Islam

Islam

Tuesday 5 November 2024

How Can I Purify Myself?

 


May Allah Almighty lead you to all that is good and pure in this life and the next and facilitate the path for you.

Indeed, as you mentioned, purification of the self or the heart is a major endeavor that one must embark on to reap its spiritual benefits.

Purification of the thoughts, hearts, and actions for the sake of Allah enable the person to have peace and receive God’s Divine Wisdom and Light.

Allah Almighty sent us the Last and Final Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him-PBUH) to help us purify ourselves and receive Divine Knowledge and Wisdom.

Recall the supplication Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham-PBUH) made to Allah:

{Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} (Quran 2:129)

And Allah responded to Ibrahim’s supplication by sending the Noble Messenger Muhammad (PBUH)–the seal of the Prophets.

{Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.} (Quran 3:164)

So, in the teachings of the last Messenger of Allah–Muhammad, we find what helps us purify ourselves internally and externally for the sake of Allah Almighty and for the sake of our own peace and serenity and the goodness of our societies.

Now, the first step to take is to sincerely ask Allah Almighty to purify you as it is Allah Almighty who opens doors for His servants. Just like we say in prayers around 17 times a day:

{It is You we worship and You we ask for help.} (Quran 1:5)

So, ask Allah for help.

The Prophet (PBUH) taught us this beautiful dua:

O Allah! Grant me the sense of piety and purify my soul as You are the Best to purify it. You are its Guardian and its Protecting Friend. O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the knowledge which is not beneficial, and from a heart which does not fear (You), and from desire which is not satisfied, and from prayer which is not answered. (Muslim)

So, start with this sincerely, earnestly, and consistently.


You can also start reading about purification, its meaning, the spiritual diseases of the heart, how to purify oneself from them … etc.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s Book, Purification of the Heart, is a very good read. It is easy to understand and practical. So, it can really help you underline the diseases of the heart and work on purification.

There are great lectures on the subject as well. Here are a few: 

Purification of the soul | Mufti Ismail Ibn Musa Menk

Purification Of The Soul – Abdur-Raheem McCarthy

The Process of Tazkiyah (purification) ~ Br. Yusha Evans

Also remember that this is a process and it is a life journey. It is something that requires commitment, perseverance, and conscious effort.

This path requires holding on strongly to the Quran by reading, reciting, contemplating, and memorizing it; following the sunnah (teachings of the Prophet); being among righteous friends; seeking sacred knowledge; and frequently remembering Allah.

If you do that, inshaAllah you will be on the right path.

We ask Allah Almighty to open doors for you and fill your heart with peace and light and purify you inside and out and grant you the highest rewards and bring you closer to Him. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony
Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

Monday 4 November 2024

Importance Of Family Ties

 

Never undermine family ties. It is an act of worship to keep close to your parents and be kind and good to them. When was the last time you called your parents or went to see them? Beautiful reminder from Mufti Menk.

- aboutislam.net

Sunday 3 November 2024

Anxious About Future? Check Prophet’s Advice to His Cousin

 

  • Editor’s note: The following text is not strictly verbatim transcript of the video. Some editorial modification were made to make the text publishable as an article.

Special Advice


`Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “One day I was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he said,

Young man, I will teach you some words.

Be mindful of Allah, and He will take care of you. Be mindful of Him, and you shall find Him at your side. 

If you ask, ask of Allah. If you need help, seek it from Allah.  

Know that if the whole world were to gather together in order to help you, they would not be able to help you except if Allah had written so.

And if the whole world were to gather together in order to harm you, they would not harm you except if Allah had written so.

The pens have been lifted, and the pages are dry.’” (At-Tirmidhi)

In this beautiful hadith, we see our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) riding with his young cousin, `Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), and we see the Prophet giving advice to the young man; advice that can guide a person throughout his whole life; a blueprint for life in all of its ups and downs.

The great scholar Ibn Al-Jawzi had a beautiful comment on this hadith; he says:

“I pondered over this hadith and it amazed me to the point where I almost get light-headed thinking about it.”

If you realize the depth in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this hadith, you will be overwhelmed by the same feeling.

Seizing Dawah Opportunities

So, here is Ibn `Abbas riding with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Prophet is giving him this valuable advice. From this we learn a lesson: time is precious!  

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not waste any time in his life. He seized the few moments with the young man to guide him to the right direction.

