11. November (Sunnah Selection For Daily Reading)

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Shaitan’s Last and Desperate Attempt

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Verily Shaitan comes to you at all

circumstances and affairs of your life,

even at the time of eating. [Sahih

Muslim]

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• Shaitan makes his most desperate

attempt at the time that a person is

dying. He sees this as his last chance

and is nearer to the dying person than

ever before. He tries his best to have the

person die as a disbeliever. This is a

very intimidating moment. May Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) protect us from

falling prey to the accursed Shaitan. The

son of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

narrates the following story about his

father s death.

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• Death had approached the pious and

scholarly Imam, and the people around

him were saying Laa ilaaha illallaah .

Imam Ahmad went into a semi-conscious

state and repeated, No…not yet, not

yet. This worried people around him as

they did not expect a person of his piety

to be warding death off. When Imam

Ahmad regained consciousness, his son

asked him about his statement. Imam

Ahmad replied, "Shaitan came to me and

said: 'Ahmad, you are free (meaning, I

have lost you)!'" To this, Imam Ahmad

replied No, not yet, not yet. Imam

Ahmad meant that a person never gets

rid of Shaitan until he actually dies. 6

• Al-Qurtubi mentions that a great number of

pious and dependable scholars are known to

have witnessed the presence of Shaitan at

death. He relates that he heard one of his own

respected teachers, Imam Abul-Abbaas Ahmad

bin Umar al-Qurtubi, say, "I visited the brother

of our teacher, sheikh Abu Jafar Muhammad

al-Qurtubi at Cordova and found him near

death. It was said to him, 'Repeat Laa ilaaha

illallaah', to which he replied, 'No! No!' When

he came to, we mentioned what had occurred.

He said, 'Two devils came to me, one on my

left and the other on my right. One of them

said, 'Die as a Jew, for verily it is the best of

religions,' while the other said, 'Die as a

Christian, for truly it is the best of religions.' So

I answered them saying, 'No! No! How dare

you say such a thing to me!'" 7

• May Allah Mighty and Majestic save us

from loosing our foothold at this last

and crucial moment.

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Tolerance is the Trait of Prophets

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him said “ strong man is not one

who pushes down another, but a

strong man is one who at the time of

anger controls his Nafs. [”ukhari]

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• Imaam Fakhruddeen Razi narrates an

incident in his Tafseer-e-Kabeer. Once,

prior to receiving prophethood, Moosa

(alaihis salam s lamb ran away from his

flock. Moosa (alaihis salam) ran behind

it for miles on end in order to catch it.

In the process he hurt his feet by

running through thorn thickets which

pierced his skin causing him to bleed

profusely. The lamb continued running

until it too was bruised and battered.

Finally, it stood at one place, breathing

heavily, unable to run anymore.

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Moosa (alaihis salam) caught the tired

little animal and instead of being angry

at it, consoled the animal with tears

flowing from his eyes, saying, O

sheep, if you did not feel sorry for

Moosa, you should at least have pitied

yourself. Why did you put yourself

through so much trouble? ”efore

removing the thorns from his own feet,

Moosa (alaihis salam) first removed the

thorns from the sheep, then rubbed and

pressed its legs, lifted it up onto his

shoulders and carried it back to the

flock. 11

• Imagine what we would have done to

the animal it it had caused us so much

trouble and pain. Perhaps we would

have beaten the poor animal or even

slaughtered it. But what did Moosa

(alaihis salam) do? He showed no sign

of anger, instead he showed great

mercy for the weak creation of Allah.

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• Imaam Fakhruddeen Razi writes that the

angels said to “llah, O “llah! This

person is worthy of becoming a prophet

because of his qualities of tolerance and

patience. O Allah! Do make him a

prophet. This incident took place before

Moosa (alaihis salam) was given

prophethood.) Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

replied, I have already chosen him to be

My prophet.

• Those for whom Allah has destined high

stages, He imbues with noble qualities

and strength of tolerance. It is not correct

to become mad with anger at the slightest

provocation. 13

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Smile and be Encouraging


him said Make things easy! “nd do

not make them complicated! Be

cheerful! “nd do not be repulsive.

[Sahih Bukhari]


him said Teach and give good

tidings! Make things easy, and do not

make them hard! [“hmad ibn

Hanbal]

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• These ahadith highlight the importance of

being cheerful ourselves, encouraging

others and making them optimistic. Imam

Ibn al-Qayyim said that a believer should

have two wings; one of fear and one of

good hope in Allah. If a person were

unrealistically optimistic, they would stop

working to achieve their goals, thinking

that things will come to them anyway. On

the other hand, pessimism also prevents a

person from acting, since they have no

hope and see no good in doing anything.

Therefore, as teachers we should

encourage optimism at the same time that

we discourage overconfidence.

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• The first hadith also points out that

when a person is not cheerful, they do

not possess the ability to draw other

people to them, instead, they repel them.

One of the ways to be cheerful is to

smile. The Sahabah told us that nobody

smiled more than the Prophet of Allah

(peace be upon him). This is proof

enough for us to smile.

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• Current research tells us that the

physical act of smiling releases certain

chemicals in our bodies that help us

fight disease, produce happiness, and

properly modulate sleep and appetite. In

addition, when the brain and heart

activity of volunteers was measured, it

was seen that a smile gave the same

level of stimulation that 2000 bars of

chocolate would. Smiling encourages

others to remember happy events, feel

optimistic and be motivated. So, smile to

make others more receptive to your

message. 20

The Good Deeds Shaver


The diseases of the nations before you,

malice and hatred, may also overtake

you. Remember, they are like shavers;

but they do not shave hair, rather, they

shave virtues. [Tirmidhi]

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• If somebody bothers you, do you have to

hate them? If they underestimate you,

don t show you respect, or usurp your

rights, do you have to hate them? If

somebody has plenty of what you would

love to have in life but have none of, do

you have to hate them?

• No! No! No! Focus on how you can be a

better Muslim, how you can draw closer

to Allah (subhana wa ta ala), how you can

increase your remembrance of Him so

that He increases His love of you. In

other words, focus on your Akhirah so

you can be happy and have all you desire

forever. . 22

• This life is only a test! All situations and

circumstances are prescribed by Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) for His beloved

slaves so that they can earn their unique

way into Jannah.

• Malice is a desire to harm others or to

see others suffer; extreme ill will or

spite. Malice arises out of hatred. If you

allow yourself to feel hatred towards

others you will then try to harm them

consciously or subconsciously. Your

harming others will shave your good

deeds from your record.

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Sponsoring a Widow


him) said: "The one who strives to

sponsor a widow or a poor person is

like the one who strives in Jihad in the

cause of Allah, the Mighty and

Sublime. [Sunan An-Nasai - graded

sahih]

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• Sponsoring a widow, taking care of her

financial needs, is a deed of supreme merit,

provided that one's objective is to earn the

pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and

one s motive for helping is not desire for

fame, or to make another indebted to

oneself, or some other worldly gain.

• We should always seek reward from Allah

(subhana wa ta'ala) alone, as nobody and

nothing else can match what Allah (subhana

wa ta ala) can give. It is worthwhile to note

here that the reward for a person

sponsoring a widow or needy person is like

the reward for a Mujahid. The reward for

Jihad is so great that no other act equals it in

merit. 28

Ulama Su’ • The Messenger of “llah pbuh said There

will appear in the end times, people who seek

the Dunya with religion. In front of the people

they wear clothes made of wool to give the

impression of their humility, their speeches are

sweeter than sugar, but their hearts are the

hearts of wolves (very fond of wealth and

position . “llah says, “re you fooled by Me

(the mercy and opportunities I give) or that

you dare towards Me? By My Self, I swear. I

will send down disasters from among their

own on those who turn decent people into

confusion so they are not able to get away from

it. [Tirmidhi] 29

• Indeed, the Ulama are like the stars in

the heavens. It is through their hands

that mankind obtains guidance. They

are the ones who explain the way of

guidance and the way to remain upon

that guidance. It is through them that

the Ummah understands the ways in

which evil approaches us and how to

avoid it.

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• However, after the spread of Fitnahs, Su

Ulama emerge who sell the Deen to make

their Dunya. Sometimes they are more

eloquent and their explanations more easily

accepted than those of sincere, Allah-fearing

Ulama. They present bad things in the shape

of goodness. They bootlick rulers and take

orders from indirect colonizers for the sake of

obtaining positions, ranks, influence,

appreciation and the adornments of the

world. Or they do it to deliberately oppose

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and His Prophet

(pbuh). Their trade mark is that they twist the

well known principles and teachings of Islam

to suit popular opinion. Thus, they are no

other than the Khalifahs of Shaytan or the

representatives of Dajjal. 31

• The Sahabi Hudhaifah (radi Allahu anhu)

said: If you see an Alim at the door of the

ruler, his Deen is debatable. So it is not of

them [the Ulama] to take a part from their

[the rulers] Dunya, except that those rulers

will take from their [the Ulama s] Deen in

proportion.

• The righteous Ulama s sacrifices are proven

in the restrictions imposed upon them, the

torture they suffer in jail, and the

hardships they have to face living in

hiding. This is not the case of the Ulama Su

whose lives are filled with comforts and

whose work is facilitated by governments.

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Supplicating for Deceased

• It was narrated that Abu Hurairah

(may Allah be pleased with him) said:

"When An-Najashi died, the Prophet

(peace be upon him) said, 'Pray for

forgiveness for him.'" [Jami at-

Tirmidhi - sahih hadith]

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• We learn from this hadith that on being

informed of a Muslim s death one should supplicate for his/her forgiveness. When we

pray for another s forgiveness we hope that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will forgive us as

well.

