Shaytan does not come to the human and say, ‘Leave this good deed and do this evil deed in order to make your life in this world and the next a miserable one.’ If he behaved in that manner no one would follow him. Instead, he uses many ways to deceive the slaves of Allah, including:
1. Making evil look good – He makes the false appear in the form of truth. And he makes what is true appearing like falsehood. He always bewitches the mind until he can deceive the person. No one is safe from his bewitching except whomsoever Allah wills. He makes good looking to him what harms him the most, until he imagines that it is the most beneficial act for himself. And he makes him flee from the most beneficial act until he thinks it is something harmful to him.
2. Going to extremes – Allah never orders anything except that Shaytan takes two contradictory stance towards it; either shortcoming and negligence or overzealousness and exaggeration. It does not matter [to him] by which of these two mistakes he becomes victorious over the slave. He comes to the heart of the slave and examines it. If he finds in it listlessness and looking for loopholes, he deals with him from that vantage. He strikes him with laziness, listlessness and lethargy. He opens for him the door to reinterpretations hopes and so forth until the slave may not fulfill anything of what he is commanded. If he finds in the slave’s heart alertness, seriousness, desire to work and potential, Satan despairs from attacking him through the above means. Instead, he orders him to strive even harder. He convinces him that what he is doing is not sufficient for him. His ambition is to be greater than that. He must work more than the other workers. He should not sleep when they sleep. He should not break his fast when they break their fasts. He should not rest when they rest. If one of them washes his hands and face three times, he should wash them seven times. If one makes wudu for prayer, he must make ghusl. [He orders him to] similar other acts of exaggeration and extremism. He makes him go to extremes and beyond the limits. He makes him stray from the straight path in the same way that he makes the first person fall short of the straight path and not approach it. Satans intention for both is to keep them from the straight path: the first by making him not come close or near to it and the second by making him pass it and go beyond it. Many of creation are misled by these two strategies. There is no escape from them except deep knowledge, faith and the strength to fight Satan and stay along the middle path.’
If you feel that you are being affected by this waswaas, say, “Aamantu Billaahi wa Rasoolihi (I believe in Allaah and His Messenger).”
Try to stop thinking about that waswas as much as possible, and keep busy with things that will distract you from it.
Keep on turning to Allah in all situations, and ask Him for help, and beseech Him, and ask Him to make you steadfast until death, and cause you to die doing righteous deeds.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Shaytan enters a persons heart through his weaknesses - Part 4
We know that Shaytan gradually misguides mankind through waswaas (whisperings to commit acts of disobedience to Allah) but he does not use the same approach for everyone. People differ in their nature, personality and ways of thinking; what appeals to one, may not appeal to another. So Shaytan may seek to conquer someone by exploiting his love for money, while he may subdue another by his lust for fame, or might delude another by emotion. Shaytan has different ways to enter a man’s soul and misguide it; these doorways to a person’s heart are referred to as, ‘weakness.’
Imam Ibnul-Qayyim said, “The Shaytan flows through the son of Adam like blood, until it is as if he becomes part of him, so he finds out what he likes and prefers; once he knows that, he uses it against a person and enters into him through this door. He also passes this information on to his brothers and allies among mankind, so that when they want to achieve their wicked aims against one another they do so through means of that which people love and desire. Whoever tries to enter through this door will gain entry, and whoever tries to enter through any other way will find that the door is barred to him and he will not get what he wants.”
It is thus not the way of Shaytan to openly call one to disobedience. He will encourage negligence in prayers by whispering to the person to complete his worldly work before he leaves for prayers. After he has completed his work, Shaytan will remind him of food, and after that he will remind him of something else until the time of prayer has perished.
Similarly, if a person runs a business, Shaytan whispers to him that if he goes for prayer, he might miss some customers. However, if Shaytan finds man to be zealous in performing Salaat, he comes to him through different means in which he is weak. He whispers to him concerning his wealth and encourages him to unlawfully usurp the wealth of others and forbids him from paying Zakaat while telling him that this will bring him poverty and so on.
Ignorance, Ingratitude, Argumentativeness, Overstepping the limits, Carelessness, Pride, Doubt, Suspicion, Despair, Hopelessness, Recklessness, Haste, Inappropriate joy, Self-admiration, Wrong-doings, Oppression, Negligence, Miserliness, Covetousness, Extreme hostility in cases of dispute, Panic, Fear, Rebellion, Tyranny, Love of wealth are DOORWAYS OF SHAYTAN INTO A MAN’S HEART.
I ask Allaah to protect us and increase us in faith, righteousness and piety.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Imam Ibnul-Qayyim said, “The Shaytan flows through the son of Adam like blood, until it is as if he becomes part of him, so he finds out what he likes and prefers; once he knows that, he uses it against a person and enters into him through this door. He also passes this information on to his brothers and allies among mankind, so that when they want to achieve their wicked aims against one another they do so through means of that which people love and desire. Whoever tries to enter through this door will gain entry, and whoever tries to enter through any other way will find that the door is barred to him and he will not get what he wants.”
It is thus not the way of Shaytan to openly call one to disobedience. He will encourage negligence in prayers by whispering to the person to complete his worldly work before he leaves for prayers. After he has completed his work, Shaytan will remind him of food, and after that he will remind him of something else until the time of prayer has perished.
Similarly, if a person runs a business, Shaytan whispers to him that if he goes for prayer, he might miss some customers. However, if Shaytan finds man to be zealous in performing Salaat, he comes to him through different means in which he is weak. He whispers to him concerning his wealth and encourages him to unlawfully usurp the wealth of others and forbids him from paying Zakaat while telling him that this will bring him poverty and so on.
Ignorance, Ingratitude, Argumentativeness, Overstepping the limits, Carelessness, Pride, Doubt, Suspicion, Despair, Hopelessness, Recklessness, Haste, Inappropriate joy, Self-admiration, Wrong-doings, Oppression, Negligence, Miserliness, Covetousness, Extreme hostility in cases of dispute, Panic, Fear, Rebellion, Tyranny, Love of wealth are DOORWAYS OF SHAYTAN INTO A MAN’S HEART.
I ask Allaah to protect us and increase us in faith, righteousness and piety.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Strategy of Shaytaan - Part 3
In order to ease the path of hell for the people, Shaytan tempts mankind little by little; beginning with a few steps and eventually leading them to the final downfall.
Shaytan had persuaded Adam and Hawa into eating the forbidden fruit. Allah commanded, “O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Dhalimoon (wrong-doers).” [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 35]
It is worth pondering that Allah did not say, ‘Do not eat the fruit of this tree,’ rather He commanded them to stay away from the tree itself saying “but come not near this tree.” If they strolled near the tree or sat in its shade there was a greater possibility of them being tempted into eating its fruit. So Allah commanded them to keep away from the tree absolutely!
This is the Sunnah of Allah in all matters. He closes all doors that lead to evil by forbidding the means that can lead His slaves into committing greater sin or evil.
Knowing that Allah prohibited Adam and Hawa from approaching the forbidden tree; Shaytan first enticed them to come near the tree. He then beautified for them its fruits, their color and fragrance, and finally caused Adam and Hawa to eat from it. So, Shaytan enticed them into disobeying Allah in a gradual way.
Shaytan uses the same ploy with the children of Adam and this necessitates extra precaution on our part. We not only have to refrain from committing sins but it is also necessary to keep away from every path that may lead to disobeying Allah, including visiting places and gatherings where the limits of Allah are not respected, keeping bad company or participating in innovated celebrations etc.
May Allah protect us from the traps of Shaytan.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Shaytan had persuaded Adam and Hawa into eating the forbidden fruit. Allah commanded, “O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Dhalimoon (wrong-doers).” [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 35]
It is worth pondering that Allah did not say, ‘Do not eat the fruit of this tree,’ rather He commanded them to stay away from the tree itself saying “but come not near this tree.” If they strolled near the tree or sat in its shade there was a greater possibility of them being tempted into eating its fruit. So Allah commanded them to keep away from the tree absolutely!
This is the Sunnah of Allah in all matters. He closes all doors that lead to evil by forbidding the means that can lead His slaves into committing greater sin or evil.
Knowing that Allah prohibited Adam and Hawa from approaching the forbidden tree; Shaytan first enticed them to come near the tree. He then beautified for them its fruits, their color and fragrance, and finally caused Adam and Hawa to eat from it. So, Shaytan enticed them into disobeying Allah in a gradual way.
Shaytan uses the same ploy with the children of Adam and this necessitates extra precaution on our part. We not only have to refrain from committing sins but it is also necessary to keep away from every path that may lead to disobeying Allah, including visiting places and gatherings where the limits of Allah are not respected, keeping bad company or participating in innovated celebrations etc.
May Allah protect us from the traps of Shaytan.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Shaytaan never tires - Part 2
Satan has one long term goal. This is his ultimate ambition. This goal is to see humans thrown into the hellfire and prevented from entering paradise. To achieve his goal, Shaytan first lures mankind into committing Shirk and Kufr through invoking dead, practicing magic etc., because Shirk is the greatest sin. Anyone who dies upon Shirk will not be forgiven, nor will he ever be taken out of Hell-fire.
If he cannot manage to deceive people into committing Shirk and Kufr, he does not give up. He causes people to follow bidah (innovations in the religion). One who sins, knows that he is disobeying Allah and some time, he may turn to Allah and seek forgiveness and be pardoned. But he, who practices Bidah, deems his action to be a form of worship to Allah and thus, never even thinks of repentance!
If Shaytan fails at causing people to follow innovations, he will move on to calling them to major sins. If the believer keeps steadfast, Shaytan is still not discouraged, he calls them to minor sins.
Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihe wassallam warned us concerning minor sins by giving an example of how a great fire can be kindled by means of small wooden sticks collected in a place. Similarly, minor sins if allowed to accumulate, might destroy the sinner.
If the believer still emerges safe from his traps, Shaytan seeks to keep him occupied with permissible matters, like sleeping, eating, pursuing worldly affairs, etc. Spending time and effort in these will neither earn him reward nor bring punishment. He will, however, miss the rewards he would have gained if he had spent his time in performing good deeds.
If the believing slave is still not deceived and manages his time well, Shaytan keeps him busy with less virtuous deeds instead of what is more preferable and rewarding in order for him to miss the reward of the best and most virtuous deed.
If after employing all kinds of temptations and deceptive arguments, Shaytan still does not succeed in diverting the son of Adam from his religious commitments, he resorts to corrupt his acts of worship and deprive him from the rewards. He stirs up doubts and makes the person anxious and uncertain.
If the person still remains undefeated, Shaytan’s next step is to harm the person, for example, by causing him to be persecuted, or by distorting his reputation. By this trick Shaytan intends to discourage the person from his religious commitment.
What we can conclude is that if Satan fails at one stage, he does not give up and keeps trying, and lies in wait along the path of goodness as he had avowed, “… surely I will sit and wait against them on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones.” Surah al-A’raf 16-17.
Wassalamu alaikum wa rahamtullahe wabarakatuhu
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
If he cannot manage to deceive people into committing Shirk and Kufr, he does not give up. He causes people to follow bidah (innovations in the religion). One who sins, knows that he is disobeying Allah and some time, he may turn to Allah and seek forgiveness and be pardoned. But he, who practices Bidah, deems his action to be a form of worship to Allah and thus, never even thinks of repentance!
If Shaytan fails at causing people to follow innovations, he will move on to calling them to major sins. If the believer keeps steadfast, Shaytan is still not discouraged, he calls them to minor sins.
Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihe wassallam warned us concerning minor sins by giving an example of how a great fire can be kindled by means of small wooden sticks collected in a place. Similarly, minor sins if allowed to accumulate, might destroy the sinner.
If the believer still emerges safe from his traps, Shaytan seeks to keep him occupied with permissible matters, like sleeping, eating, pursuing worldly affairs, etc. Spending time and effort in these will neither earn him reward nor bring punishment. He will, however, miss the rewards he would have gained if he had spent his time in performing good deeds.
If the believing slave is still not deceived and manages his time well, Shaytan keeps him busy with less virtuous deeds instead of what is more preferable and rewarding in order for him to miss the reward of the best and most virtuous deed.
If after employing all kinds of temptations and deceptive arguments, Shaytan still does not succeed in diverting the son of Adam from his religious commitments, he resorts to corrupt his acts of worship and deprive him from the rewards. He stirs up doubts and makes the person anxious and uncertain.
If the person still remains undefeated, Shaytan’s next step is to harm the person, for example, by causing him to be persecuted, or by distorting his reputation. By this trick Shaytan intends to discourage the person from his religious commitment.
What we can conclude is that if Satan fails at one stage, he does not give up and keeps trying, and lies in wait along the path of goodness as he had avowed, “… surely I will sit and wait against them on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones.” Surah al-A’raf 16-17.
Wassalamu alaikum wa rahamtullahe wabarakatuhu
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Meet your enemy - Part 1
It is upon the Muslim to discover the way of Satan in misleading mankind and to uncover Satan’s ways and to show them to the rest of mankind. The Quran does this, as did the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassallam. They did so in the best manner possible. The Quran showed us the way in which Satan deceived Adam. And the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassallam informed his companions about how the devils listened to the news of the skies and passed that on to the diviners and soothsayers along with a hundred lies to go with it. He clarified that for them in order for them not to be deceived by something similar to it. He also explained to them how Satan whispers to them in order to ruin their prayers and worship. He also explained to them how Satan makes them think that their ablutions had become invalid when that was not really the case. He also described to them how the devils separate a man
from his wife. He also told them how Satan makes one think about who created this and that until he thinks about who created Allah.
So here is some information about your arch enemy, may the curse of Allah be upon him:
Name: Iblees
Place: The hearts of the negligent, heedless, careless, …
Clan: Tawagheet (any enemy of Allah)
Eternal residence: Hell
Status: Fasiq of first degree
Regions: Places where the Name of Allah is not mentioned
The route of his journey: Deviated
His capital: Wishes and desires
The place of his gathering: The markets
The enemies of his journey: Muslims
His sign: Sewage
The device of his work: Hypocrisy in his ethics
The color of his work: Any color, according to the place
His spouses in the world: The half-naked women of mankind
His favourite people: Those who are negligent of remembering Allah
What disturbs him: Seeking forgiveness
His writings: Tatoos
His home: Bathrooms/toilets
His first appearance: The day when he refuse to prostrate to Adam
His friends: Hypocrites
The source of his provision: Unlawful wealth
His operations rooms: Impure and defiled places, and places of sin.
His services: Enjoining evil and calling people to it
His commands: To follow sins and vice
Religion: Kufr
His profession: The general manager of those who have earned the Anger of Allah, and those who have gone astray.
The period of his service: Until the Day of Resurrection
The destination of his journey: Hell
The trade revenue: End in smoke
His companions on the journey: The devils among Jinn and mankind
His colleagues at work: Those people who stay silent about the truth (does not reveal the truth)
His mode of transport: Telling lies
His wage: Him and his followers are well supported
His means of communication: Slander, lie, and spying
His favorite dish: The flesh of corpses (i.e slandered people)
Whom he fear: A believer who is fearful and mindful of Allah
His most hated people: Those males and females who remember Allah
His defence: The scheming of Satan is feeble
His allurements: Women
His hobbies: Misguidance and deception
His wish: To make all mankind disbelievers
His end: The Day of Reckoning
His most favorite activity: To see homosexuality spread among people
The secret of his followers: "I” the term of proud and haughty people
His entertainers: Male and female artists
His promises: Poverty
The things makes him cry: Numerous prostrations
I ask Allah to guard us and protect us, and keep us in His care, for He is Able to do that.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
from his wife. He also told them how Satan makes one think about who created this and that until he thinks about who created Allah.
So here is some information about your arch enemy, may the curse of Allah be upon him:
Name: Iblees
Place: The hearts of the negligent, heedless, careless, …
Clan: Tawagheet (any enemy of Allah)
Eternal residence: Hell
Status: Fasiq of first degree
Regions: Places where the Name of Allah is not mentioned
The route of his journey: Deviated
His capital: Wishes and desires
The place of his gathering: The markets
The enemies of his journey: Muslims
His sign: Sewage
The device of his work: Hypocrisy in his ethics
The color of his work: Any color, according to the place
His spouses in the world: The half-naked women of mankind
His favourite people: Those who are negligent of remembering Allah
What disturbs him: Seeking forgiveness
His writings: Tatoos
His home: Bathrooms/toilets
His first appearance: The day when he refuse to prostrate to Adam
His friends: Hypocrites
The source of his provision: Unlawful wealth
His operations rooms: Impure and defiled places, and places of sin.
His services: Enjoining evil and calling people to it
His commands: To follow sins and vice
Religion: Kufr
His profession: The general manager of those who have earned the Anger of Allah, and those who have gone astray.
The period of his service: Until the Day of Resurrection
The destination of his journey: Hell
The trade revenue: End in smoke
His companions on the journey: The devils among Jinn and mankind
His colleagues at work: Those people who stay silent about the truth (does not reveal the truth)
His mode of transport: Telling lies
His wage: Him and his followers are well supported
His means of communication: Slander, lie, and spying
His favorite dish: The flesh of corpses (i.e slandered people)
Whom he fear: A believer who is fearful and mindful of Allah
His most hated people: Those males and females who remember Allah
His defence: The scheming of Satan is feeble
His allurements: Women
His hobbies: Misguidance and deception
His wish: To make all mankind disbelievers
His end: The Day of Reckoning
His most favorite activity: To see homosexuality spread among people
The secret of his followers: "I” the term of proud and haughty people
His entertainers: Male and female artists
His promises: Poverty
The things makes him cry: Numerous prostrations
I ask Allah to guard us and protect us, and keep us in His care, for He is Able to do that.
Wassalam
-Zakia Usmani
http://www.facebook.com/zakiaaftabusmani
Sunday, 7 August 2011
The Seerah
This is the Month of Quran, so what better way to also study the Seerah (the life of the Prophet saws) as he was the 'Walking Qur'an'. Learn from every detail of his life which will give us a deeper understanding of the Qur'ran, increase our love for him (saws) and bring us closer to Allah with taqwa. The latter being the ultimate purpose of Ramadan (Surah Baqarah).
We are using 'The Life of the Prophet' by
We are using 'The Life of the Prophet' by
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Decisions
Life is like a river for many people, they just jump in the river of life with out ever deciding where they want to end up, so they quickly get caught up in the current, current events, current challenges, current fears. And then they come to the forks in the rivers, they don’t consciously decide which way to go, they just go with the flow of the river (the flow of the majority instead of being directed by their own values and goals) and as a result the feel out of control but continue to drift down stream until one day the sound of the raging water wakes them up and they realize they are 5 feet from the falls and they are in a boat with no ores and then they say “Oh shoot”, but its to late. They are going to take a fall, it may be a financial set back or the break up of a relationship or maybe even a health problem, in almost all of the cases the fall could have been prevented by making better decisions up stream. (The Niagara Syndrome - by Anthony Robbins)
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Hadith 50: Remembrance of Allah
'Abdullah bin Busr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the Companions said, `O Messenger of Allah. There are many injunctions of Islam for me. So tell me something to which I may hold fast.` He said, `Let your tongue cease to moist with the remembrance of Allah.` [Ahmad 4.188 & At-Tirmidhi 3435].