In this hadith, we can observe three main themes which, if you put them together, give you a roadmap for the proper way of life that a believer should stick to.

First: “Guard Allah” and He will guard you.[1]


What does the Prophet mean when he says “Guard Allah”, when He is in fact the One Who guards and protects us?

He means that we are to guard and protect the boundaries that Allah has established for us in this deen, that is, to do what Allah commands us to do and to stay away from what He forbids.

The reward then will be: “He will guard you”. Allah will respond to you in the way you respond to Him. This is a concept repeated often in the Qur’an:

{…fulfil My covenant (and) I will fulfil your covenant} (Al-Baqarah 2:40)

{So remember Me; I will remember you.} (Al-Baqarah 2:152)

{O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you} (Muhammad 47:7)

So whatever good deed you do with a good intention, striving towards pleasing your Lord, Allah will respond to you in a like manner. You get back what you put forth; you get out what you put in. This is how Allah Almighty deals with His servants but, of course, what Allah gives back to us is infinitely more than what we give.

Second: When you ask, ask of Allah.

The second main point in this hadith is where the Prophet says: “If you ask, ask of Allah. If you need help, seek it from Allah.

So, we find in these words tawheed in action. We acknowledge Allah Almighty as the One and only one worthy of worship and we acknowledge Him as the One to turn to for all of our needs.

The hadith teaches us another thing: Allah always answers. He is waiting for us to ask; it is you who should take the initiative.  When you do that you will find Allah waiting for you. This concept is emphasized frequently. In one hadith reported by Salaman Al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) tells us that a servant who raises his hands in du`aa’ will not be returned empty-handed by Allah.

So, the Prophet teaches us to seek anything from Allah. Even if it is the most minute or trivial of things; even if you want to put a food on your table tonight, ask Him to help you to accomplish that.


Third: Allah has His own plan


And then comes third concept in this hadith:

Know that if the whole world were to gather together in order to help you, they would not be able to help you except if Allah had written so. And if the whole world were to gather together in order to harm you, they would not harm you except if Allah had written so.”

So, whatever is planned by Allah is going to happen. The knowledge of that is with Allah. Your job is to seek out what is best. Along with that, you turn to Allah Almighty to grant you His bounties that He keeps in store for His servants. The whole world cannot give or deprive you if that is not planned by Allah.

So, do not fight Qadar; Allah Almighty has things laid out. When something had happened, and it did not happen the way you want it to happen, do not let it get you down; do not go through life with your head sunk down to the ground because you did not get what you wanted.

Rather, be pleased with what Allah Almighty gave you. Keep striving and continue working. Never stop asking; keep seeking Allah’s assistance. When the result comes be pleased with it. After all, that is what Allah Almighty willed to happen to you in the end.

3 Tips for Tranquil Life

So we find in this beautiful hadith three main points that guide the believer’s life:

  • First, Guard Allah: work; do what Allah Almighty wants you to do; act towards all that is good.
  • Second, when you want something ask Allah Almighty. Ask Allah to grant you barakah(blessings) in all what you do; ask Allah Almighty to make you successful. Before, during and after doing anything ask Allah to bless you. Ask to him to bless what you do, to make it fruitful and to make it successful.
  • Third, after you worked and asked Allah and made du`aa’, then be content with whatever Allah Almighty gives you and whatever He puts in your hands.

When we live upon this particular way that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed, our life will be full of happiness, full of ease and full of blessings. - aboutislam.net


[1]

This is the literal translation of the first sentence of the hadith,  rendered in the beginning of the article as “Be mindful of Allah”

Sheikh Suhail Mullah:

A native of Los Angeles, California, Sheikh Suhail Mulla received his bachelor’s degree from CSU Northridge in African-American Studies and a master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from UCLA. More recently, Sheikh Suhail graduated from the world-renowned Al-Azhar University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Shari`ah (Islamic Law). He also completed a two-year Islamic Studies program at Al-Asheera Al-Muhammadiya, an Al-Azhar affiliated institute in Cairo, Egypt, where he studied under renowned Azhari scholars. Sheikh Suhail has received ijazas—authorizations to teach—in various sciences and texts, including hadith and tajweed. Sheikh Suhail has been an active member of the Southern California Muslim community for many years as a teacher, lecturer, mentor and online counselor for Muslim youth.

Saturday 2 November 2024

What Is Taqwa and What Is Its Reward?