• We should also say, "We belong to Allah and

to Him we return/ inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi

rajioon." This is a reminder to us that we all

have to die one day and return to our

Creator. Keeping this in mind will allow us

to lead a successful life; a life spent trying to

earn the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa

ta ala). This wordly life is the one in which

we plant the seeds: its harvest we are to

consume in the form of Jannat or

Jahannum.

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Urine of Shaytaan is Laziness

• Mention was made in the presence of

the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) of a man who slept a whole night

until morning. He said, That is a man

in whose ear the Shaytaan has

urinated. [Bukhaari]

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• Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi, quoting one of the Salaf,

said: I warn you against Sawfa i.e. saying I

will do… because it is one of the greatest

troops of Iblees. The likeness of the one who

strives resolutely and the one who is content

with the idea that he has plenty of time is that

of a group of people who are on a journey and

enter a town. The one who is resolute goes and

buys the supplies he needs to complete his

journey and sits ready to resume his journey.

The negligent one says, I will get ready, but

probably we will stay here for a month (so I

have plenty of time . So when the call to

resume the journey comes, the one who was

prepared is happy to move on, whilst the one

who was negligent becomes very confused and

distressed. 39

• This is the likeness of people in this world.

Some of them are prepared and alert, and

when the angel of death comes they feel no

regret, but the others who are deluded and

procrastinate, will feel bitter regret at the

time of departure. If it is in a person s nature

to like to procrastinate and feel that he has

plenty of time, then Iblees comes and

encourages that person to act in accordance

with his nature, so it becomes difficult for

him to strive. But the person who is

concerned about himself knows that he is in

a battlefield and that his enemy will not give

up. Although he may appear to be leaving

him alone for a while, in secret he is plotting

against him and setting a trap for him.

[Talbees Iblees] 40

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Speak Up


him) said: "Let not respect for men

prevent any of you from speaking the

truth when he knows it." [Sahih

Muslim]

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• Sometimes people are silent because they

are afraid of offending somebody, when

they should be speaking up with the truth.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has more right

that He should not be offended. When the

truth is covered up it is distasteful to Allah

(subhana wa ta'ala). Truth leads to Jannah

and falsehood and lying lead to the Fire of

Hell [Sahih Muslim]. Therefore, we should

be careful to always side with the truth and

speak it when necessary.

• Nothing is as important as your character.

Know when to keep silent and when to

speak up. Know truth, understand it,

believe in it, and practice it. In the end,

nothing survives but the truth. 45

Untruths and Eemaan Don't Mix


“ Momin cannot have complete faith

unless he gives up falsehood in his

jokes and debates, though in all other

matters he speaks the truth. [“hmed]

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• A person is not at the highest level of

honesty till he gives us telling untruths

even in jokes and debates.

• Once we rid ourselves of lying to our

children, lying in ordinary household

matters, lying to relatives, lying in

business dealings, and lying in the

workplace, we need to move on to

remove lying from our jokes and lying

to substantiate a point that may itself be

completely valid.

• Eemaan does not allow a person to lie.

Lies and Eemaan don t mix.

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Superiority of Knowledge


him) said: "Superiority of knowledge

is better than superiority in worship."

[Mishkat al-Masabih]

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• If you hire somebody and he spends the

whole day admiring you, praising you,

honoring you and commending you but

does not do his job; would you be happy

with him? Then how can you expect

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) to be pleased

with your worship if you do not execute

the rest of the duties that He has placed

upon you? And how can you know what

these duties are unless you seek

knowledge from the Quran and Sunnah?

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Unconscious with Trumpet-Blast


him said Then the Trumpet will be

blown, and no one will hear it but will

tilt his head. The first one to hear it

will be a man who will be repairing a

trough for his camels. He will fall

unconscious and the people will fall

unconscious. [Muslim]

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• This strange and wonderful universe in

which we live, filled with constant motion,

teeming with life and living things, both

visible and invisible, will remain like this

until the Day comes.

• When the Day of Judgement is to

commence, the Trumpet will be blown, and

this trumpet-blast will put an end to life on

earth and in the heavens, and only Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) will remain. Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) says in the Quran:

• Whatsoever is on it the earth will

perish. [Surah Rahman: Ayat 26]

and Everything will perish save His

Face. [Surah Qasas: Ayat 88] 54

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Settlement on the Day of Judgment

• Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased

with him “llah s Messenger pbuh said,

Whoever has oppressed another person

concerning his reputation or anything else, he

should beg him to forgive him before the Day of

Resurrection when there will be no money (to

compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good

deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him

according to the oppression which he has done,

and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the

oppressed person will be loaded on him. [The

Book of Al-Mazalim: Sahih Bukhari]

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• Nothing goes unnoticed by Allah (subhana

wa ta ala), nor does He, in His infinite

Justice, let the slightest injury go

uncompensated for. Should a person settle

his account with others before his/her death

it is best for them. Otherwise, they will have

to pay with their good deeds on the Day of

Judgment.

• When all of one s good deeds vanish and

accounts still have to be settled with others,

they will be settled by having the sins of the

victim put to the account of the offending

party. May Allah (subhana wa ta ala) save

us from having to pay our debts on the Day

of Judgment. 59

Useless Deeds

• Aisha (radi Allahu anha asked O

Messenger of Allah! During the

Jaahiliya, Ibn Jad aan used to uphold

the ties of kinship and feed the poor;

will that benefit him at all? The

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him replied It will not be of any

benefit to him, because he never said a

single day, O Lord, forgive me my

sins on the Day of Judgement.

[Muslim] 60

• “nd whoever seeks a religion other

than Islam, it will never be accepted

of him, and in the Hereafter he will

be one of the losers. [Quran: Surah

Aal-e-Imraan, Ayat 85]

• For deeds to be considered good by

Allah, they must have been done not

only as per His instructions, but also

only for Him, seeking His pleasure and

fearing His punishment. Otherwise, the

world may consider those deeds

good but they will carry no weight

with Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala).

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• If you do good deeds for the world, the world

repays you by praising you and remembering

you by good names such as noble, generous,

kind, courageous.

• If you do good deeds for yourself, your ego

repays you by making you feel good about

yourself.

• If you do good deeds for “llah s Pleasure, He

repays you by granting you forgiveness for

your sins and an abode in Jannah.

• Suppose you employed someone, but your

employee spent all his time working for some

stranger instead of you. Would you feel like

paying his salary at the end of the month?

Then how do we expect Allah to recompense

us if it is the world, or our ego, or other people,

we do things for? 62

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So Allah and the People Love Me

• Sahl bin Sad As-Sai di (may Allah be

pleased with him reported “ man

came to the Prophet pbuh and said, O

Messenger of Allah, guide me to such an

action which if I do Allah will love me

and the people will also love me. He

pbuh said, Have no desire for this

world, Allah will love you; and have no

desire for what people possess, people

will love you. [Ibn Majah. Al-Albani

classified this hadith as authentic.] 66

• To have no desire for what people possess

means to not be envious of others. When a

person is not envious of what others have,

they feel safe with him/her and like him/her.

• To have no desire for this world means to

remember that our real home and time for

enjoyment are in Jannah. When a person

has mansions and palaces in one city will he

desire to stay in a cramped, dirty, motel

room in some other city? On earth we are

only taking an exam, which we would like

to have end as soon as possible, so we can

go to our mansions and palaces where

delicious food and a life of enjoyment and

relaxation awaits us. 67

• As long as we live we are in an

examination hall. Till we die we are

taking the exam of life that will qualify

us for either Jannah or Jahannum. Some

academic exams take place in 5 star

hotels, and some take place in village

school rooms. He, whose exam is in a 5

star hotel, is in comfortable conditions

but cannot afford to forget that he is

there to take an exam. If he begins to

enjoy himself in the hotel, roaming

around and entertaining himself, he will

fail his exam. 68

• A king once passed by a pious person in

the market place and asked him what he

was doing. The pious man replied, I m

trying to get people to be friends with

Allah (subhana wa ta ala . The king

asked, How s it going? The man replied,

“llah is willing but the people are not

willing. Some time later the king passed

by the same man in a graveyard. The king

asked him again what he was doing. The

man replied, I m trying to get the dead

people to befriend Allah (subhana wa

ta ala). Now the people are willing but

“llah is not willing. 69

• May we not be those lowly creatures

that cling to earthly life but those who

have the vastness of Jannah before their

eyes.

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Unnecessary Talking


him said The faith of a servant of

Allah) is not put right until his heart

is put right, and his heart is not put

right until his tongue is put right.

[Al-Mundhari]

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• This hadith shows that the purification

of faith is conditional upon the

purification of the heart, and the

purification of the heart is conditional

upon the purification of the tongue.

• Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi Allahu anhu)

visited Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu)

and found him pulling his tongue with

his fingers. Umar (radi Allahu anhu)

said, Stop! May “llah forgive you!

Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) replied,

This tongue has brought me to

dangerous places. [“bu Ya la]

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Significance of Intention

• Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be

pleased with him) reported that the

Messenger of “llah pbuh said Deeds

are considered by intentions, and a

person will be rewarded according to his

intention. So whoever emigrated for

Allah and His Messenger, his emigration

would be for Allah and His Messenger;

and whoever emigrated for worldly

benefits or for a woman to marry, his

emigration would be for what he

emigrated for. [Sahih ”ukhari] 76

• According to some other ahadith, the

context of this hadith is that a person

sent a proposal of marriage to a woman

named Umm Qais, which she turned

down saying that he would have to

emigrate to Madina to marry her.