Notes:
Allah, glorious is He, orders the mu'minun to remember Him a great deal and praises those who remember Him in that way.He exalted is He says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who believe! Remember Allâh with much remembrance...and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. Al-Ahzab: 41
وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
men and the women who remember Allâh much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allâh during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawâfil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allâh has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise). Al-Ahzab: 35
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides. [Al-'Imran: 191]
At-Tirmidhi (3596) narrated it, and according to him they said. "Messenger of Allah, who are the utterly devoted?" He answered, "Those who are addicted to the Remembrance of Allah. The remembrance removes from them their heavy burdens and so they come light on the day of Rising."
There is in the Musnad and in the Sahih of Ibn Hibban from Abu Sa'id al-khudri also from the prophet (saws) that he said, " Do so much dhikr of Allah that they say, '[He is] mad." [Ahmad 3:68,71]
Zayd al Aslam said, "Musa (AS) said, My Lord, You have poured out many blessings upon me, show me how to thank you a great deal." He said, "Remember Me a great deal, for when you remember Me a great deal, you have shown gratitude to Me a great deal. When you forget Me, you have been ungrateful to Me."
Section: on specific appointed dhikrs in the day and the night
It is well known that Allah, mighty is He and majestic, made it obligatory for the Muslims to remember Him five times every day and night by establishing the five prayers in their prescribed times, and He prescribed for them along with these five obligations that they should remember Him with other optional (nafilah) acts. And optional (nafilah) is extra, so that that should be over and above the five prayers. This is of two sorts:
First, that which is of the same sort as the prayer, and so He laid down that they should pray along with and before the five prayers or after them, or both before and after other Sunnah prayers which are over and above the obligatory prayers, so that if there is any shortcoming in the obligatory prayers He will heal their shortcomings with these optional prayers, but if there is not [any shortcoming] then the optional prayers will be over and above the obligatory.
The longest space of time between the times of prayer in which there is no obligatory prayer is that between the prayer of 'Isha' and that of Fajr, and then that between Fajr and the prayer of Dhuhr, and so He laid down between each of these two prayers [other] prayers which would be optional so that the time of forgetfulness of the remembrance [of Allah] should not be too long. He laid down for between the prayer of 'Isha' and Fajr the prayer of the Witr and the standing of the night [in tahajjud], and between the prayer of Fajr and Dhuhr the prayer of Duha.
Some of these prayers are more firmly established than others, and the most firmly established is the Witr – and so the people of knowledge differed as to whether or not it is a duty – and then the standing in prayer at night upon which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, persisted both when resident and travelling, and then the prayer of Duha, about which people differ. There are sound hadith about it being preferable to persist and urging that we practise it. There are also [sound hadith] urging prayer just after the declining of the sun [from the meridian].
As for remembrance with the tongue, it is laid down to be done at every moment, and it is emphasised at some moments.
Examples of times when it is emphasised to remember Allah are: immediately after the obligatory prayers, and that one remember Allah after each prayer of them one hundred times with a mixture of Subhana'llah – Glory be to Allah, al-hamdu lillah – praise belongs to Allah, Allahu akbar – Allah is greater, and la ilaha illa'llah – There is no god but Allah.
It is also desirable to remember Him after the two prayers after which there are no optional prayers [allowed], which are the Fajr and 'Asr, and so it is laid down to remember Allah after the prayer of Fajr until the sun rises, and after 'Asr until the sun sets. For this reason, Allah, exalted is He, commands His remembrance in these two times in many places in the Qur'an, such as in His saying:
"and glorify Him in the morning and the evening,"{{Surat al-Ahzab: 42}} and His saying:
"Remember the Name of your Lord in the morning and the evening,"{{Surat al-Insan: 25}} and His saying:
"glorify Him in the evening and after dawn,"{{Surah Al 'Imran: 41}} and His saying:
"and gestured to them to glorify Allah in the morning and the evening,"{{Surah Maryam: 11}} and His saying:
"So glory be to Allah when you start the night and when you greet the day,"{{Surat ar-Rum: 17}} and His saying:
"Ask forgiveness for your wrong action and glorify your Lord with praise in the evening and the early morning,"{{Surat al-Ghafir: 55}} and His saying:
"Remember your Lord in yourself humbly and fearfully, without loudness of voice, morning and evening. Do not be one of the unaware,"{{Surat al-A'raf: 205}} and His saying:
"and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting,"{{Surah Ta Ha: 130}} and His saying:
"and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before it sets."{{Surah Qaf: 39}}
The best remembrance done at these two times are the prayers of Fajr and of 'Asr which are the best prayers, about each of which it has been said that they are the midmost prayer, and that they are the two loved ones [lit: cool] which whoever safeguards them will enter the Garden. Next to them in the times of remembrance is the night; for this reason the glorification of the night and its salah are mentioned after the mention of these two times in the Qur'an.
[When mentioned] without any qualification remembrance includes salah, recitation of the Qur'an and learning and teaching it, useful knowledge, just as it includes glorification, praise, magnification and la ilaha illa'llah – There is no god but Allah. Among our companions there are those who regard recitation of Qur'an as being weightier than glorification and the like after Fajr and 'Asr. Al-Awza'i was asked about that and he said, "Their guidance was remembrance of Allah, but if one recites then it is good." The apparent meaning of this is that remembrance at this time is better than recitation, and Ishaq spoke similarly about glorification right after the obligatory prayers one hundred times, "It is better than recitation at that time." The acts of remembrance and supplications which are transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for morning and evening are very many.
It is also recommended to fill the time between the two night prayers [Maghrib and 'Isha'] with prayer and remembrance, and we have seen previously the hadith of Anas that about that was revealed His saying, exalted is He:
"Their sides eschew their beds."{{Surat as-Sajdah: 16}}
It is recommended to delay the prayer of 'Isha' until one third of the night as sound hadith show – and this is the madhhab of Imam Ahmad and others – so that one does this prayer in the best time for it which is the end of its time, and the person who waits for this prayer in congregation in this first third of the night occupies himself in prayer or remembrance waiting for the prayer in the mosque. Then later when he prays 'Isha' and he prays after it those established Sunnah prayers which follow it or he performs the Witr after that if he wishes to do the Witr before sleeping.
Then when he goes to his bed after that to sleep, then it is recommended for him only to sleep in purity [having done wudu'] and in remembrance, and to glorify, praise and say Allahu akbar – Allah is greater to the number of one hundred, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught Fatimah and 'Ali to do when they went to bed,{{Al-Bukhari (3113), Muslim (2727) and others}} and that he should do as much as he is able of the acts of remembrance transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be done at sleep, and there are many types including recitation of Qur'an and remembrance of Allah, and then one should sleep in that state.
Then if one wakes up at night and turns about on one's bed one should remember Allah each time one turns. There is in Sahih al-Bukhari from 'Ubadah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever wakes up at night and says:
'There is no god but Allah alone without associate. His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory be to Allah, praise belongs to Allah, there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah,' and then says:
'Lord forgive me,'" – or he said, "and then he supplicates, he will be answered. Then if he has a high resolve, performs wudu' and prays, his prayer will be accepted."{{Al-Bukhari (1154)}}
There is in at-Tirmidhi from Abu Umamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever goes to his bed in a state of purity remembering Allah until slumber overcomes him, if he turns over at some hour of the night and asks Allah for anything of the good of the world or the next life, He will give it to him."{{At-Tirmidhi (3526)}}
Abu Dawud narrated it in the same sense in a hadith of Mu'adh,{{Abu Dawud (5042)}} and an-Nasa'i narrated it in a hadith of 'Amr ibn 'Abasah.{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (807-9)}}
Imam Ahmad has in the version of 'Amr ibn 'Abasah of this hadith, "…and the first of what he says when he wakes up is:
'Glory be to You! there is no god but You, forgive me,' then he will emerge out of his wrong actions as the snake emerges out of its skin [which it sheds]."{{Not found in the published version of Musnad Ahmad}}
It is firmly established that when he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, woke up from his sleep, he used to say:
"Praise belongs to Allah Who made me live after he made me die, and to Him is the raising to life."{{Al-Bukhari (6312) and Muslim (2711)}}
Then when he stands up and does wudu' and tahajjud, he does all of that according to what is transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and concludes his tahajjud by seeking forgiveness in the pre-dawn, as Allah praises those who seek forgiveness in the pre-dawn. Then when it is the dawn, he prays two rak'ahs of Fajr, and then prays the Fajr prayer, and is busy after the Fajr prayer with the remembrance which is transmitted until sunrise according to what we have already mentioned. Whoever's condition is according to what we have mentioned, then his tongue does not cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah, and he chooses remembrance as a constant companion in his waking moments until he sleeps in that condition, and then begins again with it when he wakes up, and that is one of the sure indications of sincere love, as one of them said:
The last thing is You at every slumber
and the first thing is You at the moment when I stir.
The first thing that a person does throughout the day and the night of those things which are of benefit in his din and in his world, then in all of that generally it is laid down that he should remember the name of Allah over it. Thus it is laid down that he should remember the name of Allah over his eating and drinking, his dressing, and his sexual intercourse with his wife, his entering his house and his going out of it, his entering the toilet and leaving it, his mounting his riding beast and he should mention the name of Allah over that which he slaughters both in his rites and elsewhere; he should praise Allah, exalted is He, when he sneezes, and when he sees people who are tried in their din or in their worldly life, when he meets brothers, and when they ask each other about how they are, and in the renewal of blessings that people love and in the repulsion of misfortunes that people dislike. More perfect than that is that he should praise Allah in happiness and hardship, distress and in comfortable circumstances, and that he should praise Allah in every state.