 


Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Quran (as translated into English):

{O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may [gain taqwa]} (Quran 2:183)

So, what is taqwa?


The word taqwa, from the word (weqaya i.e. protection), means to protect ourselves and our souls by doing the righteous acts that the Creator prescribed, and to refrain from the transgressions that He prohibited.

Imagine, for example, you are taking a cold shower. Then you come out with your hair wet to find your window open- which may lead you to catch cold-, so you rush to close it. This is a form of (weqaya/protection). It is to do acts that prevent harm and bring goodness.

When we have taqwa, we do the acts that prevents the anger of Allah and earns us His pleasure. By leaving what He has prohibited and doing what He commanded, we earn spiritual benefits and rewards in this world and the next, and we avoid His anger or punishment.


We fast for hours while the food and drinks are right in front of us, yet we don’t touch them while we can easily do so. Training ourselves to restrain our desires for a period of time for the pleasure of Allah and the purification of our soul, help us attain taqwa.

While fasting, we control the basic physical desires (food, drink, sexual intercourse) to gain spiritual strength. We weaken the physical being to strengthen the spiritual being. We do that by always thinking about Allah (i.e. being God-conscious).

Whenever we see certain things that are prohibited during the fast we remember Allah and refrain from transgressing or breaking the commitment of fasting. This helps us become mutaqeen (people of taqwa, i.e. those who are God conscious).

So, controlling our desires instead of following them blindly or being enslaved by them is something that is much appreciated and rewarded by the Creator Allah Almighty.

What is the reward of taqwa?

This word with its derivatives is mentioned over 200 times in the Quran.

Allah Almighty told us about Al mutaqeen (those who have taqwa):

{Indeed, Allah loves al-mutaqeen.} (Quran 3:76)

{Indeed, al-mutaqeen will be in a secure place.} (Quran 44:51)

{Indeed, al-mutaqeen will be among gardens and springs.} (Quran 51:15)

{Indeed, al-mutaqeen will be among gardens and rivers.} (Quran 54:54)

{And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for [al mutaqeen].} (Quran 3:133)

{Indeed, the [mutaqeen] will be among shades and springs. And fruits from whatever they desire, [Being told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do.” Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.} (Quran 77:41-44)

{Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and were [mutaqoon]. For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah. That is what is the great attainment.} (Quran 10:62-64)

{And whoever fears Allah (have taqwa) – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.} (Quran 65:2-3)

{[…] and whoever fears Allah (have taqwa) – He will remove for him his misdeeds and make great for him his reward.} (Quran 65:5)

{Indeed, he who [has taqwa] and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.} (Quran 12:90)

{That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for [al mutaqeen].} (Quran 28:83)

{Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward [al mutaqeen].} (Quran 16:31)

We ask Allah to grant us taqwa and make us among al mutaqeen.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony
Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

Friday 1 November 2024

The Most Generous is one of Allah's Most Beautiful Names

 

 The Most Generous is one of Allah

The more a person’s knowledge of Allah's Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes is, the greater the faith in his heart, the greater his love and fear of Allah, and the greater his happiness in this world and the hereafter will be. Knowledge of Allah's Most Beautiful Names has versatile benefits and virtues, including: knowing Allah, the Almighty, asking and invoking Him by His Names and Attributes, deepening love for Allah, the Exalted, being polite in dealing with Him, mending the hearts, purifying the souls, and entering Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, says, "And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them." [Quran 7: 180] Ash-Shawkani stated, "This verse includes Allah's statement of His Names in general without delving into detail. The word Husna (most beautiful) is the feminine gender of the word Ahsan (the best). It means that these Names are the Most Beautiful Names because they refer to the Most Honorable One. Then, He ordered them to invoke Him by these Names when they are in need as invoking Him by His Most Beautiful Names is one of the causes of answering and fulfilling the supplications of the invoker.

Al-Asbahani said in explaining the importance of knowing these Names, "Some scholars stated, 'The first obligation that Allah imposed upon His creatures is knowing Him. Then, if they know Him, they will worship Him. Allah, the Almighty, says, {So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah.} [Quran 47: 19] Muslims should know Allah's Names, and their meanings in order to glorify Him appropriately."