Accordingly, he did it for this specific

purpose, and the two were married

there. On account of this event, the man

came to be known among the

Companions as Muhajir Umm Qais

(emigrant for Umm Qais).

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• On the basis of this hadith, Ulama are of

the unanimous opinion that the real basis

of one s actions is Niyyah (intention) and

everyone will be rewarded or punished

according to his Niyyah. Niyyah is

founded in one s heart, that is to say that

one has to first make up one s mind for

what he intends to do. It becomes evident

from this hadith that Ikhlas (sincerity) is a

must for every good deed. In other words,

in every righteous deed one should seek

only the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa

ta ala), otherwise it will not be accepted by

Allah. 78

• There are many traditions in our Religion

that should be understood collectively to

have thorough understanding of our Deen.

So in addition to the tradition you posted,

there is another tradition narrated by Al-

Bukhari and Muslim, from the way of our

Mother Aisha (may Allah be pleased with

her) that she said that: the Prophet (pbuh)

said: Whoever innovates an action that is not

part of this matter of ours will have it rejected ,

and in the narration of Muslim it clarifies

that: Whoever just does or acts upon an

innovated action will have it rejected, even if

he was not the one that innovated it himself. 79

• Al-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with

him) said in Sharh Muslim: "What this

means is that such deeds are invalid and

do not count. This hadeeth represents an

important principle of Islam, and it is an

example of the concise speech of the

Prophet (pbuh). It is a clear rejection of

every innovation. This hadeeth should

be memorized and used to demonstrate

the invalidity of reprehensible actions

and should be propagated as evidence

against all innovations".

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• Thus our scholars based on this tradition and the one

about the intention came with two general principles:

1) The bad/insincere Intention ruins a prescribed

righteous action:

This is evident from the tradition where a Mujahid

fought and died for what he claimed to be the sake of

Allah, a Scholar taught people the Quran for what he

claimed to be the sake of Allah, and Generous man

donated generously to the poor for what he claimed to

be the sake of Allah. In the Hereafter, when they

mention there actions and intentions for Allah they

would be told that they lied and it was not for His sake,

rather it was for the sake of the people and so that they

would praise them, and such was said ... so they would

be dragged to Hell.

• So notice how these prescribed righteous actions had

their reward ruined due to the bad and insincere

intention behind them

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2) The Correct intention does not Correct

the false action:

This is evident from the above tradition,

and can be seen in the case when a

companion (Rifaa'ah ibn Rafi' -may Allah

be pleased with him) entered the Masjid

and prayed. His intention was pure and

sincere, however his prayer lacked

elements of the prayer prescribed by the

Messenger of Allah, so when he returns to

the Messenger of Allah he told him: Go

back and pray for you have not prayed.

• So see how the sincere intention did not

correct the action. 82

• Another example is in the case of those

who mocked the Messenger and his

companions and by doing so fell into

Kufr, yet their intention was just to joke

and play around not to commit an act of

Kufr. Yet Allah stated in the Quran that

this intention of theirs and their

apologies that followed will not benefit

them and has no effect in changing the

fact that they have fallen into Kufr.

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• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) gathered

these in a verse Surat Al-Kahf, and said

that: Whoever expects to meet his

Lord, let him work righteousness, and,

in the worship of his Lord, admit no

one as partner [“l-Kahf 18:110]

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• Ibn Katheer (may Allah be please with

him)- said in his Tafseer: (So whoever

hopes for the meeting with his Lord,) i.e.,

hopes for a good reward and recompense,

(let him work righteousness) meaning, in

accordance with the prescribed laws of

Allah, (and associate none as a partner in

the worship of his Lord.) This is what is

meant by seeking the pleasure of Allah

alone with no associate or partner. These

are the two basic features of acceptable

deeds: their intent is for the sake of Allah

alone, and are done in accordance with the

way of the Messenger of Allah.

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Visiting the Sick


him) said, "The one who visits the sick

is in fact like one who is in the fruit

garden of Paradise so long as he does

not return." [Sahih Muslim]

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• There is great merit in paying a visit to the sick,

whether one knows the patient or not. The

following is a story of how a man came to take

the shahada.

• The man was in a hospital sharing a room with

a Muslim. One day some people came to visit

the Muslim. They came in, hugged the Muslim

brother, kissed him, and talked to him with

love and affection. They stayed for a while and

shared a closeness that was true. After they left,

the man asked the Muslim if those were his

brothers who had just visited him. The Muslim

replied, "No, they learned that I was sick today,

at the Friday prayer, and so they came to visit

me. I just met them today." This shocked the

man. Those people had not acted in an

awkward stranger fashion but like true

brothers. 87

• This led to the man asking more

questions and finally accepting Islam.

This duty of visiting the sick was as

always blessed by Allah (subhana wa

ta ala). In addition, this time it also

served as a vehicle to guide a man to

Islam.

88

89

90

91

Sweet Basil Waving in the Breeze

• Usamah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him)

said The Messenger of “llah pbuh said one day

to his Companions, Who will strive hard with

sincerity for Paradise? For there is nothing like

Paradise. By the Lord of the Kabah, it is sparkling

light, sweet basil waving in the breeze, a lofty

palace, a flowing river, abundant ripe fruit, a

beautiful spouse and many fine garments, in a place

of eternal abode, in ease and luxury, in beautiful,

strongly-built, lofty houses. They said, We will

strive hard for it, O Messenger of “llah. He said,

Say In sha “llah if “llah wills . Then he

mentioned Jihad and encouraged them to engage in

it. [Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab az-Zuhd, Bab Sifaat

al-Jannah] 92

• The delights of Paradise surpass the

imagination and defy description. They

are like nothing known to the people of

this world; no matter how

technologically advanced we may

become, what we can achieve is nothing

in comparison with the beauty and joys

of the Hereafter.

93

• Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has reserved a

place for you in Jannah. It is up to you whether

you wish to claim it or forfeit it. Try to imagine

it, it really is there waiting for you. A home in

hills, clouds near the base of it. The weather is

beautiful all year round. A gentle, pleasant

breeze sometimes carries the scent of basil and

sometimes the sweet smell of wild red roses.

Rivers flow by your palace. The view is

breathtaking. The architecture is splendid and

to your taste. There is never any plumbing

issue nor any need for maintenance or repair. A

gorgeously good looking spouse loves you and

is the delight of your eyes. You have a never

ending life of happiness and luxury…

94

Vows – Nazr

• The Prophet (peace be upon him)

forbade vowing and said, In fact,

vowing does not prevent anything, but

it makes a miser spend his property.

[Sahih Bukhari]

95


“llah said, vowing does not bring to

the son of Adam anything I have not

already written in his Qadar

preordainment …Through vowing I

make a miser spend of his wealth.

• Examples of vows are: If a son is born

to me I will feed poor people. Or,

If I get admission in this university I

will give so much wealth in Sadaqa.

Or, If I recover from this illness I will

sacrifice a goat for the needy.

96

• Whatever good deed one vowed to do,

they should have done without vowing.

They shouldn t have made it a sort of

bargain with Allah (subhana wa ta ala).

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) is not in need of

any of our deeds. We do good deeds for

our own benefit and we are always in need

of our own good deeds, regardless of

whether the son is born, the admission

granted, or the illness recovered from. We

will not change the course of what was

destined to happen for us by vowing

anything. By vowing, a miser is made to

spend what he/she refused to spend before,

although it would have been for his/her

own benefit. 97

98

99

100

Sixty Years of Age


“llah will not accept the excuse of

any person whose instant of death is

delayed till he is sixty years of age.

[Sahih Bukhari]

101

• When a person reaches sixty years of

age, he has no right to ask Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) for a new lease of

life to make up for his past

shortcomings, for Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) says: Did We not give you lives

long enough, so that whoever would

receive admonition – could receive it?

And the warner (of Allah) came to

you… [Quran 35:37]

102

• Some men go abroad to earn for their

families while their families remain behind

in their home countries. These men live on

the bare minimum, work hard, and save

whatever they can so that when they are

with their families again they can enjoy it all

together.

• This is what Muslims are supposed to

understand about how to live in this world.

The place of real and never-ending

enjoyment is Jannah. That is where our real

home and family is. We came to this world

to earn and save for our real home, to enjoy

with our real family. Our problem is that we

forgot about that and started living only for

this world. 103

• So we remain busy in our jobs, education,

relationships, lifestyles - trying to live as

enjoyable a life as we can - all our lives

long. We don t live with the intention of

trying to save all our good stuff to enjoy

in the next life. When we retire at sixty

years of age, we wish that we didn t have

to retire, because we can think of nothing

else to do with our lives. We are only

used to earning money to spend in this

life. We are used to only thinking about

and living for this worldly existence.

Even if it is at sixty that you turn to Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) -- better late than

never.

104

Vinegar Excellent Condiment

• Jabir (radi Allahu anhu said I

entered the house of the Prophet (peace

be upon him) with him and there was

some bread and vinegar. The

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him said, Eat what a good

condiment is vinegar. [Sunan an-

Nasai]

105

• The foods eaten by the Prophet (peace

be upon him) were simple. The focus of

his life was the Akhirah. His concern

was to obtain “llah s Pleasure, and do

his best to have everyone else taste the

sweetness of Eeman too.

106

• When a caring person moves from the

hot sun into pleasant shade, he/she wants

to have others also partake of this relief.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) was

sent by Allah (subhana wa ta ala) as a

mercy for all mankind. Thus, no one has

wanted more than him to bring others

into the shade of “llah s mercy. Hence,

his life revolved around trying to share

the goodness of Islam with others, rather

than elaborate meals and menus.

