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Anas reported that the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said. "I have left among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the book of Allah and my Sunnah." (Hakim)The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Convey from me even if one ayah (verse) for it may be that the one being informed will comprehend better that the one listening (at present)." (Al-Bukhari)The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward." (Reported by Al-Tirmidhi, 7/443)The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah (i.e., my way) is not from me." (Al-Bukhaari & Muslim)"Truly, in the messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for the one who hopes for the meeting with Allah and the last day and remembers Allah much." [Quran Al-Ahzab: 21]"Say (O Muhammad saw to mankind): if you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful." [Quran Al-Imran: 31]
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Experience the Sweetness of Eeman
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said, Sight is a poisonous arrow
of the devil. Whosoever, whether male
or female, protects himself or herself
from evil glances, will be granted a
sweet eeman (faith) which will please
his/her heart. [Tabrani]
4
• The heart is like a container that you can
keep filling with eeman. But each glance at
a non-mahram makes a hole in this
container of eeman. Like a bucket full of
holes cannot hold water, so also does eeman
keep pouring out of the heart of the person
who does not restrain his/her glances to
what Allah has permitted looking at.
• The disease of checking out the opposite sex
has unfortunately become quite common.
Allah calls it an act of the devil that causes
eeman to turn sour. Therefore, if you would
like to taste the true sweetness of eeman,
you need to guard your glances and not
look at what Allah has prohibited. 5
• One needs to protect himself/herself
from allowing their aurah (parts of the
body men and women are required to
keep covered and hidden from the eyes
of others) to be seen by others. As we
would wear armour if physical arrows
were assaulting us, so we should wear
concealing clothes to protect ourselves
from the poisonous arrows of the
Shaytaan. These do not attack our
physical body, but they attack our soul
and tear holes in our faith.
6
Pressurizing for Batil
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: He who presses for
something he knows is false (Batil)
remains under the hatred of Allah
until he gives it up. [“bu Dawud]
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• We should be very careful about asking,
let alone insisting, on things contrary to
“llah s likes and dislikes. For example,
sometimes parents don t like the
practice of Islam by their children, and
harass their daughter to take her scarf
off, or their son to shave his beard off.
Many times this insistence is subtle, yet
all the more powerful.
8
• This pressure to live by standards set by
Shaitaan is actually common place in
society. It is normal to tell
friends/relatives to buy a house on
mortgage, or go to events where men
and women socialize together, or to take
an interest bearing loan for education,
etc. Asking a person to do anything that
is Haraam (forbidden) or Makruh
(disliked), or telling them to avoid a
Fardh (obligatory deed) or Sunnah
(recommended deed), is to press for
Batil.
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• There are many ways in which a person
may press for something that is false.
Sometimes, in business transactions or law
suits, people insist on what is not rightfully
theirs in “llah s Sight, only because their
feelings or the law of the land allows them
to ask for it.
• People who apply pressure for Batil should
know that Allah (subhana wa ta ala) hates
them so long as they don t repent, ask for
His forgiveness, and try to make up for
their wrongs. There can be nobody more
ruined than one who is hated by Allah
(subhana wa ta ala). May He save us from
joining the ranks of the ruined. 10
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Excessiveness in Religion
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: ”eware of going to
extremes (in religion), for those before
you were only destroyed through
excessiveness. [“n-Nasai]
14
• Allah Most High says in the Quran,
Say: O people of the ”ook, do
not be excessive in your
religion.’ [4: 7 ]
15
• Imam Qurtubi says, “ccording to exegetes,
this refers to the extremism of the Jews
concerning Eesa (pbuh) in accusing
Maryam (may Allah be please with her) of
fornication, and the extremism of the
Christians in considering him to be a god.
For both excessiveness and remissness are
evil, and both may be unbelief. [“l-Jami li
ahkam al-Quran]
• Ibn Taymiya says regarding this hadith of
the Prophet peace be upon him , His
saying ”eware of going to extremes in
religion is a general prohibition applying to
all types of extremes, whether in beliefs or
works. [Fayd al-Qadir sharh al-Jami al-
saghir] 16
• Going to an extreme means to leave the Sunnah
of the Prophet (pbuh) and define piety for
oneself. Once a group of three men came to the
house of the Prophet (pbuh) and comparing their
worship to that done by the Prophet (pbuh)
thought that they should do more. So one of
them said, I will offer the prayer throughout the
night forever. The other said, I will fast
throughout the year and will not break my fast.