Ibn Al-Qayyim  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him said in his book Tariq Al-Hijratain, "As for souls, there is no need greater than their need for knowing their Creator. There is no way to do this except by knowing His Attributes and Names. The more knowledgeable of them the servant is, the more knowledgeable he will be with respect to his Lord, the more he will be seeking to know Him, and the closer to Him he will be. Moreover, the more ignorant the person is about these Names and Attributes, the more ignorant, hateful, and remote from his Lord he will be. A servant's status in the sight of Allah will be as Allah's status in the soul of the servant. Thus, heeding to Allah through the path of His Names and Attributes is a wonderful affair and its blessings are marvelous. The followers of this path are granted happiness while they are lying on their beds not tired, exhausted, or expelled from their homelands."

Allah's Most Beautiful Names and Attributes are bound by religious texts from the Quran and the Sunnah and not amenable to reason or mental diligence. Thus, one should abide by what is stated in the Quran and authentic Hadiths in this regard. Ahlul-Sunnah acknowledge what Allah, the Almighty, describes Himself with or what His Messenger describes Him with in the Sunnah without distortion, or negation of either the meaning or function of His Names and Attributes. They also do not exercise descriptive designation or likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation. Moreover, they negate what Allah has negated from Himself in His Book or at the tongue of His Messenger as He, the Almighty, is the Most Knowledgeable of Himself and His Messenger is the most knowledgeable human being of his Lord. Abu Bakr Al-Isma`ili Al-Jurjani said, "Ahlul-Sunnah believe that Allah is named by His Most Beautiful Names and He is described with His Most Sublime Attributes by which He named and attributed Himself and by which His Messenger named and attributed Him." Sheikh Ibn `Uthaimin said, "Allah's Names are bound by legal texts and not amenable to reason. Nothing should be increased or decreased from them as mind cannot perceive the Names that Allah deserves. Thus, we should abide by texts in this regard. Moreover, naming Allah with other than what He gives or names Himself, or denying some of what He has named Himself is an aggression against Allah's rights. Thus, we should be polite in this regard and be bound with what is stated in texts." Al-Sa`di stated in his exegesis concerning Allah's saying, "There is nothing like unto Him," that nothing of Allah's creatures is similar to Him in His Essence, Names, Attributes, or Actions. This is because all His Names are Most Beautiful and all His Attributes are Sublime and Perfect.

The Most Generous is one of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah. One of its meanings is that He is the Most Generous Whose bestowal does not come to an end. He is the One Who gathers all types of goodness and virtues. The Most Generous is a name that gathers all praise-worthy attributes. It also means that He is the Most Beneficent to His servants. He is the One Who creates, sustains, forgives, and pardons sinners. He is the Most Generous and the All-Forgiver Who pardons enormously. Al-Ghazali stated in Al-Maqsid Al-Asna fi Sharh Ma`ani Asma' Allah Al-Husna, "The Most Generous is the One Who forgives when He is able, fulfils when He promises and gives more than is hoped from Him. He does not care how many He gives or to whom His bestowal reaches. If any need is asked from other than Him, He is not satisfied. If He is deserted, He blames mildly. He does not leave whoever resorts to Him and does not oblige him to means and intercessors. Thus, whoever is attributed by all these traits is the ever and absolute generous. This is only for Allah, the Almighty, alone." Al-Tabari stated, "He is the Most Generous Who gives those who deny His grace and bounties although they use them in what displeases Him." Al-Hulaimi said, "The Most Generous is the Most Beneficent." Al-Qurtubi said, "The Most Generous includes three meanings: the Most Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, and the Most Honorable. These three attributes are characteristics of Allah, the Exalted. He is still and will be Generous. Attributing Him with generosity requires denial of all deficiencies and describing Him with all types of praise."

Al-Sa`di stated, "The Most Generous is the One Whose bounties are plenty and include those who are thankful and those who are ungrateful. However, thanking His Favors is a means for their increase and denying His bounties is a cause for their elimination." Ibn Al-Qayyim  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him said, "Each of His Names, Attributes, and Actions refer to Him. He is the Most Beloved and the Ever-Praised for all His Actions and Commands. Nothing of His Actions or Commands is in vain; they are based on wisdom, realizing interests, justice, virtue and mercy. Each of these aspects requires praise, extolment, and love. All His Words manifest truth and justice. His recompence represents favor and justice. Thus, when He gives, He gives out of His Benevolence, Mercy and Grace, and if He deprives, or punishes, it will be out of His Justice and Wisdom."

Servants have no necessary rights upon Him,

All their deeds and actions will not be in vain.

If they are punished, it will be out of His Justice.