• Vinegar has been praised in this hadith as

something good. From this hadith we

also learn that bread and vinegar is a

meal. 107

108

109

110

Sins Like Sea Forgiven


him said Whoever says, Subhan

Allahi wa bi hamdihi one hundred

times, his sins will be forgiven even if

they were like the foam of the sea.

[Sunan Ibn Majah]

111

• Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi means

that Allah (subhana wa ta ala) is pure of

defects and praise belongs to Him

alone.

112

• To really understand that Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) is pure of defects implies not ascribing

any shortcomings to Him. We think that we

don t ascribe any shortcoming to Him but

when we question fate, when we talk about

untimely deaths, or when it comes to

adopting a Hukm Shari and we don t,

justifying our stance with We know our

situation better we are in fact attributing

defects to Allah (subhana wa ta ala). With

such statements we are implying that Allah

doesn t know better, that His wisdom is not

infinitely more than ours, that His love of us

isn t infinitely more than our love of

ourselves. With such statements we negate

the Subhan Allahs that roll off our tongues. 113

• Nothing is worthy of praise except

Allah, since anything praiseworthy is so

because He made it so. It is only a

minute fraction of the good and beauty

that is with Him.

• Thus, when we say Subhan Allahi wa

bi hamdihi we should keep its meaning

in mind and feel it in our hearts. We

should stop for a moment to think about

what we are saying, so that we don t live

our lives in contradiction to it.

114

• Saying Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi a

hundred times causes minor sins to be

forgiven no matter how many they are

in number. For the expiation of major

sins it is necessary that we be aware of

the mistake we are asking forgiveness

for and intend to avoid committing the

same in future.

115

Visit Cemeteries


I had forbidden you to visit

graveyards. But now if you wish you

may go to cemeteries, for the sight of

graves makes one remember the life

hereafter. [Muslim]

116

• In the early days of Islam, when people

were still very close to Jahilliya, only

recently having forsaken its beliefs and

practices, they were forbidden from

visiting graves for fear that they might

revert to their ignorant practices of

Shirk with respect to graves. But once

Eeman was firmly rooted in their hearts

they were instructed to visit graves to

motivate themselves to prepare better

for the Hereafter.

117

• Once “li radi Allahu anhu) visited a

graveyard with Kameel (radi Allahu anhu)

accompanying him. On reaching the

graveyard, Ali (radi Allahu anhu) looked at

the graves and then addressing the inmates

of the graves said: O inmates of graves! O

inhabitants of ruins! O those who live in

isolation in a land of wilderness! Say, how

are you? As regards conditions over here,

the assets left over have been divided, the

offspring are rendered orphans, the

widows have entered into new marriage

contracts. This is the state of affairs in our

world. Now tell us what is happening to

you.

118

“li radi Allahu anhu) then remained

silent for some time. Then turning to

Kameel (radi Allahu anhu) said:

Kameel, if the inmates of these graves

were allowed to speak they would say,

Piety is the most valuable treasure.

Having said this, Ali (radi Allahu anhu)

wept and continued to weep for a long

time. He later remarked: Kameel, the

grave is an enclosure where only deeds

matter and as soon as one meets death

he realizes this fact. [Etiquettes of Life

in Islam by Muhammad Yusuf Islahi]

119

120

121

122

Simple Dress


him said Whoever leaves valuable

dress out of humility to Allah while he

is able to afford it, Allah will call him

before all of creation on the Day of

Judgment so that he can choose

whichever Hulal of faith he wishes to

wear. [Tirmidhi]

123

• Hulal of faith are the garments of Jannah

which are given to the people of faith. Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) loves the act of a

Muslim who, though well-to-do and rich,

avoids wearing ostentatious garments out

of modesty, so as not to show off and make

other people feel inferior.

• This recommendation to avoid ostentation

and display can be applied to housing,

furniture, décor, mannerisms, meals…

everything. Whatever I have is a gift and a

test from Allah (subhana wa ta ala). It

should be used to earn my Akhirah, so that

these blessings can be mine forever, and not

just for as long as I live on earth. 124

• When I am given something by Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) do I feel further

indebted to Him? Do I feel even more

love for Him than before? Do I desire to

serve Him with every ounce of my

strength, and every penny of my wealth,

and every second of my time? He who

has no need of me, compared to Whom a

trillion like myself have no significance,

has chosen to favour me with His

countless blessings! Will I show my

gratitude to Him (subhana wa ta ala) or

use His blessings to subdue others?

125

• This hadith is a glad tiding to those who

do not use “llah s blessings to rule over

other people by awing and humbling

them. Those who take care of the

feelings of others in this respect will be

granted garments of their choice before

all creation on the Day of Judgment.

Then everyone will come to know how

well-off they had been in the world and

that they had not flaunted their wealth.

126

Vessels of Gold and Silver


him said The one who eats and

drinks from vessels of gold and silver

is pouring the Fire of Hell into his

stomach. [Muslim]

127

• We have been sent to earth to earn our

everlasting abodes in Jannah and not so

that we try to make our Jannahs here.

Whoever tries to do so is actually being

very foolish, for the Paradise that one

makes on earth must come to an end

while the one prepared by Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) will be enjoyed by

its inheritors for ever. Secondly, the

Paradise that one makes on earth

cannot compete in grandeur, beauty,

comfort or happiness with the Paradise

that Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has

prepared for us. 128

• To eat or drink from containers of gold

or silver betrays weak conviction in the

promises of Allah (subhana wa ta ala).

These luxuries are for the disbelievers

in this world and for us in the

Hereafter.

129

130

131

132

Seventy Snakes


him) clasped some of his fingers

between others and said Seventy

giant serpents will constrict him, if

even one of them were to hiss on the

earth, nothing upon it would grow as

long as it remained. They will chew on

him and bite him until he is brought to

the Reckoning. [Tirmidhi]

133


him) said this about a person who is a

wicked worshipper or a disbeliever. The

grave does not welcome him, it punishes

him and constricts upon him. In

addition, seventy venomous snakes

wrap themselves around his body and

continuously bite him and chew on him.

• Once in a while we get to hear of a

person s grave being opened for some

reason but then quickly closed when it is

found to be full of snakes. May Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) save us from such

punishment. Ameen. 134

Vault of Fate


him said When any one of you

wants to have intercourse with his

wife, let him say, Bismillah,

Allahumma jannibna ash-Shaytaan

wa jannib ash-Shaytaan ma

razaqtanaa. Then if it is decreed that

they should have a child as a result of

that, the Shaytaan will never be able to

harm him. [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh]

135

• The meaning of this Dua is: In the

name of Allah, O Allah, keep the

Shaytaan away from us and keep the

Shaytaan away from what You may

bless us with. The Prophet peace be

upon him urged us to seek “llah s

protection from devils at all times.

136

• Some people wonder what the use may

be of making Duas. They say that since

everything is preordained and the good

and bad written in one s Taqdeer will

come to one anyway, why make Dua?

But Taqdeer (Qismet/preordainment)

should be understood as a vault, a very

big safe deposit box. In that vault is

one s Paradise and Hell, good and bad.

When we make Dua we ask for the

good things in the vault to be given to

us.

137

• Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said to invoke

Taqdeer to counter Taqdeer. Thus, if

you have an accident, ask Allah for

recovery from it. Since Allah (subhana

wa ta ala) has kept every good thing

stored for us in our safe deposit boxes,

He gets angry if we don t ask Him for

any of those good things. To not ask

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) for things is

to be ungrateful towards Him.

138

• We can understand this from our own

experience: Suppose you gather

together all the things your children

would love to have. Then you ask your

children if they would like to receive

these wonderful presents you got for

them. Some of your children run to you

happily saying Yes, please! and some

of your children keep sitting

indifferently, saying, Well, if you got

them for us, you ll give them to us

anyway. Which attitude of your

children would you be more pleased

with? 139

• Ask for the good that Allah (subhana

wa ta ala) has deposited in the vault for

you, and ask Him to keep the bad in it

away from you.

140

141

142

143

Seal My Lips When Angry


If one of you gets angry, let him be

quiet. [“hmad]

144

• In Islam, the raising of voices is a sign of

bad character and bad manners. Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) says in the Quran:

“nd be moderate in your pace and

lower your voice, for indeed the

harshest of sounds is the braying of

the donkey. [Surah Luqman: Ayat

19]

145

• Anger does not justify the raising of my

voice. And if I am not to raise my voice, I

certainly should not do worse than that

and start swearing, taunting, or hitting! I

should try to make my character worthy

of Jannah, inshaAllah.

• When I become angry, I must seal my

lips.

146

Value of Bismillah

• A Companion was riding behind the

Prophet (peace be upon him) when his

mount stumbled, so he said May

Allah destroy Shaitaan. The Prophet

peace be upon him said Do not say

this, for it makes Shaitaan grow in

stature so much that he becomes as

great as a house. Say, In the name of

“llah, for this makes him as

insignificant as a fly. [“bu Dawud]

147

• Shaitaan s shrinking happens as a result of the

blessing of saying, In the name of “llah

(Bismillah .

• A scholar was expounding the virtues of

Bismillah when a man in his audience,

himself well known, wondered aloud how

such benefits were possible with only the

taking of “llah s name. The scholar said, You

donkey! What do you know?!

• The man broke out in a sweat and turned red

with embarrassment at being called a foolish

animal in front of such a large crowd. The

scholar asked him why he looked so peeved.

The man mentioned it was his use of the word

donkey for him. So the scholar said, When

the word donkey can have such an effect,

can t the word “llah have any effect?

148

• This Hadith teaches us that if you

stumble, or your child trips, or you

have a tire blowout, say Bismillah.