He should supplicate Allah, exalted is He, when he enters the market, when he hears the cock crowing at night, when he hears thunder, when it rains, when heavy gales blow, when he sees the new moon and when he sees the first fruits.
He should also remember Allah and supplicate him when something distressful happens, and when worldly hardships happen, when he goes out on a journey, and when he alights at stations on his journey and when he returns from a journey.
He ought to seek refuge with Allah when he becomes angry, and when he sees something he dislikes in his sleep, and when he hears the voices of dogs and donkeys at night.
He should supplicate Allah to choose what is good for him [with the istikharah] when he is deciding on that in which the choice (or good) is not obvious.
It is a duty to turn in tawbah to Allah and to seek forgiveness from all wrong actions, whether minor or major, as He says, exalted is He:
"those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions."{{Surah Al 'Imran: 135}} Whoever safeguards all of that, then his tongue will continuously be moist with the remembrance of Allah in all of his states.
Section
We have mentioned in the beginning of the book that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent with concise and comprehensive words. So he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace was pleased by and admired concise and comprehensive [words of] remembrance and would choose them in preference to other types of remembrance, as is in Sahih Muslim from Ibn 'Abbas from Juwayriyyah bint al-Harith that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left her early when he went to pray the morning prayer and she was in her place of prayer. Then he returned after the first part of the morning and she was still seated. He said, "Have you remained continuously in the condition in which I left you?" She answered, "Yes." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "After [leaving] you, I said four phrases three times which if they were weighed against what you said this day, they would outweigh them:
'Glorious is Allah and in His praise according to the number of His creations, the pleasure of His self, the weight of His throne, and the ink of His words.'"{{Muslim (2726)}}
An-Nasa'i narrated it and his wording is:
"Glorious is Allah, and praise belongs to Allah and there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater, according to the number of His creations, the pleasure of His self, the weight of His throne, and the ink of His words."{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (161)}}
Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i narrated a hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that he went in along with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace to a woman in front of whom were date stones, or he said pebbles with which she was [counting her acts of] glorifying and he asked, "Shall I not inform you of that which is easier than this and better?
'Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created in the earth. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what is between them. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He is to create [in the future] and Allah is greater the like of that, and praise belongs to Allah the like of that, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah the like of that.'"{{Abu Dawud (1500), at-Tirmidhi (3568), and an-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah}}
At-Tirmidhi narrated a hadith of Safiyyah that she said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace entered to visit me while in front of me there were four thousand date stones with which I was [counting as I] glorified Allah, and I said, 'I glorify with these,' and he asked, 'Shall I not teach you something more than that with which you glorify?' and I answered, 'Teach me.' He said, 'Say:
"Glorious is Allah according to the number of His creations."'"
An-Nasa'i, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, narrated in a hadith of Abu Umamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace passed by him while he was moving his lips, and he asked, "What are you saying, Abu Umamah?" He answered, "I am remembering my Lord." He asked, "Shall I not inform you of more and better than your remembrance all night along with the day and all day along with the night? It is that you say:
'Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what He created. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what is on the earth and in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what is on the earth and in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what His Book reckons. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what His Book reckons. Glorious is Allah according to the number of every thing. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of every thing,' and that you say:
'Praise belongs to Allah' the like of that.'"{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (166) and Ibn Hibban (830)}}
Al-Bazzar narrated the like of it in a hadith of Abu'd-Darda'.{{Al-Bazzar (3080)}}
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya narrated with his chain of transmission that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to Mu'adh, "Mu'adh, how many times do you remember your Lord every day? Do you remember Him ten thousand times every day?" He answered, "All of that I do." He asked, "Shall I not show you some words which are easier for you than ten thousand and ten thousand, that you say:
'There is no god but Allah according to the number of that which He reckons. There is no god but Allah according to the number of His words. There is no god but Allah according to the number of His creations. There is no god but Allah according to the weight of His throne. There is no god but Allah according to the volume of His heavens. There is no god but Allah according to the volume of His earth. There is no god but Allah to the amount of the like of that along with it, and Allah is greater to the amount of the like of that along with it, and praise belongs to Allah to the amount of the like of that along with it.'"
There is with his chain of transmission that Ibn Mas'ud mentioned to him a woman who glorified Allah with [the use of] a string in which were tied knots, and he said, "Shall I not direct you to that which is better for you than it?
'Glorious is Allah according to the volume of land and sea. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of the heavens and the earth. Glorious is Allah according to the number of His creations, and according to the pleasure of His self,' because then you have filled the land and the sea, the heaven and the earth."
There is with his chain of transmission from al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman at-Taymi that he said, "My father used to narrate five hadith and then he would say, 'Leisurely!
Glorious is Allah and praise belongs to Allah and there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater and there is no power and no strength but by Allah according to the number of what He has created and the number of what He will create, and according to the weight of what He created and the weight of what He will create, and according to the volume of what He created and the volume of what He will create, and according to the volume of His heavens and the volume of His earth, and the like of that and multiples of that, and according to the number of His creations, the weight of His throne, the furthest limit of His mercy, the ink of His words, the furthest reach of His good pleasure until He is pleased and when He is pleased, and according to the number of times His creation remembered Him in all that is now past, and according to the number of times they will remember Him in what remains, in every year, every month, every week, every day, every night, every single moment, and [according to the number of times His creation] inhaled and exhaled from endless time to forever, as long as there is the world and the next life, the utmost extreme of the time of that whose first is not cut off and whose last does not come to an end.'"
There is with his chain of transmission from al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman that he said, "I saw 'Abd al-Malik ibn Khalid [in a dream] after his death and I asked, 'What have you done?' He said, 'Good.' I asked, 'Do you hope for anything for the one who makes mistakes?' He answered, 'That he cling to the knowledge of the glorifications of Abu'l-Mu'tamir is the best thing.'"
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya said, "Muhammad ibn al-Husayn narrated to me, 'One of the people of Basra narrated to me that Yunus ibn 'Ubayd saw in that which the dreamer sees a man who had been struck down in the land of the Byzantines, and he asked, "What is the best that you have seen there [in the next life] of actions?" He answered, "I saw that the glorifications of Abu'l-Mu'tamir have a place with Allah."'"
Similarly, concise comprehensive supplications used to please the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. There is in the Sunan of Abu Dawud that 'A'ishah said, "Concise comprehensive supplications used to please the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace and he would give up anything other than that." {{Abu Dawud (1482)}}
Al-Firyabi and others narrated a hadith of 'A'ishah also that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to her, "'A'ishah, you should take to the concise comprehensive supplication:
'O Allah, I ask You for all good now (or in this world) and in the future (or in the next world), that which I know and that which I do not know. I seek refuge with You from all evil now (or in this world) and in the future (or in the next world), that which I know and that which I do not know. O Allah, I ask You of that good which Muhammad, Your slave and Your prophet asked of You. I seek refuge with You from that evil from which Your slave and Your prophet sought refuge. O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and that which will draw me closer to it of word and deed. I seek refuge with You from the Fire and that which will draw me closer to it of word and deed. I ask You that whatever decrees You have decreed for me, that You make its outcome rightness of action.'" Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban, in his Sahih, and al-Hakim narrated it, but none of them have mention of concise comprehensive supplication. Al-Hakim has the word "complete" supplications. Abu Bakr al-Athram narrated it and according to him the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to her, "What stops you from taking concise comprehensive words and their opening words?" {{Opening words are words that are clear and unlock deep meanings and interpretations as opposed to words that are shallow and complicated. Ed.}} and then he mentioned this supplication.{{Ahmad (6: 134, 146-7), al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-mufrad (639), Ibn Majah (3846), Ibn Hibban (869) and al-Hakim (1: 521-522)}}
At-Tirmidhi narrated the hadith of Abu Umamah in which he said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace supplicated with many supplications of which we memorised nothing, so we said, 'Messenger of Allah, you have supplicated with many supplications of which we memorised nothing.' He said, 'Shall I not direct you to that which includes all of that? You should say:
"O Allah, we ask You for that good for which Your prophet Muhammad asked You, and we seek refuge with You from that evil from which Your prophet Muhammad sought refuge with You, and You are the One from Whom help is sought, and the fulfilment [of wishes and needs] is Your responsibility, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah."'"{{At-Tirmidhi (3521)}}
At-Tabarani and others narrated a hadith of Umm Salamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace used to say in a long supplication of his:
"O Allah, I ask You the matters which open up good and those which conclude it, and the concise comprehensive [good things], and its first and last, its outward and inward."{{At-Tabarani in al-Kabir (23:717) and al-Hakim (1:520)}}
There is in the Musnad that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas heard one of his sons supplicating saying, "O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and its bliss and its silk brocade," and the like of this, "and I seek refuge with You from the Fire and its chains and manacles." So he said, "You have asked Allah for much good, and you have sought refuge with Him from much evil, but I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace saying, 'There will be people who will go beyond the limit in supplication,' and he recited this ayah:
'Call on your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who overstep the limits."{{Surat al-A'raf: 55}} Indeed, it is sufficient for you to say:
'O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and what draws one nearer to it of word and deed, and I seek refuge with You from the Fire and what draws one nearer to it of word and deed.'"