If they are granted happiness, it will be out of His Benevolence.

He is the Most Gracious and All Encompassing."

The Most Gracious is one of the Most Beautiful Names stated in the Glorious Quran and the prophetic Hadiths:

1- Allah, the Almighty, says, {So exalted is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.} [Quran 23: 116] Al-Tabari stated, "It means, 'Exalted is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Lord of the Noble Throne; there is no deity except Him."

2- Allah, the Almighty, says, {And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful - then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous.} [Quran 27: 40] Ibn Kathir  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him stated, "His saying, 'Free of need', means that He does not need His servants or their worship. His saying, 'Generous' means that He is Generous in Himself even if none worships Him as His Glory is not in need for anyone. It was reported by Muslim in his Sahih, "Allah, the Exalted, says, 'O My servants, even if the first amongst you, the last amongst you, the whole of human race of yours, and that of Jinn become (equal in) God-conscious like the heart of a single person amongst you, nothing would add to My Kingdom. O My servants, even, if the first amongst you, the last amongst you, the whole human race of yours and that of the Jinn too in unison become the most wicked (all beating) like the heart of a single person, it would cause no loss to My Kingdom.'" Al-Baghawi stated, "Whoever is grateful, the benefit of his gratitude will be in his benefit as doing so requires perfection and perpetuation of Allah's bounties upon him. Moreover, offering thanks to Allah and gratitude to Him maintain the bounties that one enjoys and bring the graces that he does not have. Whoever is ungrateful, then indeed, my Lord is Free of need of his gratitude and He is Generous even for those who are ungrateful."

3- Allah, the Almighty, says, {O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous.} [Quran 82: 6] Al-Tabari, may Allah have mecy upon him, stated, "He is Benevolent for those who are ungrateful for His bounties." Ibn Kathir  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him said, "This verse means that: o son of Adam, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous, the Greatest until you disobeyed Him and did what should not be done? He mentioned His Name "the Most Generous" to denote that the Most Generous should not be encountered with ugly and bad deeds." Ibn `Ashur said, "The Attribute of the Most Generous was mentioned to remind people with Allah's Bounties and Favors. The Most Generous is the Worthiest one of being thanked and worshipped."

4- Sahl ibn Sa`d Al-Sa`idi  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said, "Verily, Allah is Generous and loves those who are generous. Allah is Bountiful and loves those who are bountiful." [Al-Hakim]

Abu Bakr ibn Al-Arabi mentioned sixteen sayings concerning the meaning of Allah's Name; the Most Generous. We will mention some of them in short. First: He is the One Who gives for free. If we say that the generous one is he who gives for free, it will be Allah Alone. Second: the one who gives without a reason is Allah Alone, because He initiated graces for His creatures, and their conditions are engulfed with His graces. Thus, graces and their causes are from Him. Moreover, causes and graces are from Him without reasons. Third: He gives without need for invocation. Those who are generous vary. Some of them give instinctively. Others give because they take into account the right of an intermediator. The Creator gives without invocation. Allah, the Almighty, says, {But Allah confers favor upon whom He wills of His servants.} [Quran 14: 11] Fourth: He is the One Who does not care whom He gives or to whom He offers benevolence, whether he is a believer or disbeliever, grateful or ungrateful. Had it not been for His generosity, He would not have given a disbeliever a drink of water. Fifth: The One Who rejoices and is pleased by the acceptance of His gifts. Sixth: He is the One Who gives and praises as He does to His true servants. He endeared faith to them and made them hate disbelief, immorality and disobedience. Then, He says, {Those are the [rightly] guided. [It is] as bounty from Allah and favor. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.} [Quran 49: 7, 8]. Seventh: He is the One Whose Benevolence includes those who are in need and those who are not. Eighth: He is the One Who gives before being asked. Ninth: He is the One Who fulfills when He promises. Tenth: He is the One Who forgives while possessing might. Eleventh: He is the One Who is asked for every senior and minor requests. Twelfth: He is the One Who does not abandon those who invoke Him, or leave those who resort to Him.