The mishap didn t happen because of

Shaitaan, but was from “llah s Decree.

• If a person attributes the accident to

Shaitaan such as by saying, May

Shaitaan perish! this false attribution

of power to Shaitaan makes him swell

with arrogance. The remembrance of

Allah reduces Shaitaan in size and

humiliates him.

149

150

151

152

Seeing Allah is Most Precious

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh recited, For those who

have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Jannah) and even

more (i.e., having the honour of glancing at the

countenance of “llah [Quran Surah Yunus, Aayat

6] and said When the people of Jannah have entered

Jannah, and the people of Jahannum have entered

Jahannum, a caller will proclaim, O people of Jannah,

“llah made a promise to you that He wants to fulfill.

They will say, What is it? Did He not make our balance

weigh heavy, and make our faces white, and admit us to

Jannah, and save us from Jahannum? Then the veil will

be lifted, and they will see Him, and they will never be

given anything more precious to them than seeing

Allah, the All-Majestic. This is Az-Ziyaadah the

even more referred to in the Aayah . [Muslim] 153

• The rewards that Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) will bestow on some people will be

even more than Jannah. It is difficult to

imagine what could be more than the

best. For the best includes everything

that the heart desires, things so

wonderful that no eye has ever seen

them, no ear has ever heard of them, and

no one has ever even imagined them. But,

in addition to all of this is even more.

This even more refers to seeing the

Face of Allah (azza wa jal). This is the

most precious gift that Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) will bestow on the believers.

154

• As for the evildoers, those who belied

Allah (subhana wa ta ala), is the Aayat:

Nay! Surely they evildoers will be

veiled from seeing their Lord that

Day. [Quran: Surah “l-Mutaffifin,

Aayat 15] This is truly the greatest

deprivation mankind can suffer.

155

• Imam Ash-Shafi i said: “s those

(evildoers) will be veiled from seeing

Allah because of His wrath towards

them, this indicates that these people

(the believers) will see Him because He

will be pleased with them. [“t-Tabari]

• This is the greatest success of the

believers, and will be the greatest source

of happiness to them.

156

Which Women Enter Jannat


him said Shall I inform you which

woman will enter Paradise? The Sahaba

replied Yes, most certainly. The

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said, The woman who has children, is

lovable, when she becomes angry the

husband consoles her, and when the

husband becomes angry she says that as

long as you do not become pleased with me,

I will not even apply surmah (antimony) to

my eyes. [Tibrani] 157

• The love between husband and wife offends

Shaytaan more than anything else. If

husbands and wives are to care for each

other and try to keep the environment of the

house as peaceful and loving as possible,

every Muslim house can become a model of

Jannat. All kinds of quarrels will cease and

the misfortune of divorce will not prevail.

Children brought up in such environments

will be an example of piety, discipline, love

and sympathy. May Allah make every

Muslim house a model of Jannat.

• If the hearts of both spouses are united, there

can be no greater bounty, and if there are

differences between them (Allah forbid),

there can be no greater calamity. 158

159

160

161

Sinners Among Believers

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said The people of Jahannum will remain

there, never dying and never living. But there

are people who will enter Jahannum because

of their sins, and will be killed therein they

turn like coals. Permission will be granted for

intercession to be made, and they will be

brought out of it in groups and spread over by

the side of the rivers of Jannah, and it will be

said O people of Jannah, pour water on

them. Then they will grow like seeds in the

silt left by a flood. [Muslim Kitaab al-

Eemaan] 162

• The value of Tawheed is that it will enable

a person to escape from Jahannum. A

Muslim may be punished because of their

sins but no matter how severe the

punishment, at last they will be brought

out. They will have burned so much that

they will look like coals. But after the

Prophet s pbuh intercession for them,

they will be brought out of the Fire and

scattered on the banks of the rivers of

Jannah. The people of Jannah will be

asked to pour water on them and they will

do so. These people, burnt to coals, will be

brought to life again and with the pouring

of water will spring into beautiful

creatures once more. 163

• This hadith tells us that the sinners

among the believers (Muwahhideen)

will eventually be brought out from

Jahannum and will enter Jannah

through intercession. May Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) save us from having

to spend even the shortest amount of

time in the Fire. Ameen.

164

When Words Count


"All of a human being's words count

against him and not for him, except

commanding the right, forbidding the

wrong, and the mention of Allah Most

High." [Tirmidhi]

165

• The importance of keeping guard over

what our tongue utters is so important

that the Prophet (peace be upon him)

said that he would guarantee Paradise to

whoever could control his tongue and

private parts from sin. The misuse of

these is a common cause of being led to

Jahannum. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (radi

Allahu anhu) heard this, he put a large

stone in his mouth to prevent himself

from speaking without thinking. He

would take the stone out if he had to

speak, but then put it in again. How far

we are from the example of the Sahabah...

166

• We should adopt silence as our modus

operandi, but silence when speaking is

required is not commendable. Our words

count in our favour, and should be uttered,

when we command the right, forbid the wrong

or are engaged in the remembrance of Allah

Most High. Abul Qasim Qushayri said, "Safety

lies in remaining silent, which should be one's

basis. Silence at the appropriate time is the

mark of men, just as speech at the appropriate

time is one of the finest qualities. I have heard

Abu Ali Daqqaq say, 'He who is silent when

something should be said is a tongueless

villain.'" [r 1.1: Reliance of the Traveller by

Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri]

• “ll that is required for the triumph of evil is

for good men to remain silent. 167

168

169

170

Smile the Most

• Abdullah bin Harith (may Allah be

pleased with him related I have

never seen a person who smiled more

often than the Messenger of Allah

peace be upon him . [Tirmidhi]

171

• Behave cheerfully while you are in the

company of family or friends. Avoid

being gloomy and making them gloomy.

Be informal and good natured amidst

them. Do not frown nor behave with

formality. Try to act as an informal

companion, a good natured mate and a

cheerful friend. Your relatives and

friends should not feel bored with your

presence; rather they should feel happy

and alive in your company and should

feel drawn towards you.

172

Work on a Priority Basis


him said Never save anything for

tomorrow. [Tirmidhi]

173

• This hadith refers to those important

things which if you miss doing could be

a cause of eternal regret. For example, if

you have an opportunity to do sadaqah

today, don t put it off till tomorrow. You

could forget about it tomorrow,

Shaytaan could convince you not to do

it, or you could lose the means to do the

good deed. Thus, you end up missing

an opportunity to earn “llah s eternal

pleasure.

174

• Imam “hmad ibn Hanbal narrated that a man

once visited Salman al-Farisi (radi Allahu anhu)

and saw him engaged in kneading dough to bake

his daily bread. The man was surprised, and he

commented: What are you doing! Do you

regularly do that yourself? Salman replied: I

have sent my helper on an errand, and I hate to

impose two tasks on him in the same day. The

man then said: I bring you the greetings of so

and so. Salman asked: When did you arrive in

this town? The man replied: It s been some time

since I arrived in this town! Salman then

commented: To convey someone s greeting is a

trust and should one fail to deliver it at the time

he reaches his destination, he will be asked about

it on the Day of Judgement. [Hilyat-ul Awliya

wa Tabaqaat al-Asfiya by Imam Abu Naim al-

Asfahani] 175

• Salman (radi Allahu anhu) explained

the delivery of salam to be required on

reaching one s destination. However,

even if it is not required to be done as

soon as possible, it is nevertheless an

obligation pending fulfillment. Should

one die before having fulfilled one s

obligations he/she will be held

accountable before Allah (subhana wa

ta ala).

176

• The Sahabah had Akhirah before their

eyes all the time. This made them keen

not only to fulfill their obligations as

soon as possible but also to utilize the

resources at their disposal as soon as

possible, seeking “llah s pleasure. They

didn t want to take the chance of losing

their resources without deriving

everlasting benefit from them. Time is

one such resource.

177

178

179

180

Stir the Sugar


Offer prayer Dua with firm

conviction in “llah s favor. “llah does

not accept a prayer sent forth by an

inattentive heart. [Tirmidhi]

181

• Ask Allah (subhana wa ta ala) with

concentration and conviction in His

favor. Instead of looking at your

insignificance and the enormity of your

sins, look towards the unlimited

kindness and countless blessings of

Allah (subhana wa ta ala). The prayer of

a person whose thoughts aren t focused

on Allah and who is only mumbling

half-heartedly, on a whim, without

anticipating the favor of Allah, is in

vain.

182

• It is as though you put sugar in your cup

of tea, but not really believing in its

sweetness you didn t stir it. Till you stir

it, it won t sweeten your tea. So also,

conviction in “llah s powers and favors

is what must permeate you, in order for

your asking Allah (subhana wa ta ala) to

be effective.

183

What Your Heart Desires

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said The situation

of this Ummah (Muslims) is similar to four people:

“ person that “llah has given property and

knowledge to who uses his wealth according to his

knowledge. (2) A person whom Allah has granted

knowledge to, but not wealth. He prays to “llah O

My Lord! If I had richness like that person I would

also do like him. So he gets the reward of the first

one and they become equal in merit. (3) A person

that Allah has given wealth to but not knowledge. He

spends his riches as a rebel to Allah. (4) A person

that Allah has given neither wealth nor knowledge

to. He tells “llah If I had wealth like that person I

would also spend it on sinful acts like he does. So the

two of them become equal in committing sin. [Ibn

Majah, Tirmidhi] 184

• This hadith is a serious call for us to examine

what is in our hearts and what it is that we

secretly desire.