There is in the two Sahih books from Ibn Mas'ud that he said, "We used to say in the prayer behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Peace be upon Allah, and peace be upon Jibril and Mika'il, and peace be upon so-and-so and so-and-so.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to us one day, 'Allah is Peace, so when any of you sit in the prayer, then say:
"Greetings are for Allah and the prayers and the wholesome good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the right-acting slaves of Allah," for when one says it it reaches every right-acting slave of Allah in the heaven and on earth:
"I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger," and then let him choose whatever petitions he wishes.'"{{Al-Bukhari (835) and Muslim (402)}}
Notes:
Allah, glorious is He, orders the mu'minun to remember Him a great deal and praises those who remember Him in that way.He exalted is He says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who believe! Remember Allâh with much remembrance...and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. Al-Ahzab: 41
وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
men and the women who remember Allâh much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allâh during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawâfil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allâh has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise). Al-Ahzab: 35
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides. [Al-'Imran: 191]
At-Tirmidhi (3596) narrated it, and according to him they said. "Messenger of Allah, who are the utterly devoted?" He answered, "Those who are addicted to the Remembrance of Allah. The remembrance removes from them their heavy burdens and so they come light on the day of Rising."
There is in the Musnad and in the Sahih of Ibn Hibban from Abu Sa'id al-khudri also from the prophet (saws) that he said, " Do so much dhikr of Allah that they say, '[He is] mad." [Ahmad 3:68,71]
Zayd al Aslam said, "Musa (AS) said, My Lord, You have poured out many blessings upon me, show me how to thank you a great deal." He said, "Remember Me a great deal, for when you remember Me a great deal, you have shown gratitude to Me a great deal. When you forget Me, you have been ungrateful to Me."
Section: on specific appointed dhikrs in the day and the night
It is well known that Allah, mighty is He and majestic, made it obligatory for the Muslims to remember Him five times every day and night by establishing the five prayers in their prescribed times, and He prescribed for them along with these five obligations that they should remember Him with other optional (nafilah) acts. And optional (nafilah) is extra, so that that should be over and above the five prayers. This is of two sorts:
First, that which is of the same sort as the prayer, and so He laid down that they should pray along with and before the five prayers or after them, or both before and after other Sunnah prayers which are over and above the obligatory prayers, so that if there is any shortcoming in the obligatory prayers He will heal their shortcomings with these optional prayers, but if there is not [any shortcoming] then the optional prayers will be over and above the obligatory.
The longest space of time between the times of prayer in which there is no obligatory prayer is that between the prayer of 'Isha' and that of Fajr, and then that between Fajr and the prayer of Dhuhr, and so He laid down between each of these two prayers [other] prayers which would be optional so that the time of forgetfulness of the remembrance [of Allah] should not be too long. He laid down for between the prayer of 'Isha' and Fajr the prayer of the Witr and the standing of the night [in tahajjud], and between the prayer of Fajr and Dhuhr the prayer of Duha.
Some of these prayers are more firmly established than others, and the most firmly established is the Witr – and so the people of knowledge differed as to whether or not it is a duty – and then the standing in prayer at night upon which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, persisted both when resident and travelling, and then the prayer of Duha, about which people differ. There are sound hadith about it being preferable to persist and urging that we practise it. There are also [sound hadith] urging prayer just after the declining of the sun [from the meridian].
As for remembrance with the tongue, it is laid down to be done at every moment, and it is emphasised at some moments.
Examples of times when it is emphasised to remember Allah are: immediately after the obligatory prayers, and that one remember Allah after each prayer of them one hundred times with a mixture of Subhana'llah – Glory be to Allah, al-hamdu lillah – praise belongs to Allah, Allahu akbar – Allah is greater, and la ilaha illa'llah – There is no god but Allah.
It is also desirable to remember Him after the two prayers after which there are no optional prayers [allowed], which are the Fajr and 'Asr, and so it is laid down to remember Allah after the prayer of Fajr until the sun rises, and after 'Asr until the sun sets. For this reason, Allah, exalted is He, commands His remembrance in these two times in many places in the Qur'an, such as in His saying:
"and glorify Him in the morning and the evening,"{{Surat al-Ahzab: 42}} and His saying:
"Remember the Name of your Lord in the morning and the evening,"{{Surat al-Insan: 25}} and His saying:
"glorify Him in the evening and after dawn,"{{Surah Al 'Imran: 41}} and His saying:
"and gestured to them to glorify Allah in the morning and the evening,"{{Surah Maryam: 11}} and His saying:
"So glory be to Allah when you start the night and when you greet the day,"{{Surat ar-Rum: 17}} and His saying:
"Ask forgiveness for your wrong action and glorify your Lord with praise in the evening and the early morning,"{{Surat al-Ghafir: 55}} and His saying:
"Remember your Lord in yourself humbly and fearfully, without loudness of voice, morning and evening. Do not be one of the unaware,"{{Surat al-A'raf: 205}} and His saying:
"and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting,"{{Surah Ta Ha: 130}} and His saying:
"and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before it sets."{{Surah Qaf: 39}}
The best remembrance done at these two times are the prayers of Fajr and of 'Asr which are the best prayers, about each of which it has been said that they are the midmost prayer, and that they are the two loved ones [lit: cool] which whoever safeguards them will enter the Garden. Next to them in the times of remembrance is the night; for this reason the glorification of the night and its salah are mentioned after the mention of these two times in the Qur'an.
[When mentioned] without any qualification remembrance includes salah, recitation of the Qur'an and learning and teaching it, useful knowledge, just as it includes glorification, praise, magnification and la ilaha illa'llah – There is no god but Allah. Among our companions there are those who regard recitation of Qur'an as being weightier than glorification and the like after Fajr and 'Asr. Al-Awza'i was asked about that and he said, "Their guidance was remembrance of Allah, but if one recites then it is good." The apparent meaning of this is that remembrance at this time is better than recitation, and Ishaq spoke similarly about glorification right after the obligatory prayers one hundred times, "It is better than recitation at that time." The acts of remembrance and supplications which are transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for morning and evening are very many.
It is also recommended to fill the time between the two night prayers [Maghrib and 'Isha'] with prayer and remembrance, and we have seen previously the hadith of Anas that about that was revealed His saying, exalted is He:
"Their sides eschew their beds."{{Surat as-Sajdah: 16}}
It is recommended to delay the prayer of 'Isha' until one third of the night as sound hadith show – and this is the madhhab of Imam Ahmad and others – so that one does this prayer in the best time for it which is the end of its time, and the person who waits for this prayer in congregation in this first third of the night occupies himself in prayer or remembrance waiting for the prayer in the mosque. Then later when he prays 'Isha' and he prays after it those established Sunnah prayers which follow it or he performs the Witr after that if he wishes to do the Witr before sleeping.
Then when he goes to his bed after that to sleep, then it is recommended for him only to sleep in purity [having done wudu'] and in remembrance, and to glorify, praise and say Allahu akbar – Allah is greater to the number of one hundred, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught Fatimah and 'Ali to do when they went to bed,{{Al-Bukhari (3113), Muslim (2727) and others}} and that he should do as much as he is able of the acts of remembrance transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be done at sleep, and there are many types including recitation of Qur'an and remembrance of Allah, and then one should sleep in that state.
Then if one wakes up at night and turns about on one's bed one should remember Allah each time one turns. There is in Sahih al-Bukhari from 'Ubadah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever wakes up at night and says:
'There is no god but Allah alone without associate. His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory be to Allah, praise belongs to Allah, there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah,' and then says:
'Lord forgive me,'" – or he said, "and then he supplicates, he will be answered. Then if he has a high resolve, performs wudu' and prays, his prayer will be accepted."{{Al-Bukhari (1154)}}
There is in at-Tirmidhi from Abu Umamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever goes to his bed in a state of purity remembering Allah until slumber overcomes him, if he turns over at some hour of the night and asks Allah for anything of the good of the world or the next life, He will give it to him."{{At-Tirmidhi (3526)}}
Abu Dawud narrated it in the same sense in a hadith of Mu'adh,{{Abu Dawud (5042)}} and an-Nasa'i narrated it in a hadith of 'Amr ibn 'Abasah.{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (807-9)}}
Imam Ahmad has in the version of 'Amr ibn 'Abasah of this hadith, "…and the first of what he says when he wakes up is:
'Glory be to You! there is no god but You, forgive me,' then he will emerge out of his wrong actions as the snake emerges out of its skin [which it sheds]."{{Not found in the published version of Musnad Ahmad}}
It is firmly established that when he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, woke up from his sleep, he used to say:
"Praise belongs to Allah Who made me live after he made me die, and to Him is the raising to life."{{Al-Bukhari (6312) and Muslim (2711)}}
Then when he stands up and does wudu' and tahajjud, he does all of that according to what is transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and concludes his tahajjud by seeking forgiveness in the pre-dawn, as Allah praises those who seek forgiveness in the pre-dawn. Then when it is the dawn, he prays two rak'ahs of Fajr, and then prays the Fajr prayer, and is busy after the Fajr prayer with the remembrance which is transmitted until sunrise according to what we have already mentioned. Whoever's condition is according to what we have mentioned, then his tongue does not cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah, and he chooses remembrance as a constant companion in his waking moments until he sleeps in that condition, and then begins again with it when he wakes up, and that is one of the sure indications of sincere love, as one of them said:
The last thing is You at every slumber
and the first thing is You at the moment when I stir.
The first thing that a person does throughout the day and the night of those things which are of benefit in his din and in his world, then in all of that generally it is laid down that he should remember the name of Allah over it. Thus it is laid down that he should remember the name of Allah over his eating and drinking, his dressing, and his sexual intercourse with his wife, his entering his house and his going out of it, his entering the toilet and leaving it, his mounting his riding beast and he should mention the name of Allah over that which he slaughters both in his rites and elsewhere; he should praise Allah, exalted is He, when he sneezes, and when he sees people who are tried in their din or in their worldly life, when he meets brothers, and when they ask each other about how they are, and in the renewal of blessings that people love and in the repulsion of misfortunes that people dislike. More perfect than that is that he should praise Allah in happiness and hardship, distress and in comfortable circumstances, and that he should praise Allah in every state.