Servants live day and night in Allah's blessings and benevolence. No generosity, blessings, and benevolence are greater than or equal to His Generosity, Blessings, and Benevolence. All graces in the universe are signs and witnesses of His Generosity and Benevolence. He is the One Who gives without counting and bestows bounties even for people who are ungrateful. How many blessings he bestowed upon His creature before they asked for them! He created them in the best form, gave them abundant sustenance, concealed their faults, and guided them. How Generous He is! Allah, the Almighty, says, {And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them.} [Quran 16: 18] Ibn Al-Qayyim  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him stated in his book Tariq Al-Hijratain, "Allah, the Exalted, is the Rich, Praiseworthy, Most Generous, Most Merciful. He is Benevolent to His servant even though He is free of any need to him. He wills him goodness and removes harm from him, with no intention to bring benefit to Him, the Exalted, or ward off harm. However, He, the Almighty, does so out of mere mercy, benevolence and generosity. He is Merciful, Benevolent, Bountiful, and Generous by Himself. He is also Rich, Powerful, and Living by Himself. Thus, His Benevolence, Bountifulness, Beneficence, and Mercy are requirements of His Essence. Moreover, His Might and Richness are the requirements of His Essence. Nothing more than that. As for the servants, they are not supposed to be beneficent except only for achieving their interests."

One of the effects of believing in Allah's Names and Attributes is that they implant in the servants' hearts respect and modesty in dealing with their Lord. Thus, whoever is certain that his Lord, the Almighty, sees him will be shy that his Lord sees him while he is committing a sin. Whoever is certain that his Lord is the All-Hearer will strive hard not to pronounce a word that may enrage his Lord. Moreover, whoever knows that one of his Lord's Names is the Most Generous, his hope and expectations from his Lord will be great and He will frequently invoke and supplicate Him. He, the Exalted, is the Most Generous, who is attributed with all traits of generosity and kindness, Who is High to the extent that He shall not deprive His servants or reject their invocations, even if these servants are unworthy of such benevolence or forgiveness. This is because He, the Exalted, is not pleased with the deprivation of His servant, who rises and stretches out his hands to Him, begging Him, and waiting for His bounty. Salman Al-Farisi  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said, "Your Lord is Munificent and Generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him." [Ibn Majah] Whoever knows that his Lord, the Exalted, is the Most Generous, will do a lot of righteous deeds and adopt righteous manners. Allah, the Almighty, is the Most Generous Who loves generosity and good manners. It was reported on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa`d Al-Sa`idi  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said, "Indeed Allah is Generous and loves those who are kind, Bountiful and loves those who are bountiful. He loves high noble morals and hates lowly characters." [Al-Hakim] Ibn Al-Qayyim  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him stated in his book Al-Jawab Al-Kafi, "Whoever has an attribute that complies with one of Allah's Attributes, that attribute will lead him to Allah, bring him to his Lord, and drive him closer to Him and to His Mercy, and make him beloved to Him. He, the Almighty, is the Most Merciful and loves those who are merciful, and Generous who loves those who are generous." - islamweb.net

Thursday 31 October 2024

Five Before Five

 

FiveBeforeFive.jpgIs it just me or does the time seem to be passing more quickly lately.  One minute it is 2010 the next we are in the final half of 2012.  No matter how badly we want the time to slow down it just moves forward, one second, one minute, and one hour at a time.  Days go by and it feels like minutes.  Before the day’s work even starts it is night time.  God mentions this phenomenon in various places throughout the Quran.

They will say: “We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account.” (Quran 23:113)

…A speaker from among them said, “How long have you stayed (here)?” They said, “We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord (alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here)…  (Quran 18:19)

Time passes swiftly, and when we stand before God on the Day of Judgement it will seem as if we have lived, dreamed and hoped for less than a day.  It will seem as if we have worshipped our Creator for only the briefest of time and in only the most lackadaisical way.  We know that many of us will beg God for more time, time to correct our actions and time to worship in a better way.

Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with God), he says: “My Lord! send me back, (Quran 23:99)

Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, reiterated this for us. Time will not slow down and we cannot go back to fix the mistakes we make therefore he advised us to take advantage of five, before five.

“Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; your health, before you fall sick; your wealth, before you become poor; your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death.”[1]

We are advised to take advantage of what time we have.  When we are young we take our youth and energy for granted. We feel as if we have all the time in the world, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.  But tomorrow creeps up on us slowly and one of the first things we lose is our youth.  A grey hair appears, there is a niggling pain in our back, or our shoulder or a knee.  As old age approaches people find it harder to fulfil even their obligatory acts of worship.  When it is impossible to bend our knees and put our head on the ground in submission, we want only to be able to go back and pray one extra prayer, fast one extra day the way we did when we were young and full of energy.  The young must take advantage of their youth before old age strips it away. Boundless energy should be used to help others, and to collect as many rewards as possible.