• The most highly rewarded are those who have

wealth which they spend Fee Sabeel Allah (in

“llah s Path . Some people do not have much

money but sincerely feel that if only they did

they too would spend it in “llah s Path. They

wish that they too could give as much as

those others are giving to make “llah s Deen

strong. Such people get the reward of

spending as much money as they wished that

they could spend! Without doing anything

except wishing, they get the same reward as

the ones who are generous in discharging

their responsibilities towards “llah s Deen. 185

• On the other hand, there are people

who spend money on music, movies,

concerts, or in holidaying and

entertainment wherein “llah s

boundaries are not respected, or

extravagance in food and clothing. If,

when we see such people, we wish that

we too had money to spend as they are

spending, then we get the same sin as

those actually spending the money in

disobedience to Allah (subhana wa

ta ala).

186

187

188

189

Serve Your Parents


Let that man be disgraced, and

disgraced again, and let him be

disgraced even more. The people

inquired O Prophet of “llah pbuh

who is that man? The Prophet of “llah

peace be upon him said I refer to the

man who finds his parents old in age –

both of them or one of them – and yet

does not get entitled to Jannah by

rendering good service to them.

[Muslim] 190

• Take good care of your parents with

sincerity and love. If Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) has offered you the opportunity

to serve your parents, it is actually a

chance for you to earn a place in Jannah

and win “llah s Pleasure.

• Good service to parents will secure

blessings for you in both worlds. It will

also save you from calamities in this

world and the next.

191

What’s there to Forgive

• It was reported that the Prophet (peace

be upon him) stayed up all night,

standing (in prayer) until his feet

became swollen. When he was asked,

Why are you doing this, when “llah

has forgiven all your past and future

wrong actions? he replied, Should I

not be a grateful slave? [Sahih

Bukhari]

192

• A worshipper worshipped Allah for fifty

years, so Allah told him that He had

forgiven him. The man said, O “llah, what

is there to forgive when I have not

committed a wrong action? So “llah

caused a nerve in his neck to give him pain,

so he could not sleep or pray. When the

pain eased and he was able to sleep, an

angel came to him. He complained to the

angel of the pain he had suffered. The

angel told him: Your Lord says to you that

your fifty years of worship is to pay for the

soothing of your pain. [Uddat as-Sabirin

wa Dhakhirat ash-Shakirin, by Imam Ibn

Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]

193

• The deeds of a man cannot pay for even

one of the many blessings of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala), because even the

smallest of “llah s blessings and favors on

us far outweigh the deeds a human can

perform. So bear in mind the rights which

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has over us.

• From the above story we may understand

the meaning of the hadith: If “llah were

to punish the people of heaven and earth,

He would have done that without being

unjust towards them, and if He were to

have mercy on them, His Mercy would be

far better for them than their deeds. [“bu

Dawud] 194

195

196

197

Sign of Faith: Simplicity of Dress


Simplicity of dress is one of the signs

of faith. [“bu Dawud]

198

• Simplicity of dress is a sign of Eeman

because it shows that the person believes

in “llah s promises of the Hereafter.

Such a person works for the everlasting

rewards and beautiful clothes of Jannah

and is thus not overly concerned with

the clothing of this world.

• Wear simple, dignified clothes and

spend moderately on them. Avoid

extravagance and finesse in matters of

dress. Keep yourself focused on matters

of everlasting significance.

199

With Whom You Love

• “ man asked the Prophet peace be

upon him , When will the Hour be

established, O “llah s Messenger? The

Prophet peace be upon him said, What

have you prepared for it? The man said,

I haven t prepared for it much of Salaat

(prayers) or Saum (fasts) or Sadaqa

(charity), but I love Allah and His

Messenger. The Prophet peace be upon

him said, You will be with those whom

you love. [Sahih ”ukhari]

200

• Notice that when the Prophet (peace be

upon him) was asked when the Day of

Judgement would be, he asked in return

What have you prepared for it? This is

because what matters is not when it will

happen, but what will happen to you

when it happens. Although nobody

knows the exact time of its occurrence, it

is sure to happen. Each and every person

to have ever lived on the face of the earth

will be resurrected and present on the

occasion. So when it happens is

immaterial. Of much greater significance

is the preparation we make for it.

201

• The second and extremely important

thing we learn from this hadith is the

value of loving the right people. Those

who love the prophets, the Shuhada, the

Mujahideen, the Siddiqeen, will be with

them. The man who asked the Prophet

(peace be upon him) was a sincere

Muslim. He would discharge his

religious obligations (Faraaid) but said

that he did not have a whole lot of extra

deeds of worship (Nawafil) prepared.

However, he loved “llah and “llah s

Messenger. This was reason enough for

the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell

him that he would be with him. 202

• On the other hand, those who love

sinners, liars, unfair and oppressive

people, fornicators, and rebels against

Allah, should be prepared to be thrown

into the Fire with them. Those who love

evil doers, hang out with them, and

suck up to them, should be prepared to

be their Companions in Hell as well.

203

204

205

206

Stolen Wealth on Shoulders


him said I do not want to see any of

you coming on the Day of

Resurrection with a bellowing camel

on his shoulders, saying, O

Messenger of “llah, help me, and I

will say to him, I cannot do anything

for you, I conveyed the message to

you. [Muslim]

207

• Whatever anybody steals,

misappropriates, or takes unjustly from

another, will be laden onto his shoulders

and be hanging around his neck on the

Day of Judgment. He will have to carry

that burden and everybody will see

what he stole. This includes the stealing

of rulers, employers, employees,

workers and governors from public

coffers.

208

• There was once a rich and powerful king

called Hakam II who ruled over Spain. One

day he was riding around his country when

he saw a beautiful piece of land. It belonged

to an old widow who refused to sell it.

Hakam had her evicted and began

construction of a large palace on it. The old

lady went to the Qazi (judge) for help. He

told her he had an idea but that she would

have to wait.

• When the palace was complete, Hakam

arranged a party in it and invited many

people, including the Qazi. They arrived

with magnificent presents, but the Qazi

arrived on a donkey with two empty sacks

and asked Hakam for two favors. 209

• Hakam said he would oblige, so the first

request the Qazi made was to be

allowed to fill his two sacks with earth

from the palace garden. Hakam agreed.

Once they were full, the Qazi requested

Hakam to load the sacks onto the back

of the donkey. The request was strange

but Hakam obliged again.

210

• Though he heaved and pulled, Hakam

could not lift the heavy sacks. I m sorry

my friend, but I cannot lift these sacks!

he said. The Qazi replied, If you cannot

lift these two sacks today, how will you

carry the weight of this whole garden

and palace on the Day of Judgment

when Allah asks you why you took it

from the widow?

• Hakam realized his mistake, apologized

to the widow, and returned her land to

her with palace and presents.

211

Who to Criticize

• Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported:

On occasions when we went on

journeys with the Prophet (peace be

upon him), some of the Companions

observed fasts and others did not.

However, neither those who had kept

fast criticized those who had missed

the fast, nor did the latter object to the

fasting of the former. [Sahih ”ukhari]

212

• If a person happens to be traveling

during Ramadhan, Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) has allowed such a Muslim not to

fast then, but instead make the fast up

after Ramadhan is over. This concession

may be used, but if a person wishes to

fast even while on a journey, he/she

may do so.

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) says: ”ut

whosoever among you is sick or on a

journey (he is required to observe

fasts in replacement of those days)

the same number of other days.

[Quran 2:185]

213

• The attitude of the Sahabah is what is

particularly noteworthy here. They did not sit

to criticize each other over their personal

preferences. Whatever was Halal, they let be.

To fast or not to fast, while traveling, are both

Halaal. Both groups of Sahabah were acting in

line with “llah s commands – and they

respected each other for that.

• Where Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has allowed

more than one course of action, we need to

tolerate it too, rather than insist on our

opinion. Today, we leave alone the person

who is involved in Haraam, and pick fights

with those who are following “llah s

commands. May Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

give us the desire and strength to correct

ourselves. Ameen. 214

215

216

217

Saved for Me


him said Every Prophet has one

supplication that is granted to him,

and every Prophet hastened to make

that supplication (in this world). But I

have postponed my supplication in

order to intercede for my Ummah on

the Day of Resurrection. [Bukhaari]

218

• Every grief and injury that could touch a

person befell the Prophet (pbuh). His

beloved uncle Abu Talib died in the state

of Kufr, his beloved wife Khadeeja who

he could never forget died, three of his

daughters died in adulthood and his

sons died in infancy. Yet he didn t use

his wish to save any of them. He saved

that wish for you and me, so that he

could save us from the Fire of Hell on

the Day of Resurrection. Do I care to be

saved from the Fire of Hell?

219

• What have I done for him (peace be upon

him) in return? How much have I loved him

in return?

• Love demands sacrifice. What have I

sacrificed out of love for Muhammad (peace

be upon him)?

• Love extracts a tax: to love those who love

the beloved and hate those who hate the

beloved. Do I love those who love him and

hate those who hate him (peace be upon

him)?

• When I love someone their wish is my

command and their commands are

heavenly decrees. Is my love manifest in my

behavior? Can anyone tell I love my

Prophet (peace be upon him)?

220

White Hair is Noor

• The Messenger of “llah peace be

upon him) forbade plucking out white

hairs and said It is the light of the

believer. [Sunan Ibn Majah]

221

• Plucking white hair from one s head is

forbidden. Old age is a cause of honor for a

believer (Momin) – that they grew old in the

service of Allah (subhana wa ta ala).

• It is also a good reminder to one of his/her

fleeting stay in this world; the fact that their

time is coming to an end sooner rather than

later.

