Sunnah of the Week

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If we could see the Unseen

February, 27, 2011
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Allah has some angels who look for those who celebrate the Praises of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people celebrating the Praises of Allah, they call each other, saying, “Come to the object of your pursuit.”

He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) added, “Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky of the world.”

He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) added, “(after those people celebrated the Praises of Allah, and the angels go back), their Lord, asks them (those angels) —-though He knows better than them—- ‘What do My slaves say?’ The angels reply, ‘They say: Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alham-du-lillah, Allah then says ‘Did they see Me?’ The angels reply, ‘No! By Allah, they didn’t see You.’

Allah says, how it would have been if they saw Me?’ The angels reply, ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and celebrate Your Glory more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’

Allah says (to the angels), ‘What do they ask Me for?’ The angels reply, ‘They ask You for Paradise.’ Allah says (to the angels), ‘Did they see it?’ The angels say, ‘No! By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?’ The angels say, ‘If they saw it, they would have greater covetousness for it and would seek it with greater zeal and would have greater desire for it.’

Allah says, ‘From what do they seek refuge?’ The angels reply, ‘They seek refuge from the (Hell) Fire.’ Allah says, ‘Did they see it?’ The angels say, ‘No By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?’ The angels say, ‘If they saw it they would flee from it with the extreme fleeing and would have extreme fear from it.’

Then Allah says, ‘I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them.’

[Sahih Bukhari - Volume 8, Book 75, Hadith 417]

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This Deen is of Hope and Fear

February, 21, 2011

The whole of the Deen is hope and fear, so the believer is one who has hope and fear. Allaah Ta’ala said:

“Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.”

(Surah Al Anbiyaa, 90)

And in  the supplication at the time of going to sleep, which Bukhari narrated in his ‘Saheeh’:

‘O Allaah, indeed I have submitted my self to You, and directed my face towards You, and entrusted my matters to You.’

So you will never find a believer except that he is one who has hope and

fear.  Hope and fear are not established except on the stalk of patience, so

fear encourages him to be patient and hope steers him towards being

thankful.

(Shaykh ul –Islaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah )

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Should I not be shy?

February, 09, 2011

Faith consists of more than seventy branches. And hayaa (modesty) is a part of faith. [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Aisha (May Allaah aza wa jal be pleased with her) reports: The Prophet (sallaahu alayhi wa salaam) was lying down in his house with his thighs or his calves exposed. Abu Bakr asked permission to enter and was permitted while the Prophet (Sallaahu alyhi wa salaam)was in that position and he came in and spoke with him (sallaahu alayhi wa salaam). Then, Umar asked permission to enter. He was granted permission and came in and spoke with him (sallaahu alayhi wa salaam) while in that position. Then, Uthman (May Allaah be pleased with him asked permission and the Prophet ((sallaahu alayhi wa salaam) sat up and straightened his clothing. He was then permitted and came in and spoke with the Prophet (Sallaahu alayhi wa salaam). After he had gone, Aisha said: Abu Bakr (May Allaah be pleased with him) entered and you did not get up for him or worry about him and Umar (May Allaah be pleased with him) came in and you did not get up for him nor worry about him but when Uthman came in, you straigtened out your clothing! The Prophet (sallaahu alayhi wa salaam) said: “Should I not be shy of a man around whom the angels are shy?”

Sahih Muslim

From the book: The Biography of ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan

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Sins after we repent from them

January 26, 2011

Allah says: “Except those who repent and believe and work righteous deeds, for them Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Sûrah al-Furqân: 70]

Ibn Kathîr discusses the issue of evil deeds being changed to good deeds in his Tafsîr, saying:

There are two opinions on what it means…The second opinion is that those evil deeds that have passed are turned into good deeds by way of the true and sincere repentance itself. This is because every time that person remembers what he had done, he regrets it, feels remorse, and seeks Allah’s forgiveness. In this way, the sin becomes an act of obedience. On the Day of Judgment, even if he finds those sins recorded against him, they do him no harm and are turned into good deeds on the page of his account. This is what is established by the Sunnah and by the statements related to us from the Pious Predecessors.

Here is the text of that hadîth:

Allah’s Messenger said: “Indeed, I know the last person to leave the Hellfire and the last person to enter Paradise. A man will be brought and it will be said: ‘Set aside his major sins and ask him only about his minor ones.’ It will be said to him: ‘On a certain day did you do such deeds and on a certain day did you do such a deed?’ He will say: ‘Yes’, unable to deny anything of it. Then it shall be said to him: ‘For you is a good deed for each of those evil deeds.’ Then he will say: ‘O My Lord! I did other things that I do not see (recorded) here!’”

Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) laughed until we could see his molar teeth. [Sahîh Muslim (190)]

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Patient and sincere du’a

January 19, 2011

Ibraheem Ibn Adham was approached by a group of people. They asked him about the Saying of Allaah the Most High: 

“Call upon your Lord and He will answer you.”

[Ghaafir:60]

“We supplicate to Allaah but He does not respond to (our invocations).” [1]

Ibraheem Ibn Adham replied:

You know Allaah but yet you do not obey Him.

You recite the Quraan but you do not act upon it.
You know about the shaytaan (devil) but you agree with him.
You claim that you love the Messenger of Allaah but you abandon his sunnah.
You claim that you love (to enter) paradise but you do not act for it.
You claim that you fear the hell fire but you fail to abstain from disobedience.
You say that death is truly (approaching) but you do not prepare for it.

You are preoccupied with other people’s faults but you do not analyse your own.
You eat the sustenance that Allaah provides (you with) but you show no thanks.
You bury your dead but you do not contemplate over that.[2]

[1] Abu Huraira narrated that:

The Messenger of Allaah (may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience, saying, ‘I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted.’”

Bukhari and Muslim.

[2] Al-Khushoo’ fee As-Salaat, with Commentary and checking by Shaykh ‘Ali Ibn Hasan,  by Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (d790) page 39.

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You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help

January 12, 2011

“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)”(Surah al-Fatihah, Verse 5)

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) said to Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) : ‘O young man, I am going to teach you some words: Be mindful of Allah, and He will be mindful of you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah. When you wish to seek help, seek help from Allah. Remember that if all the people come together to bring you benefit they can not benefit you except that Allah has written. o­n the other hand, if they come together to cause (you) any harm, they will not be able to do it except for what Allah has written. The pens have been laid aside, and the scrolls have dried. (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi who declared it Hasan Sahih)