A believer must also take advantage of health before being overcome by sickness, with or without old age. Even young people are affected by ill health and injuries that make it impossible to worship in the way that they would like. Both God and Prophet Muhammad have emphasised the benefits and rewards that come from a believer experiencing pain and suffering. However when a person suffers ill health, he realises just how fragile human beings are. Prophet Muhammad reminds us that we do not know when our health will be taken from us. One day we have all our strength and mental faculties, the next we might be relying on others for even the simplest things.

Wealth is another blessing that comes to us from God.  A believer should give as much as possible in charity while there is still something to give.  We tend to think of charity as money but it is not confined to monetary matters. We give with our hands, our time, our knowledge and our money.  We even give with our smile. However, we should use our monetary wealth to worship and please God before it is taken from us. We have no way of knowing when God will see fit to remove our wealth from us. People are rich one day and homeless the next.  We must spend our wealth for the sake of God before we do not have the means to do so.  And this will not go unrewarded.

The likeness of those who spend their money for God’s sake, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn), it grows seven ears, every single ear has a hundred grains, and God multiplies (increases the reward) for whom He wills, and God is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All Knower. (Quran 2:261)

Free time is another great blessing from God that each of us possesses, regardless of how busy we think we are. Spending this time wisely means not wasting it in fruitless activities that have no benefit.  Even the simplest of acts can become worthwhile by simply doing them for the sake of God. If we free ourselves from fruitless time wasting activities it is possible the time to increase our religious deeds.  When a person chooses wisely, worldly deeds can also be done for the sake of God.  Remember that time moves inexorably forward.  Do it today because you may not have a tomorrow.  Use your free time wisely today before life is filled with worldly obligations that contain no benefit whatsoever unless you live every moment to please God.

The final thing we have been advised to take advantage of is, life before death overtakes us. Every morning we should thank God for another day. Each day is a chance to do well; to spend in charity, to worship longer, harder, or in a better way.  It is a chance to spread good cheer, smile, and pay that extra dollar or two in charity. It is a chance to perform countless random acts of kindness.  We have become relaxed about the reality of death.  At some point, perhaps in a matter of hours, minutes, or even seconds, our life will be taken away from us.  Prophet Muhammad advises us to take advantage of the time we have.  Do what you can now, not tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come.

This reminder from the Prophet Muhammad deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight and time management, but it is not the only time he reminded us of the importance of being aware of our blessings and using them to our own advantage.  We are constantly reminded, throughout the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet, that time is fleeting and that every little thing we do is able to become a source of great reward.  Prophet Muhammad also said, “Three things follow the deceased [to his grave], two of them return and one remains with him. His family, wealth and deeds follow him, while his family and wealth return, his deeds remain with him.”[2] - islamreligion.com

Footnotes:

[1]Al Hakim

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

Wednesday 30 October 2024

You Can Get Continuous Reward Even After Passing Away… Here Is How

 


Abu Hurairah narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and righteous offspring who will pray for him.” (Muslim)

Commenting on this hadith, Imam An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“The scholars said, the meaning of this hadith is that the deeds of the deceased come to an end as soon as he or she dies, and the renewal of reward ceases for him or her, except in these three cases because he or she is the cause of them:

  • his or her offspring is counted among his or her earnings,
  • the knowledge that he or she leaves behind through teaching or writing,
  • ongoing charity, i.e., a waqf (Islamic endowment).”

The narration below adds further details:

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

Among the acts and good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are:

knowledge which he learned and then spread;

a righteous son whom he leaves behind;

a copy of the Qur’an that he leaves as a legacy;

a mosque that he built;

a house that he built for wayfarers;

a canal that he dug;

or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health.

These deeds will reach him after his death.” (Ibn Majah — authenticated by Al-Albani)

Planning for the Journey


As a matter of fact, anyone who has ever been on an out-of-town journey would testify to the pre-travel stress and jitters. One aspect of the preparations is to make sure that the packing is done properly and that the travel arrangements are adequately made.

Another aspect of planning a journey, however, is to ensure that everything the traveler leaves behind, from his or her belongings, to his or her family, to his or her house, is well-protected and cared for, until he or she returns.

