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“Every time the heart is distant from Allaah the harmful things are quick in approaching it”

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: 

And among its effects is that the disobedient (sinner) is constantly in the shackles of his Shaytaan and the prison of his shahwa (desires) and the chains/fetters of his hawaa (whims). So he is a captive, one who is imprisoned and who is tied up.

There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa and there is no bond/fetter more strong than the bond of desire.

How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allaah and the Home of the Hereafter. How will a person take a single step forward when the heart is bound and harmful things approach it from every direction. The harmful things approach it to the extent that it is tied up [i.e. imprisoned by its desires and whims..].

The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time is ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it. In a hadeeth there occurs that Shaytaan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allaah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal.

[Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allaah. Taqwaa is a safeguarding for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter.

Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is more safe from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd. The basis of all of this is is that every time the heart is distant from Allaah the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah the harmful things become distant from it.

Remoteness from Allaah has levels/degrees, some of which are more severe than others. Heedlesness distances the servant from Allaah and some acts of disobedience are greater than some acts of heedlesness. Some innovations are greater than some acts of disobedience and some things from Hypocrisy and Shirk are greater than all of what has preceded. 

From:Captivation and Imprisonment by Sin
Author: Ibn al-Qayyim
Source: Al-Jawab al-Kafi (trans. Abu Iyaad)
Viewable via http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/ (Article ID : TZK020006)

 

If sins had an odour

Muhammad ibn Waasi’ rahmat Allah ‘alayh used to say:

“If sins had an odor then nobody would be able to

sit with me.”

 From The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status by Imaam ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee rahmat Allah ‘alayh, courtesy of http://www.fatwa-online.com/wordsofwisdom/sins/0010505_5.htm

 

And on that day…

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ

 In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

~*~

إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدًا لَقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا

There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) as a slave.  Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting.  And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender).

~*~

Surat Maryam (Surah 19), ayahs 93-95

 

Mudtarib hadith

From Tafsir Ibn Kathir for Surat-Hud

Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded from Ibn `Abbas that Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, verily your hair has turned gray.” The Prophet [sallahAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam] replied,  “Surahs Hud, Al-Waqi`ah, Al-Mursalat, `Amma Yatasa’lun [An-Naba'] and Idhash-Shamsu Kuwwirat [At-Takwir] have turned my hair gray.” In another narration he said, ”Surah Hud and its sisters…”

*********From “An Introduction to the Science of Hadith” by Dr. Suhaib Hasan:

According to Ibn Kathir, if reporters disagree about a particular shaikh, or about some other points in the isnad or the text, in such a way that none of the opinions can be preferred over the others, and thus there is uncertainty about the isnad or text, such a hadith is called mudtarib (shaky).

For example, with regard to idtirab in the isnad, it is reported on the authority of Abu Bakr that he said, “O Messenger of Allah!  I see you getting older?”  He (sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have replied, “What made me old are Surah Hud and its sister surahs.”  Al-Daraqutni says,

“This is an example of a mudtarib hadith.  It is reported through Abu Ishaq, but as many as ten different opinions are held about this isnad: some report it as mursal [i.e. the link between the Successor and the Prophet sallahAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam is missing], others as muttasil [i.e. uninterrupted chain of reporters]; some take it as musnad of Abu Bakr, others as musnad of Sa’d or ‘Aisha.  Since all these reports are comparable in weight, it is difficult to prefer one above another.  Hence the hadith is termed as mudtarib.

*******************************************************************************************************

This excerpt was posted with the quote from Ibn Kathir’s tafsir because I heard a narration about one particular ayah from surat Hud making the hair of the prophet sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gray and, when I was searching to find a primary source for the narration, I came across this reference as well.  I thought it was a good lesson to remind myself about the importance of being careful and being patient when it comes to knowledge of Islaam.  SubhaanAllah! If we reflect upon the importance of being careful and patient, it appears that there is yet another blessing/mercy in it, for how quickly can we apply all that we may learn? 

