was too high then they could make some other arrangements.

The old man said “I am not crying because of the money but I am crying because Allah let me urinate for 70 years and He never sent me a bill.”

“…and if you try to count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them…“ [Surah Ibrahim]

Allah states that the servants are never able to count His blessings, let alone thank Him duly for them.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used to supplicate;

“O Allah! All praise is due to You, without being able to sufficiently thank You, nor ever wish to be cut off from You, nor ever feeling rich from relying on You; our Lord”

It was reported that Prophet Dawud used to say in his supplication;  “O Lord! How can I ever duly thank You, when my thanking You is also a favour from You to me?”

Allah the Exalted answered him, “Now, you have thanked Me sufficiently, O Dawud,” meaning, `when you admitted that you will never be able to duly thank Me.’

Are you a grapefruit, a date, a flower or an aloe?

Hadhrat Anas (RA) stated that Rasulullaah (SAWS) said :

“‘The Mu’min who recites the Noble Qur’an is like the grapefruit which has a nice fragrance and good taste. And the similitude of a Mu’min who does not recite the Noble Qur’an is like the date which does not have any fragrance and it’s taste is good. And the Faajir (transgressor) who recites the Noble Qur’an is like a flower which has a good fragrance and tastes bitter. And that Faajir (transgressor) who does not recite the Qur’an is like the aloe, which has no fragrance and a bitter taste. And the similitude of a pious, righteous companion is like one (selling) musk – in that even if you do not receive any portion of it, you will still be able to smell it’s fragrance. And the similitude of a bad companion is like a blacksmith – even if the soot does not touch you, the smoke will reach you. [Narrated by Abu Dawood]

Commentary:
That Mu’min who recites the Qur’an, acts upon it’s commandments, and teaches it to others is like grapefruit. Externally it is pleasant and internally as well. Such a Muslim becomes a source of good and directs towards good actions. Those in the company of such a Muslim benefit from his teachings and through his example. His speech, public life as well as his seclusion are a source of goodness to all those around him. That Mu’min who does not recite the Noble Qur’an, does not attract the people towards any good and thus the comparison to something without a fragrance, but because he has Imaan, he carries the potential and the inner essence to change and do good. This is why the comparison to the sweet taste.That Faajir (transgressor) who recites the Noble Qur’an may attract people towards him but because of his transgression, his recitation will not bring about much good.That Faajir (transgressor) who does not recite the Qur’an has neither the ability to bring anyone towards good nor has any good within himself and thus he has no good whatsoever and is therefore most harmful.

Good and pious companionship:
An excellent similitude has been illustrated concerning good and bad company. It proves the effect that people have upon you even if you do not indulge completely in their habits. A good person does not have to spell it out to you but you will learn some good from him. The desire to do good increases and one feels content in doing good. Similarly, evil and bad companions will taint you even though you do not actually ‘touch’ them. The darkness of their ways can blemish you just by being in their company. By being in the company of an evil person, the bad that he indulges in, seems ‘good’ for a few dangerous moments and this can lead to untold misery and hardship which can take a lifetime to undo