This analogy can be appropriately applied to the life of  believers. Not only do they prepare for their journeys to the hereafter, which begins with their deaths, but they also ensure that what they leave behind in the world is also beneficial for them after they has gone. In the Qur’an Almighty Allah says,

{What is with you passes away and what is with Allah is enduring.} (An-Nahl 16: 96)

It was narrated that a sheep was slaughtered at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and given in charity, except for its thigh.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked ‘A’ishah, “What is left of it?

She said, “Nothing is left except the thigh.” He said, “All of it will remain except its thigh.”  (At-Tirmidhi) 

Continuous Reward After Death

Consequently, a Muslim must not just persist in doing good deeds while alive but should also pursue projects that will reap benefits for him or her after death. The following are some examples of these deeds:

Constantly Remembering Death

One of the best ways to actively do good deeds and leave behind avenues that will continue to benefit after death is to remember death itself, often and consistently.

Investing Money in Welfare Projects

Whether it’s a hospital, school, mosque, domestic shelter, or a welfare organization that generally helps the needy, Muslims should invest some money in it in order to ensure that the rewards for charity will keep coming even after they have died, when the money they invested continues to benefit others in different ways.

Spreading Beneficial Knowledge


Educate another person or teach others a skill; contribute in starting a regular Islamic class. The more students you have, the farther your trail of good deeds will extend after you have left this world.

{Surely We give life to the dead, and We write down what they have sent before and their footprints, and We have recorded everything in a clear writing.} (Ya-Sin 36:12)

All it takes is an hour once a week to start teaching others what you know. The point is — just start! Helpingly, here are some practical endeavors:

Sponsor the printing and distribution of the Qur’an or Islamic books.

Record and distribute Islamic classes and lectures; videos or audios of Islamic lectures can be recorded on various formats and spread physically among people or uploaded on the worldwide web.

Write articles and books; e-books now make it easier for writers to get published.

Build and maintain an Islamic website, or write Islamic content for other websites: If you are tech-savvy, you can start your own Islamic website!

Else, small articles can be easily self-published on the Internet by registering to write on websites.

Start and maintain an Islamic blog; many sites now allow individuals to upload their personal content for the world to see.

Even, if you write something just once a month, after several years, you may have accumulated a vast pool of content for others to read. Be it personal reflections on the Qur’an, tips, and advice on acting upon Islam, or general musings.

Getting Married and Bearing Children

Muslims should be very concerned about instilling high Islamic values in their children. All the more so because they know that if their children grow up to be righteous, they’ll benefit them even after death.

Therefore, a Muslim tries his or her best to marry a pious person and to start and raise a family according to the Islamic values. They are upright and firm in keeping the influence of Satan out of their homes.

Trees and Water-sources for Travelers

Planting trees and other vegetation, particularly that which yields produce such as fruit, vegetables, or grains, which provides shade to the passersby and oxygen to the environment, is a great ongoing act of charity. Having wells dug, or water coolers installed on wayfarers’ paths is also the most excellent charity.

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

There is none among Muslims who plants a tree or sows a seed, and then a bird, a person, or an animal eats from it, but it is regarded as a charitable gift from him.” (Al-Bukhari) 

Leave no Dues Unpaid

The Muslim also worries about whether he or she owes anyone any debts at the time of death — this is because when they die, their debts will still have to be repaid. Consequently, the pious Muslim makes up qada’ fasts of yesteryears (makes up missed days), gives qada’ zakah (makes up unpaid zakah) of assets that he was heedless of in the past, and makes sure he lives as debt-free as possible.

Since Muslims constantly think about, and prepare for, their death — they ensure their transition from this world is as smooth as possible, and when they return to their Lord, they have no dues — either that of His, or of people — left to be repaid.

Using all available resources, tools, and technologies to benefit others, to facilitate the growth and spread of Islamic knowledge, and to help alleviate the misery and suffering of those who are less fortunate enables Muslims to prepare for their exit from the transient life of this world in such a way, that even after they’ll be gone, the “ripple effects” of their fruitful actions will be still felt by the succeeding generations.

- aboutislam.net

About Sadaf Farooqi
Sadaf Farooqi is an author, blogger and freelance writer based in Karachi, Pakistan. To date, Sadaf has authored over 300 original articles, most of which can be accessed on her blog, "Sadaf's Space" (sadaffarooqi.wordpress.com). She has recently started self-publishing her past articles as non-fiction Islamic books, which are available on Amazon and Kindle (www.amazon.com/author/sadaffarooqi)