He should supplicate Allah, exalted is He, when he enters the market, when he hears the cock crowing at night, when he hears thunder, when it rains, when heavy gales blow, when he sees the new moon and when he sees the first fruits.
He should also remember Allah and supplicate him when something distressful happens, and when worldly hardships happen, when he goes out on a journey, and when he alights at stations on his journey and when he returns from a journey.
He ought to seek refuge with Allah when he becomes angry, and when he sees something he dislikes in his sleep, and when he hears the voices of dogs and donkeys at night.
He should supplicate Allah to choose what is good for him [with the istikharah] when he is deciding on that in which the choice (or good) is not obvious.
It is a duty to turn in tawbah to Allah and to seek forgiveness from all wrong actions, whether minor or major, as He says, exalted is He:
"those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions."{{Surah Al 'Imran: 135}} Whoever safeguards all of that, then his tongue will continuously be moist with the remembrance of Allah in all of his states.
Section
We have mentioned in the beginning of the book that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent with concise and comprehensive words. So he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace was pleased by and admired concise and comprehensive [words of] remembrance and would choose them in preference to other types of remembrance, as is in Sahih Muslim from Ibn 'Abbas from Juwayriyyah bint al-Harith that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left her early when he went to pray the morning prayer and she was in her place of prayer. Then he returned after the first part of the morning and she was still seated. He said, "Have you remained continuously in the condition in which I left you?" She answered, "Yes." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "After [leaving] you, I said four phrases three times which if they were weighed against what you said this day, they would outweigh them:
'Glorious is Allah and in His praise according to the number of His creations, the pleasure of His self, the weight of His throne, and the ink of His words.'"{{Muslim (2726)}}
An-Nasa'i narrated it and his wording is:
"Glorious is Allah, and praise belongs to Allah and there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater, according to the number of His creations, the pleasure of His self, the weight of His throne, and the ink of His words."{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (161)}}
Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i narrated a hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that he went in along with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace to a woman in front of whom were date stones, or he said pebbles with which she was [counting her acts of] glorifying and he asked, "Shall I not inform you of that which is easier than this and better?
'Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created in the earth. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what is between them. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He is to create [in the future] and Allah is greater the like of that, and praise belongs to Allah the like of that, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah the like of that.'"{{Abu Dawud (1500), at-Tirmidhi (3568), and an-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah}}
At-Tirmidhi narrated a hadith of Safiyyah that she said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace entered to visit me while in front of me there were four thousand date stones with which I was [counting as I] glorified Allah, and I said, 'I glorify with these,' and he asked, 'Shall I not teach you something more than that with which you glorify?' and I answered, 'Teach me.' He said, 'Say:
"Glorious is Allah according to the number of His creations."'"
An-Nasa'i, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, narrated in a hadith of Abu Umamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace passed by him while he was moving his lips, and he asked, "What are you saying, Abu Umamah?" He answered, "I am remembering my Lord." He asked, "Shall I not inform you of more and better than your remembrance all night along with the day and all day along with the night? It is that you say:
'Glorious is Allah according to the number of what He created. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what He created. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what is on the earth and in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what is on the earth and in the heaven. Glorious is Allah according to the number of what His Book reckons. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of what His Book reckons. Glorious is Allah according to the number of every thing. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of every thing,' and that you say:
'Praise belongs to Allah' the like of that.'"{{An-Nasa'i in 'Amal al-yawm wa'l-laylah (166) and Ibn Hibban (830)}}
Al-Bazzar narrated the like of it in a hadith of Abu'd-Darda'.{{Al-Bazzar (3080)}}
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya narrated with his chain of transmission that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to Mu'adh, "Mu'adh, how many times do you remember your Lord every day? Do you remember Him ten thousand times every day?" He answered, "All of that I do." He asked, "Shall I not show you some words which are easier for you than ten thousand and ten thousand, that you say:
'There is no god but Allah according to the number of that which He reckons. There is no god but Allah according to the number of His words. There is no god but Allah according to the number of His creations. There is no god but Allah according to the weight of His throne. There is no god but Allah according to the volume of His heavens. There is no god but Allah according to the volume of His earth. There is no god but Allah to the amount of the like of that along with it, and Allah is greater to the amount of the like of that along with it, and praise belongs to Allah to the amount of the like of that along with it.'"
There is with his chain of transmission that Ibn Mas'ud mentioned to him a woman who glorified Allah with [the use of] a string in which were tied knots, and he said, "Shall I not direct you to that which is better for you than it?
'Glorious is Allah according to the volume of land and sea. Glorious is Allah according to the volume of the heavens and the earth. Glorious is Allah according to the number of His creations, and according to the pleasure of His self,' because then you have filled the land and the sea, the heaven and the earth."
There is with his chain of transmission from al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman at-Taymi that he said, "My father used to narrate five hadith and then he would say, 'Leisurely!
Glorious is Allah and praise belongs to Allah and there is no god but Allah and Allah is greater and there is no power and no strength but by Allah according to the number of what He has created and the number of what He will create, and according to the weight of what He created and the weight of what He will create, and according to the volume of what He created and the volume of what He will create, and according to the volume of His heavens and the volume of His earth, and the like of that and multiples of that, and according to the number of His creations, the weight of His throne, the furthest limit of His mercy, the ink of His words, the furthest reach of His good pleasure until He is pleased and when He is pleased, and according to the number of times His creation remembered Him in all that is now past, and according to the number of times they will remember Him in what remains, in every year, every month, every week, every day, every night, every single moment, and [according to the number of times His creation] inhaled and exhaled from endless time to forever, as long as there is the world and the next life, the utmost extreme of the time of that whose first is not cut off and whose last does not come to an end.'"
There is with his chain of transmission from al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman that he said, "I saw 'Abd al-Malik ibn Khalid [in a dream] after his death and I asked, 'What have you done?' He said, 'Good.' I asked, 'Do you hope for anything for the one who makes mistakes?' He answered, 'That he cling to the knowledge of the glorifications of Abu'l-Mu'tamir is the best thing.'"
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya said, "Muhammad ibn al-Husayn narrated to me, 'One of the people of Basra narrated to me that Yunus ibn 'Ubayd saw in that which the dreamer sees a man who had been struck down in the land of the Byzantines, and he asked, "What is the best that you have seen there [in the next life] of actions?" He answered, "I saw that the glorifications of Abu'l-Mu'tamir have a place with Allah."'"
Similarly, concise comprehensive supplications used to please the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. There is in the Sunan of Abu Dawud that 'A'ishah said, "Concise comprehensive supplications used to please the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace and he would give up anything other than that." {{Abu Dawud (1482)}}
Al-Firyabi and others narrated a hadith of 'A'ishah also that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to her, "'A'ishah, you should take to the concise comprehensive supplication:
'O Allah, I ask You for all good now (or in this world) and in the future (or in the next world), that which I know and that which I do not know. I seek refuge with You from all evil now (or in this world) and in the future (or in the next world), that which I know and that which I do not know. O Allah, I ask You of that good which Muhammad, Your slave and Your prophet asked of You. I seek refuge with You from that evil from which Your slave and Your prophet sought refuge. O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and that which will draw me closer to it of word and deed. I seek refuge with You from the Fire and that which will draw me closer to it of word and deed. I ask You that whatever decrees You have decreed for me, that You make its outcome rightness of action.'" Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban, in his Sahih, and al-Hakim narrated it, but none of them have mention of concise comprehensive supplication. Al-Hakim has the word "complete" supplications. Abu Bakr al-Athram narrated it and according to him the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to her, "What stops you from taking concise comprehensive words and their opening words?" {{Opening words are words that are clear and unlock deep meanings and interpretations as opposed to words that are shallow and complicated. Ed.}} and then he mentioned this supplication.{{Ahmad (6: 134, 146-7), al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-mufrad (639), Ibn Majah (3846), Ibn Hibban (869) and al-Hakim (1: 521-522)}}
At-Tirmidhi narrated the hadith of Abu Umamah in which he said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace supplicated with many supplications of which we memorised nothing, so we said, 'Messenger of Allah, you have supplicated with many supplications of which we memorised nothing.' He said, 'Shall I not direct you to that which includes all of that? You should say:
"O Allah, we ask You for that good for which Your prophet Muhammad asked You, and we seek refuge with You from that evil from which Your prophet Muhammad sought refuge with You, and You are the One from Whom help is sought, and the fulfilment [of wishes and needs] is Your responsibility, and there is no power and no strength but by Allah."'"{{At-Tirmidhi (3521)}}
At-Tabarani and others narrated a hadith of Umm Salamah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace used to say in a long supplication of his:
"O Allah, I ask You the matters which open up good and those which conclude it, and the concise comprehensive [good things], and its first and last, its outward and inward."{{At-Tabarani in al-Kabir (23:717) and al-Hakim (1:520)}}
There is in the Musnad that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas heard one of his sons supplicating saying, "O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and its bliss and its silk brocade," and the like of this, "and I seek refuge with You from the Fire and its chains and manacles." So he said, "You have asked Allah for much good, and you have sought refuge with Him from much evil, but I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace saying, 'There will be people who will go beyond the limit in supplication,' and he recited this ayah:
'Call on your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who overstep the limits."{{Surat al-A'raf: 55}} Indeed, it is sufficient for you to say:
'O Allah, I ask You for the Garden and what draws one nearer to it of word and deed, and I seek refuge with You from the Fire and what draws one nearer to it of word and deed.'"