• The white hair of a believer will be Noor (light)

for him/her on the Day of Judgement; a much

needed commodity that Day. Noor will allow

us to see on the Day when it is pitch dark and

none except those with light can cross over the

bridge spanning Hell. White hair should thus

be cherished.

222

223

224

225

Special Times for Dua


him said “ servant is nearest to his

Lord when he is in prostration, so

increase your supplication when in

prostration. [Muslim, Kitab as-Salah]

226

• Although a Momin remembers Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) all the time, there are

some special times and conditions that

are considered to be especially favorable

for making Dua.

• Of the special times for supplication is

the day of Arafat from the days of the

year, the month of Ramadan from the

months of the year, Friday from among

the days of the week, and the early

morning hours from the times of the

day.

227

• Some of the favorable conditions for

making Dua are at the time of rain fall,

at the time that armies fighting in the

way of Allah march out, the time

between the Adhan and the Iqama and

at the time of being in the position of

Sajdah.

228

While Waiting In Line

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be

upon him said The nearest to me on

the Day of Resurrection will be those

who invoke blessings on me

frequently. [Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Witr]

229

• The closer we are to the Prophet (pbuh)

on the Day of Resurrection the greater

can be our expectation of happiness and

reward.

• While you are sitting with nothing to

do, send blessings to the Messenger

(pbuh) by reciting the Durood that you

do towards the conclusion of the

prayers, right before the Tasleem.

• In fact, while you are driving, or

cooking, or waiting in line, make extra

use of your time and increase your

nearness to the Prophet (pbuh) by

sending Durood on him (pbuh). 230

231

232

233

Show Love through Obligatory Deeds


him said “llah subhana wa ta ala)

has said, My servant does not draw

near to Me with anything more loved

by Me than what I have made Fard for

him. [Sahih ”ukhari]

234

• The best love, the most exalted and

elevated love, the most sincere love and

the most beneficial kind of love is most

certainly the love of the One Whom

hearts were created to love, and for

whom creation was brought into

existence to adore.

• Hearts, as they mature, come to love

whomever is merciful and kind towards

them. So how much greater is their love

for Him from Whom all kindness

springs.

235

• Every good thing enjoyed by “llah s

creation is one of His limitless blessings,

and He is One, with no associates and

no partners. “nd whatever good you

have – it is from Allah; and then,

when misfortune comes to you, you

cry to Him for help. [Quran: Surah

An-Nahl, Ayat 53]

236

• How can a servant not love, with all his

heart and body, the One Who is

constantly Merciful and Generous

towards him in spite of all his wrong

actions? “llah s Mercy descends upon

His servant from the heavens, while the

servant s wrong actions rise up to him

from the earth.

237

• He, Glorious is He, created us for

Himself and He created everything for

us, both in this world and in the next.

Who else, then, deserves to be loved and

pleased more than Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) ? Allah (subhana wa ta ala) tells us

that the deeds through which we best

show our love for Him are the deeds He

has made obligatory (Fard) for us. These

deeds please Him more than all others.

238

• Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak recited:

You disobey Allah,

and yet you still claim to love Him.

By Allah, such behavior is disgusting,

by any standard!

You would have obeyed Him had your

love been true,

For the lover is always obedient to the

Beloved!

239

Who Overpowers Whom

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be

upon him said The most perfect

among the Mumineen in Emaan are

those with the best character and the

best among you are those whose

character with their wives is best.

[Mishkaat]

240

• We learn from this hadith that the highest

standard of good character is good

treatment to the wife.

• Allama Aaloosi (rehmatullah) has related

in Tafseer Rooh ul Ma aani that the

Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Those husbands who are merciful are

overpowered by their wives, while those

who are hard hearted, who have bad

character, overpower their wives.

• This means that the wives start speaking

sharply, they become playful towards the

husband and display coquetry, but they

do maintain and fulfill their rights.

241

242

243

244

The Size Of The Universe


him said The universe compared to

“llah s kursi (footrest) is like a ring in

a desert. “nd “llah s kursi compared

to His ursh (throne) is like a ring in a

desert. [Ibn Hibban, Ibn Abi Hatim]

245

• The size of our planet earth compared to the

size of the universe is like a grain of sand

compared to the size of the earth. Now read

again how the size of the universe compares

to “llah s kursi and His ursh!

• When we consider Allah (subhana wa

ta'ala) as our Creator and the Creator and

Maintainer of the entire universe, when we

consider revelation to have come from Him,

of what value is our opinion and intellect

against His? Allah (subhana wa ta ala) as

our Creator knows our nature best and has

graciously informed us which laws are ideal

for us, so we can live by Divine Guidance

and avoid the pain of trial and error. 246

• When mines are planted, mine maps are

made. Mine maps help the army that has

the mine map to safely cross the mine

field themselves. Allah (subhana wa

ta'ala) has sent us the Quran as a mine

map, so that we may safely cross the

mine field of life. But our ignorance and

arrogance are such, that we wish to

negotiate this mine field with no regard

to the mine map!

247

What Remains

• The Messenger of “llah peace be

upon him) stood by a place full of

human bones and said to the people,

Do you like to look at the world? He

then took a rotten cloth and

decomposed bone and said, This is the

world. [Ihya Ulum Id Deen by Imam

Ghazali]

248

• What this means is that the wealth and

pleasures of the world will soon be as

ruined as the fine cloth and healthy

bodies that are now rotten and

decomposing. All that remains of this

world is the record of deeds each of us

prepares for himself.

249

• It has been reported that Sulaiman

(alaihis salam) was roaming in the air

and birds were giving him shade while

men and jinn were on his right and left.

He met a hermit of Bani Israeel on the

way and the hermit said to him, O son of

Dawud, the Almighty God has given you

reign and power. “t this Sulaiman

(alaihis salam said, One Tasbeeh (word

of praise and remembrance of Allah) in

the book of deeds of a believer is superior

to my reign, as what has been given to

the son of Dawud will end, but Tasbeeh

will remain. [Ihya Ulum Id Deen by

Imam Ghazali]

250

• Each of us has the ability to remember

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and obtain

what is more valuable than the

kingship of Sulaiman (alaihis salam)

but we are busy pursuing superficial

goods which will rot with our deaths.

251

252

253

254

The Not So Rich Millionaire


him said Richness does not lie in the

abundance of (worldly) goods, but

richness is the richness of the soul

heart, self . [Muslim]

255

• There are millionaires who are obsessed

with making more money, always

worried that their wealth is not going to

be enough for them. Their insecurity

does not let them enjoy what they are

blessed with. Such a person despite

having riches cannot be called a rich

person. For what good is wealth that

does not allow its possessor to feel rich,

secure or happy? True wealth is the

wealth of contentment. This is a gift

from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and it

lives as contentment in the heart of a

person. 256

Yawning is from Shaitaan

• Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) reported

that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“llah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning.

When any one of you sneezes and says “l-

hamdulillah praise be to “llah , it becomes

obligatory upon every Muslim who hears

him to respond with Yarhamuk-“llah

(may Allah have mercy on you). Yawning is

from the Shaitaan. When one of you feels

like yawning, he should restrain it as much

as possible, for the Shaitaan laughs at you

when one of you yawns. [Sahih ”ukhari] 257

• Sneezing is something that purifies the

body and brings one comfort. It is

therefore something good and one

should glorify Allah for it. However,

yawning is indicative of gluttony, sloth

and heaviness and is considered

disagreeable. The Prophet (peace be

upon him) commanded us to stop it

either by closing our mouth or by

putting our hand across it in order to

avoid an act which pleases Shaitaan.

258

259

260

261

Three Types of Soil

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said, “n example of the guidance and knowledge with

which Allah has sent me is that of a rain that

falls on different kinds of lands. One land is

good; it accepts water and produces

vegetation and grass in plenty. Another kind

of land is dry with a solid bed that preserves

the rain water so that people can drink and

irrigate from it. The third kind of land is

porous that can neither retain water nor

produce vegetation. This is the example of

those who acquire knowledge of the Deen and

benefit from that which Allah sent me with,

and of those who do not take heed and insist

on rejecting “llah's Guidance. [”ukhari] 262

• The Messenger (peace be upon him)

likens the knowledge of Islam to rain,

because both are causes of life. Rain is

the cause of life for the body, while

knowledge is the cause of life for the

heart. Thus, just as there are three kinds

of lands or soil, there are also three

kinds of hearts:

263

1) The first is fertile land which accepts

water and is ready to produce vegetation.

When rain falls on it, it absorbs the water

eagerly, giving rise to all sorts of pleasant

vegetation. This is the example of a

healthy, pure, and intelligent heart, which

embraces knowledge, is guided by its

intelligent nature, and thus blossoms

wisdom and faith. It is eager to take

knowledge, and ready to bear fruits. It is

like a rich businessman who has

experience and knowledge, which enables

him to invest his wealth in that which

brings the best profit. 264

2) The second kind of land is hard. It can

hold water as a reservoir does and can

be used to drink or irrigate from. This is

the example of the heart that preserves

knowledge so as to convey it accurately

to others. But this person cannot

extrapolate or derive conclusions from

the knowledge himself. He is like a rich

man who does not possess the ability to

invest his wealth and increase it, but

who knows how to preserve it.

265

3) The third kind of land is barren. It is

incapable of producing vegetation or

even holding water. No matter how

much rain falls on it, it does not benefit

by it. This is the example of the heart

that does not accept any knowledge or

wisdom at all. It is like a poor man who

neither possesses wealth nor can he

increase or preserve it.

266

• The first of the above three examples

applies to a learned man who teaches

knowledge, and who calls people to

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) with clear

guidance; such are the inheritors of the

Prophets. The second applies to one who

preserves the knowledge and transmits

what he hears precisely; he carries to

other people precious goods that they

can use for trade and investment. The

third applies to one who neither accepts

Allah's Guidance nor benefits from it.