And from “Knowledge Mandates Action” (or Iqtidaa-ul-’ilm al-’Amal) by Imaam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin ‘Alee Al-Baghdaadee:

“There was a young boy that would often go to the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (radiyaAllahu ‘anha), and ask her questions, so she would narrate hadeeth to him. One day, he went to her  and asked her some questions, so she said: ‘My dear child! Did you act upon what you heard from me (previously)?’ He said: ‘No, by Allaah, dear mother.’ So she said: ‘My dear child! Then why do you seek to gain more of Allaah’s proofs against us and you?’”

 

And Allah knows best.

 

Humility and ikhlaas, waAllahul musta’aan

“How can an intelligent person be amazed with his deeds? Deeds are one of Allah’s blessings, as such it is upon him to show gratitude and to show humility.“ 

From The Journey To Allah by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

 

“Maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention“
Attributed to Ibn al-Mubaarak  

May Allah subhaana wa ta’aala endow our hearts with taqwa and humility.  May He make us of the thankful/grateful, and of those who do everything with ikhlaas.  Ameen.

 

Why do we speak? What is our speech worth?

From Abdullaah Ibn al-Mubaarak who said: “It was said to Hamdoon bin Ahmad: ‘Why is it that the speech of the Salaf was more beneficial than ours?’  He said, ‘Because they spoke for the honor of Islaam, and for the deliverance of their own souls, and for the pleasure of ar-Rahman, and we speak for the honor of our souls, for seeking the world, and for the pleasure of the creation.“

Source:

“Imaan Builder 4: The Observance of Sincerity In One’s Speech and Action”

 (accessible via: www.salafipublications.com)

 

A path with the Messenger (Muhammad) sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sal-lem

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ 

In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

*** 

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا

And (remember) the Day when the Zalim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist, etc.) will bite at his hands, he will say: “Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad). 

(Quran: Suratul-Furqaan, surah 24, ayah 27)

***

 

Will we take the path today?  Will we follow the example of the Prophet sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sal-lem and cling to the sunnah? 

 Ya Allah, ya Mujeeb (Responsive/Responder), guide us and do not make us of the thaalimooon (wrong-doers, oppressors, polytheists, etc.).  Ameen.

 

Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “A believer is a stranger in this world…The people are content with him, yet he is tired with himself.”

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ 

In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

Allah says in Suratul Qiyamah (The Resurrection), verses 1-2: 

لاَ أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ – وَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

(Nay! I swear by the Day of Resurrection. And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah.) Qatadah said, “This means, I swear by both of these things.” This has also been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr. Concerning the Day of Judgement, it is well known what it is.

In reference to An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah, Qurrah bin Khalid reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that he said about this Ayah, “Verily, by Allah, we think that every believer blames himself. He says (questioning himself), `What did I intend by my statement What did I intend by my eating What did I intend in what I said to myself’ However, the sinner proceeds ahead and he does not blame himself.”

Ibn Jarir recorded from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah’s statement,

وَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

(And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah) “He criticizes himself in good and bad.” Similar has been reported from `Ikrimah. Ibn Abi Najih reported from Mujahid: “He is sorry for what he missed (of good deeds) and he blames himself for it.”

From: Tafsir Ibn Kathir

 

The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained relationships: “Al-Arwaahu Junoodun Mujannadah”

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ 

In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

All Praise is to Allaah. 

Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported in his Saheeh  that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying : ‘Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with.’“  (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Ahaadeeth al-Anbiyaa’, Baab al-Arwaah junood mujannadah)

Abu Huraira reported Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) Saying: Souls are troops collected together and those who familiarised with each other (in the heaven from where these come) would have affinity, with one another (in the world) and those amongst them who opposed each other (in the Heaven) would also be divergent (in the world).  (Saheeh Muslim: The Book of Righteousness, Manners, and Joining Ties of Kinship)

Abu Huraira narrated directly from Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he said: People are like mines of gold and silver; those who were excellent in Jahiliya (during the days of ignorance) are excellent In Islam, when they have an understanding, and the souls are troops collected together and those who had mutual familiarity amongst themselves in the store of prenatal existence would have affinity amongst them, (in this world also) and those who opposed one of them, would be at variance with one another.  (Saheeh Muslim: The Book of Righteousness, Manners, and Joining Ties of Kinship).