There is in the two Sahih books from Ibn Mas'ud that he said, "We used to say in the prayer behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Peace be upon Allah, and peace be upon Jibril and Mika'il, and peace be upon so-and-so and so-and-so.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to us one day, 'Allah is Peace, so when any of you sit in the prayer, then say:
"Greetings are for Allah and the prayers and the wholesome good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the right-acting slaves of Allah," for when one says it it reaches every right-acting slave of Allah in the heaven and on earth:
"I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger," and then let him choose whatever petitions he wishes.'"{{Al-Bukhari (835) and Muslim (402)}}
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Intoxicants
Abu Musa Al-Ashari narrated that the prophet (saws) said "Every intoxicant is Haram."
Al- Bukhari (6214)
Notes:
There is in a version of Muslim's, "So he said, 'Every which intoxicates you [and keeps you] from the prayer is haram.'"
Al- Bukhari (6214)
Notes:
There is in a version of Muslim's, "So he said, 'Every which intoxicates you [and keeps you] from the prayer is haram.'"
Friday, 18 March 2011
Hadith 49: Reliance on Allah
'Umar Ahmad ibn al-Khattab narrated from the Prophet (saws) said, "If you were to rely on Allah as He truly should be relied upon, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds: they go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening replete."
Imam Ahmad (1:30,52), At-Tirmidhi (2344)
Notes:
"Whoever has taqwa of Allah- He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him." (Surah Talaq)
It has been narrated from him (saws) that he used to say in his supplication:
"O Allah, I ask you for true reliance upon you," and that he used to say:
"O Allah, make me of those who have replied upon You and so You sufficed them."
Ibn Abi-d-Dunya said, "It has reached me that one of the wise people said, 'Reliance has three degrees, first: giving up complaining; second: contentment; third: love. Giving up complaining is the degree of steadfastness. Contentment is the tranquility of the heart towards that which is decreed for one, and that is higher than the former. Love is that one's love is for that which Allah does with one. The first is the degree of those who do without (zahidoon). The second is that of the truthful (Saadiqoon). The third is that of the messengers."
Imam Ahmad (1:30,52), At-Tirmidhi (2344)
Notes:
"Whoever has taqwa of Allah- He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him." (Surah Talaq)
It has been narrated from him (saws) that he used to say in his supplication:
"O Allah, I ask you for true reliance upon you," and that he used to say:
"O Allah, make me of those who have replied upon You and so You sufficed them."
Ibn Abi-d-Dunya said, "It has reached me that one of the wise people said, 'Reliance has three degrees, first: giving up complaining; second: contentment; third: love. Giving up complaining is the degree of steadfastness. Contentment is the tranquility of the heart towards that which is decreed for one, and that is higher than the former. Love is that one's love is for that which Allah does with one. The first is the degree of those who do without (zahidoon). The second is that of the truthful (Saadiqoon). The third is that of the messengers."
Monday, 14 March 2011
To all my sisters!
Its said that everlasting friends can go long periods of time without speaking and never question their friendship. These types of friends pick up like they spoke just yesterday, regardless of how long it has been or how far away they live. And they don't hold grudges. They understand that life is busy, but you will always love them.
xxx
xxx
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
New series- Imam Nawawis 40 Hadith
We have alhamdullilah started our first book, based on Arba'in An-nawawi it is 'The compendium of knowledge and Wisdom.
Hadith 1:
Narrated by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "I heard the messenger of Allah (saws) saying. 'Actions are only by intentions, and each man has only that which he intends. Whoever's emigration is for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever's emigration is for some worldly gain which he can acquire or a woman he will marry, then his emigration is for that for which he emigrates'."
Al Bukhari (1) & Muslim (1907)
Hadith 1:
Narrated by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "I heard the messenger of Allah (saws) saying. 'Actions are only by intentions, and each man has only that which he intends. Whoever's emigration is for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever's emigration is for some worldly gain which he can acquire or a woman he will marry, then his emigration is for that for which he emigrates'."
Al Bukhari (1) & Muslim (1907)
Monday, 14 February 2011
The Importance of Kinship
"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him maintain the bonds of kinship" [Bukhari]
The young man went to attend the weekly hadith lecture of Sayyidna Abu Huraira, Radi-Allahu anhu but the routine opening announcement stopped him. “If anyone sitting here has severed any ties of kinship (qata-ur-rahim), he should leave.” He recalled that an aunt lived in the town with whom he had not been on speaking terms. The young man quietly left the gathering and went straight to his aunt’s home. He asked for forgiveness for his past behavior and sought rapprochement. When the aunt inquired about the reason for this change of heart, he narrated the entire incident. She accepted the apology but asked him to inquire from Abu Huraira, Radi-Allahu anhu, the reason for this unusual announcement. Why did he leave all the other major sins and focus only on this? What was so special about ties of kinship?
Sayyidna Abu Huraira replied that he had heard from the Prophet that our deeds are presented to Allah every Thursday night and anyone who has severed family ties has all his good deeds rejected. He did not want any such person sitting in his gathering, which was held on the same night, for fear that it could deprive the entire gathering of blessings. Another hadith explains further the reason for this fear: “Allah’s mercy will not descend on people among whom there is one who severs ties of kinship.” [Baihaqi, Shuab Al-Iman]
Maintaining the bonds of kinship (silatur-rahim) indeed enjoys extraordinary importance in Islam. Conversely, severing the ties (qata-ur-rahim), is very high on the list of enormities. At two places in the Qur’an, Allah has cursed the one severing family ties.
“And those who break the covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives) and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse, and for them is the unhappy home (i.e. Hell)” [Ar-Rad 13:25. See also Muhammad, 47:22-23].
A cursed person is one who is deprived of the mercy of Allah. It is an indication of this deprivation that this sin is punished in this world as well as in the Hereafter. “There is no sin more deserving of having punishment meted out by Allah to its perpetrator in advance in this world along with what He stores up for him in the next world than oppression and severing ties of family.” [Tirmidhi].
Another hadith highlights the high stakes involved here in a compelling way: “Rahim (family ties) is a word derived from Ar-Rahman (The Compassionate One) And Allah says: ‘I shall keep connection with him who maintains you and sever connection with him who severs you.’” [Bukhari]
Silatur-rahim has been defined as politeness, kind treatment, and concern for all one’s relatives even if distantly related, corrupt, non-Muslim, or unappreciative. [Shaikh Abdul Wakil Durubi in Reliance of the Traveller]. While nearly every religion has emphasized good family relations, Islam has taken it to unprecedented heights. It is a duty to be discharged without an eye for reciprocity. A Muslim is required to be kind even to his non-Muslim relatives. Similarly he is required to be kind to even those relatives who are harsh to him.
The most telling example in this regard is that of Sayyidna Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu. Among the many people who benefited from his generosity was a relative Mistah, Radi-Allahu anhu. The latter, unfortunately became involved in the scandal about the Mother of Believers, Sayyida Aisha, Radi-Allahu anha, which was started by the leader of the hypocrites. It was a whole month of torment and torture for all involved, after which verses of Surah Noor were revealed exonerating her and prescribing punishment for those involved in the false accusation. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Sayyidna Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu, vowed never to help Mistah again. Yet the Qur’an asked him to forget and forgive and continue helping his relative, which he did. Is there another society that can even come close to this standard in maintaining family ties?
Islam came to set all our relationships right. This includes our relations with Allah as well as with other human beings. Silat-ur-Rahim is a very important part of the latter.
Today, unfortunately, these teachings can mostly be found in Muslim societies in their violation. The best we do today is reciprocate; more commonly we backbite, cheat, and hurt our relatives and continue the spiral of hurt and humiliation as they respond. And we just abandon those of our relatives who are economically unfortunate.
There are three reasons for this sad situation. First is the widespread ignorance about Islamic teachings in this regard. Even in various Islamic groups the subject hardly gets the attention it deserves.
Second is the rampant materialism. While materialism hurts all aspects of our life, it is especially damaging to family ties for they require sacrifice of time, money and personal comfort. The third reason has to do with recent history. It is a “gift” of the transformation of Muslim societies under colonialism.
Industrial Revolution came at a time when Muslim civilization was in the doldrums. Muslim historians point out very accurately that the genesis of European Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution was in the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Yet it is also true that it progressed at a time of Muslim decline. And that explains the form it took and the devastation it caused to the family life. Everywhere it disrupted human relations. Poet Iqbal pointed to this when he said in his famous line: The rule of machines is death for the heart. Machine tools crush compassion.
Later, under the influence of colonialism, urban centers throughout the Muslim world faithfully duplicated all of these problems. This was just what a blind following of the West promised. Relations between husband and wife, between parents and children, between workers and managers, between neighbors, between relatives, in other words between all segments of society were dealt a devastating blow.
The process continues in the post industrial, neo-colonial period. To quote one example, television is rapidly destroying what was left of human relations, cutting off even members of the same family from each other and engulfing everyone within his or her own pleasure cocoon, oblivious to the world without. It is just one, but probably the most subversive and intrusive tool of our so called postmodern global village. Village of distant neighbors without love and kinship.
The young man went to attend the weekly hadith lecture of Sayyidna Abu Huraira, Radi-Allahu anhu but the routine opening announcement stopped him. “If anyone sitting here has severed any ties of kinship (qata-ur-rahim), he should leave.” He recalled that an aunt lived in the town with whom he had not been on speaking terms. The young man quietly left the gathering and went straight to his aunt’s home. He asked for forgiveness for his past behavior and sought rapprochement. When the aunt inquired about the reason for this change of heart, he narrated the entire incident. She accepted the apology but asked him to inquire from Abu Huraira, Radi-Allahu anhu, the reason for this unusual announcement. Why did he leave all the other major sins and focus only on this? What was so special about ties of kinship?