267

You Were Like Spit • One day the Prophet (peace be upon him) spat

on his palm, then putting his finger in it said:

“llah subhana wa ta ala says, O son of

Adam! How can you run away from Me,

when I created you from something like spit

(semen). Then when I completed My creation

of you and molded you appropriately, you

started walking around in two sheets in such a

way that your strut caused the earth to begin

to shake. Then you gathered wealth and

hoarded it and when your soul reached your

collar bone then you began to say, Let me give

in charity, though the time for giving in

charity had passed. [Musnad Ahmed] 268

• When Allah (subhana wa ta ala) created His

servant, the man s condition was such that he

understood nothing and could do nothing. He

did not bring anything with him of which he

was owner, nor could he give anything to

anyone, nor could he prevent anybody from

doing anything. He could neither benefit nor

harm anyone. In this condition his complete

dependence on a perfectly powerful entity was

obvious, which everybody could witness. For a

baby to be dependent in this way is true for

every human being that is born. He always

remains dependent on the One who created

him. It does not happen that once he moves on

to a different condition where he can begin to

feed himself and earn, he is no longer

dependent on his Creator. 269

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala , man s Creator,

bestows His blessings upon him, perfects His

creation, dresses him in fine clothes, favors

him with the abilities to think, understand

and see, gives him knowledge, and gives

strength to his arms and legs, till he begins to

have other people like him work for him. He

makes animals subservient to his command,

and he begins to dig canals in the land. He

begins to plant orchards and cleaving the

ground he lays the foundations for tall

buildings. He begins to contemplate and work

out his problems, and he implements

procedures to protect himself from the

harmful creatures of the earth. He achieves all

this with the permission and help of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala). 270

• But what happens is that this poor

creature begins to think that he has a

share in the ownership of these things

and he begins to think of himself as

king along with Allah, even though he

was well acquainted with his prior

condition. He forgets his previous

helplessness, poverty, need and

dependence, as though he were never a

beggar and totally dependent on Allah,

as though it were someone other than

him who depended on Allah to be born

without defect, to be clothed, fed, and

established on earth. 271

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala is “l-Ghani.

He is rich and you are poor. Whatever

you have, is from Him. He does not

depend on you, you depend on Him to

satisfy your smallest needs. Don t forget

that. Don t be proud, don t hoard your

blessings, and give charity generously

in gratitude to Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

well before your death approaches and

your charity becomes meaningless.

272

273

274

275

Two Grave Sins


him) passed by two graves and said:

”oth of them the persons in these

graves) are being tortured, and they

are not being tortured for a cardinal

sin. But indeed they are great sins.

One of them used not to save himself

from being soiled with his urine, and

the other one used to go about with

calumnies (among the people to rouse

hostilities . [Sahih ”ukhari] 276

• One of the two sins mentioned here is not

cleaning oneself properly after urinating

or not saving oneself from being splashed

with drops of urine. However, La

yastatiru min baulihi has another

meaning too, that he does not pass urine

in privacy but does it shamelessly in the

presence of other people. Shamelessness

is a sin and a characteristic of evil people.

A hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) tells us

that modesty comes from Eeman faith .

[Sahih Bukhari] Therefore, a dearth of

modesty is a reflection of a scarcity of

Eeman. 277

• The other sin that results in punishment

in one s grave is tale bearing, a common

social evil. This is when one goes to a

person and tells him that so-and-so says

about him such and such evil thing. This

results in creating ill feelings among

Muslims and spoiling their sense of

brotherhood. Therefore, this is also a

very serious sin that we must

consciously be on the look out against

committing if we want to not be in pain

in our graves.

278

Zuhud’s Three Stages


him said Had the world been worth

even the wing of a gnat to Allah, He

would not have even given a drink of

water from it to a Kafir. [Tirmidhi;

Kitab az-Zuhud]

279

• The ahadith which scorn worldly goods

and describe how worthless they are in

the sight of Allah are many. What

matters is “llah s pleasure, and

whatever we have to give up to obtain it,

is insignificant compared to what Allah

will give us in return.

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) says: You

desire the attractions of this world,

but Allah desires the next world for

you. [Quran: Surah al-Anfaal, Ayat

67]

280

• Any person who exchanges the things of

this world for the next world is doing

without something in this life and so

may be considered a Zahid. There are

three stages of Zuhud:

• The first stage is to withdraw from the

life of this world, even though you may

still have a great desire for it and your

heart is still drawn towards it. The self is

still pre-occupied with the world, even

though you struggle with it and restrain

it.

281

• The second stage is to acquire

detachment from this world and to do

without in it, in order to obtain your

reward for avoiding it. Here, it is your

doing without which preoccupies you.

This is the state of the person who gives

away a dirham in order to obtain two.

• The third stage is that of the one who

willingly puts the world to one side

without even a thought for what he has

abandoned. This is the one who has

exchanged a fragment of broken pottery

for a jewel.

282

• Or it is like someone who, seeking to

gain entrance to see the King, is

prevented by a dog at the gate. By

throwing the dog a scrap it is distracted

and this makes it possible for him to

gain entrance to the King s audience

chamber. Shaytaan is like that dog,

standing at the gates of Allah. He tries to

prevent people from entering them,

even though the gates are wide open

and the world is just a scrap which you

can toss aside without a second thought.

283

• So cash your expensive meals, outings,

and fashionable clothes for the never

ending Pleasure of Allah and the never

diminishing joys of Jannah.

• What in life I can do without, that I can

spend in “llah s Path instead, only I

know. I have to take the first few steps

and Allah will give me the strength to

walk farther and faster.

284

285

286

287

The Time for Seclusion (I)

• Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aas (radi Allahu anhu)

narrated Once we were in an assembly of the

Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) began to talk

about the days of corruption and disturbances and

said, When you see that people break their promises

and pledge, betray their trusts, fight with one

another and become like this entangling together

the fingers of both his hands … I then said, O

Messenger of Allah, may I sacrifice my life for you,

what should I do in such a time? The Prophet

pbuh replied, Remain within the bounds of your

house; control your tongue; adopt what you know

and give up what you do not know; establish contact

with the special few privately and ignore the general

public. [Minhaj ul Abideen by Imam Ghazzali]

288

• The Prophet (pbuh) told us about the time

when separation and seclusion is to be

adopted, the signs of the time and the

conditions of the people of the age when we

are to adopt it.

• When people break their promises, betray

their trusts, and fight with one another, the

Prophet (pbuh) commanded us to stay within

our homes, guard our tongues, and seclude

ourselves from the general public (e.g. by

homeschooling our children and keeping the

media out of our homes). Keep in mind that it

is of no use to shut the doors of your house if

the whole world s misguidance and

brainwashing comes in through T.V., cable,

the internet, movies, etc. 289

• The Prophet (pbuh) knows better the

interests and advantage of the Ummah. He

(pbuh) was our greatest well wisher, he

preferred our welfare to that of his own. So

if you find your time to be the same as what

the Prophet (pbuh) has described in this

Hadith, then it is binding on you to accept

his commands and act upon them.

• Do not fall prey to the misconception that

you yourself understand what is good or

bad for you. Do not beguile yourself with

false excuses, for no excuse will be accepted

from you in the Hereafter and you will

God-forbid be exposed to loss and

destruction at that critical time. 290


him said Those will be the days of

corruption and unrest. The people

asked O Messenger of “llah! What

are the days of corruption and

unrest? He peace be upon him

answered The days when people will

be afraid even of their own companions

and colleagues. [Minhaj ul Abideen

by Imam Ghazzali]

291

The Time for Seclusion (II)

• What is one to do at such a time?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

When the prayers will be missed,

bribery will become a common affair

and Deen will be sold at a very little

price of worldly gains. At such a time

you should seek safety and seclusion

from the general public. [Minhaj ul

Abideen by Imam Ghazzali]

292


him said If you are living at that time

then a time will come upon you when

there will be a large number of lecturers

and preachers but only a few scholars

and learned men, a large number of

beggars but only a few charitable

persons. In those times learning and

knowledge will be subordinate to desires

and lusts. [Minhaj ul Abideen by

Imam Ghazzali]

293

The Time for Seclusion (III)

• This is what the Prophet (pbuh) said regarding

the times of trials and tribulations (Fitan). The

plethora of people who will talk about Islam

without deep knowledge is one of the signs of

the times of Fitan.

• Why is it that when it comes to medicine we

want to see only the most highly qualified

doctors, but when it comes to Islam we are

willing to take it from anybody?

• Why is it that if butchers and carpenters were to

talk about treating heart attacks and strokes on

talk shows, we would assume it s a comedy

(unless the butchers and carpenters were

graduates of medical schools), but if doctors

and engineers talk about Islam we take it

seriously (even if they are not graduates of

seminaries-Madaaris)?

294

• Why is it that we are more concerned about

the health of the body that will perish in a

few years for sure, but unconcerned about

the health of the soul which will never die?

• So what should one do if they find

themselves in such times when lecturers

and preachers abound but men of real

learning and courage are few?

• The Prophet pbuh said, Remain within

the bounds of your house; control your

tongue; adopt what you know and give up

what you do not know; establish contact

with the special few privately and ignore

the general public. [Minhaj ul Abideen by

Imam Ghazzali] 295

296

297

11. November (Sunnah Selection For Daily Reading)

Documents

scholarly imam

son of imam ahmad bin

accursed shaitan

presence of shaitan

rid of shaitan

dying person

moosa alaihis salams

fathers death