Sayyidna Abu Huraira replied that he had heard from the Prophet that our deeds are presented to Allah every Thursday night and anyone who has severed family ties has all his good deeds rejected. He did not want any such person sitting in his gathering, which was held on the same night, for fear that it could deprive the entire gathering of blessings. Another hadith explains further the reason for this fear: “Allah’s mercy will not descend on people among whom there is one who severs ties of kinship.” [Baihaqi, Shuab Al-Iman]
Maintaining the bonds of kinship (silatur-rahim) indeed enjoys extraordinary importance in Islam. Conversely, severing the ties (qata-ur-rahim), is very high on the list of enormities. At two places in the Qur’an, Allah has cursed the one severing family ties.
“And those who break the covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives) and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse, and for them is the unhappy home (i.e. Hell)” [Ar-Rad 13:25. See also Muhammad, 47:22-23].
A cursed person is one who is deprived of the mercy of Allah. It is an indication of this deprivation that this sin is punished in this world as well as in the Hereafter. “There is no sin more deserving of having punishment meted out by Allah to its perpetrator in advance in this world along with what He stores up for him in the next world than oppression and severing ties of family.” [Tirmidhi].
Another hadith highlights the high stakes involved here in a compelling way: “Rahim (family ties) is a word derived from Ar-Rahman (The Compassionate One) And Allah says: ‘I shall keep connection with him who maintains you and sever connection with him who severs you.’” [Bukhari]
Silatur-rahim has been defined as politeness, kind treatment, and concern for all one’s relatives even if distantly related, corrupt, non-Muslim, or unappreciative. [Shaikh Abdul Wakil Durubi in Reliance of the Traveller]. While nearly every religion has emphasized good family relations, Islam has taken it to unprecedented heights. It is a duty to be discharged without an eye for reciprocity. A Muslim is required to be kind even to his non-Muslim relatives. Similarly he is required to be kind to even those relatives who are harsh to him.
The most telling example in this regard is that of Sayyidna Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu. Among the many people who benefited from his generosity was a relative Mistah, Radi-Allahu anhu. The latter, unfortunately became involved in the scandal about the Mother of Believers, Sayyida Aisha, Radi-Allahu anha, which was started by the leader of the hypocrites. It was a whole month of torment and torture for all involved, after which verses of Surah Noor were revealed exonerating her and prescribing punishment for those involved in the false accusation. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Sayyidna Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu, vowed never to help Mistah again. Yet the Qur’an asked him to forget and forgive and continue helping his relative, which he did. Is there another society that can even come close to this standard in maintaining family ties?
Islam came to set all our relationships right. This includes our relations with Allah as well as with other human beings. Silat-ur-Rahim is a very important part of the latter.
Today, unfortunately, these teachings can mostly be found in Muslim societies in their violation. The best we do today is reciprocate; more commonly we backbite, cheat, and hurt our relatives and continue the spiral of hurt and humiliation as they respond. And we just abandon those of our relatives who are economically unfortunate.
There are three reasons for this sad situation. First is the widespread ignorance about Islamic teachings in this regard. Even in various Islamic groups the subject hardly gets the attention it deserves.
Second is the rampant materialism. While materialism hurts all aspects of our life, it is especially damaging to family ties for they require sacrifice of time, money and personal comfort. The third reason has to do with recent history. It is a “gift” of the transformation of Muslim societies under colonialism.
Industrial Revolution came at a time when Muslim civilization was in the doldrums. Muslim historians point out very accurately that the genesis of European Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution was in the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Yet it is also true that it progressed at a time of Muslim decline. And that explains the form it took and the devastation it caused to the family life. Everywhere it disrupted human relations. Poet Iqbal pointed to this when he said in his famous line: The rule of machines is death for the heart. Machine tools crush compassion.
Later, under the influence of colonialism, urban centers throughout the Muslim world faithfully duplicated all of these problems. This was just what a blind following of the West promised. Relations between husband and wife, between parents and children, between workers and managers, between neighbors, between relatives, in other words between all segments of society were dealt a devastating blow.
The process continues in the post industrial, neo-colonial period. To quote one example, television is rapidly destroying what was left of human relations, cutting off even members of the same family from each other and engulfing everyone within his or her own pleasure cocoon, oblivious to the world without. It is just one, but probably the most subversive and intrusive tool of our so called postmodern global village. Village of distant neighbors without love and kinship.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
The Muslim Woman 'Unveiled'
THE MUSLIM WOMAN 'UNVEILED'
You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I'm dressed,
You know me not for whats inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,
My body's not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mould,
I'm an individual, I'm no mans slave,
Its Allah's pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,
'O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
so you won't be bothered by ignorant folk.'
Man does not tell me to dress this way,
Its a law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I'm truly NOT,
For liberation is what I've got,
It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,
I can climb mountains, or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam, to you and me.
You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I'm dressed,
You know me not for whats inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,
My body's not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mould,
I'm an individual, I'm no mans slave,
Its Allah's pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,
'O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
so you won't be bothered by ignorant folk.'
Man does not tell me to dress this way,
Its a law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I'm truly NOT,
For liberation is what I've got,
It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,
I can climb mountains, or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam, to you and me.
Ramadhaan 27.08.10
My people have been blessed with 5 special favours in Ramadhaan:
1. The breath of a fasting person is better than the fragrance of musk.
2. The angels pray for them.
3. Paradise is prepared for them.
4. The mischievious devils are chained.
5. The fasting people are forgiven. [Ahmed]
"All deeds of the son of Adam are increased in value from 10-700 times except for fasting, since it is for me alone, I shall reward my servant as I please." [Muslim]
- Allah's Mercy & generosity- Reap the rewards!
"The month of patience and reward for true patience is Jannah.
Month of sympathy with ones fellow men.
Whoever feeds a fasting person to break the fast @ iftaar, for him be forgivesness of his sins and emancipation from the hell-fire and reward is equal to fasting person without diminishing that persons reward." (Salman al-Farsi)
And four things you should endeavour to perform in great number, two of which are pleasing to your Lord and the other two shall be those you cannot do without.
1) Recite kalimah and seek forgiveness.
2) To ask for Jannah and seek refuge from Jahannam.
"Qur'an and fast will intercede: O lord! I stopped him from eating, drink and sexual activity throughout the day, Qu'ran will say 'O mighty Lord! I stopped him from the rest and sleep at nite so intercede for him ." [Muslim]
" Five prayers, from one Friday to the next and from one Ramadaan to the next are and atonement for a mans sins as long as he avoids the major sins." [ Muslim]
"Ar-Raiyan is a gate in paradise and those that observe (saum)fast will enter through it on the Day of Ressurection."
May the days be prolonged in this month,
May the nights witness our standings,
May you feel the ecstacy of Jannah,
and may this be our plea till the end of time.
1. The breath of a fasting person is better than the fragrance of musk.
2. The angels pray for them.
3. Paradise is prepared for them.
4. The mischievious devils are chained.
5. The fasting people are forgiven. [Ahmed]
"All deeds of the son of Adam are increased in value from 10-700 times except for fasting, since it is for me alone, I shall reward my servant as I please." [Muslim]
- Allah's Mercy & generosity- Reap the rewards!
"The month of patience and reward for true patience is Jannah.
Month of sympathy with ones fellow men.
Whoever feeds a fasting person to break the fast @ iftaar, for him be forgivesness of his sins and emancipation from the hell-fire and reward is equal to fasting person without diminishing that persons reward." (Salman al-Farsi)
And four things you should endeavour to perform in great number, two of which are pleasing to your Lord and the other two shall be those you cannot do without.
1) Recite kalimah and seek forgiveness.
2) To ask for Jannah and seek refuge from Jahannam.
"Qur'an and fast will intercede: O lord! I stopped him from eating, drink and sexual activity throughout the day, Qu'ran will say 'O mighty Lord! I stopped him from the rest and sleep at nite so intercede for him ." [Muslim]
" Five prayers, from one Friday to the next and from one Ramadaan to the next are and atonement for a mans sins as long as he avoids the major sins." [ Muslim]
"Ar-Raiyan is a gate in paradise and those that observe (saum)fast will enter through it on the Day of Ressurection."
May the days be prolonged in this month,
May the nights witness our standings,
May you feel the ecstacy of Jannah,
and may this be our plea till the end of time.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Update
We are currently reviewing Imam An-Nawawis arba'in (40 hadiths). Ref: The Compendium of knowledge and Wisdom by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, translated by Abdassamad Clarke.
As the hadith states:
'Whoever memorises 40 narrations for my nation in matters of its religion, Allah will raise him up as a scholar and I shall be an intercessor and a witness for him on the Day of Rising.'
Our halaqa notes will follow inshallah.
As the hadith states:
'Whoever memorises 40 narrations for my nation in matters of its religion, Allah will raise him up as a scholar and I shall be an intercessor and a witness for him on the Day of Rising.'
Our halaqa notes will follow inshallah.
Dua of Dawud & Muhammad (saws)
'Allahumma innee as aluka Hubbaka, wa Hubba man yu Hibbuka, wa 'amalalladhi yu balli ghunee Hubbaka'.
"O Allah, I ask You for Your love and the love of those who love You and the action which will make me attain Your love."
[Tirmidhi 3490]
"O Allah, I ask You for Your love and the love of those who love You and the action which will make me attain Your love."
[Tirmidhi 3490]
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Estranged Sister
" It is not proper for a muslim to keep away from his brother (in Islam) for more than three days so much so that when they meet they move away from eachother. the better of them is the one who is the first to salute the other.
Bukhari and Muslim
Bukhari and Muslim
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