The third said, I will keep away from women
and will not marry ever. Prophet pbuh said to
them, ”y “llah, I am more submissive to “llah
and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and
break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry
women. So he who does not follow my tradition
in religion, is not from me (not one of my
followers . [Sahih ”ukhari]
17
• What the Christians invented in terms of
monasticism and the extremes they went
to in it was partly due to the fact that they
did not have with them the original or
comprehensive teachings of Eesa (pbuh).
But with the comprehensive code of
conduct that Allah Most High has
revealed to us in the form of the Quran
and Sunnah, there is no justification to
make anything up, add anything to the
religion or leave anything that is in it. In
fact, to do so is to reject what Allah has
revealed in favour of one s personal
opinion, and this is shirk.
18
• On the one hand are those Muslims who
Shaitaan misguides by making them
subject their bodies to deprivation and
pain in the name of greater piety. On the
other hand are those Muslims who
Shaitaan misguides by telling them that
to follow the religion of Allah in those
areas one finds difficult, is to go to
extremes. Such Muslims then consider
following the original teachings of Islam
as extremism. May Allah save us from
both these extremes of excessiveness and
remissness.
19
Pulling Back From the Fire
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: I am
like a person who lit a fire and when the
surrounding area became bright with light,
the moths and insects began to drop in the
fire. The person is now trying with all the
force at his command to stop these moths and
insects from dropping in the fire, but the
moths and insects are rushing towards the
fire rendering all his efforts ineffective.
Likewise, I am trying my best to draw you
back and keep you away from the fire, yet
you are bent on falling into it. [Mishkat]
20
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) came as a mercy for all mankind.
After being commissioned with the
message of Islam, he spent every day
and night for the remaining twenty-
three years of his life consumed with
worry, concerned that no one should fall
into Jahannum.
21
• The love of the Prophet (pbuh) for mankind
was such that he would spend the whole
night crying, Allahumma Ummati,
Allahumma Ummati O “llah my
Ummah, O Allah my Ummah). Every
Prophet is given one wish to use as he
pleases. Tears rolled down Rasul Allah
pbuh s face as his son Ibraheem was dying
in his arms, but he didn t use that wish to
save his son s life. He didn t use that wish
to save anyone of his family - not any of his
daughters (radi Allahu anha), not his
beloved uncle Abu Talib, nor anyone else.
He saved that wish to use for you and me
on the Day of Judgement. 22
• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) testifies to the
concern of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) in this ayat: ”ut will you,
perhaps, torment yourself to death
with grief over them if they are not
willing to believe in this message?
[Quran 18:6]
• He (peace be upon him) worried about
us so much, yet how worried are we
about ourselves?
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Evil Thoughts
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: “llah has forgiven my
followers the evil thoughts that occur
to their minds, as long as such
thoughts are not put into action or
uttered. [Sahih ”ukhari]
27
• Sometimes evil thoughts come to us the
occurring of which we have no control over.
When Shaytaan or our nafs puts such
thoughts in our minds, and we do not
entertain them, then Allah in His Infinite
Mercy and Justice does not hold us
accountable for them. Not entertaining such
thoughts means to not continue to think
about them, not speak of them, and not act
according to them.
• If our mind keeps mulling the thoughts
over, or God Forbid takes pleasure in such
thoughts, then we will not automatically be
forgiven them, for we chose then to think on
such lines. In order to stop thinking about
something it helps to get up and start doing
some physical work.
28
Pulpits of Pearl
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: Some
people shall be raised from their graves on the
Day of Judgement in a state that their faces will
be glowing with radiant light. They shall be
seated on pulpits made of pearls. Other people
shall envy their elevated state. These dignified
people, however, will neither include Prophets
nor Shuhada martyrs . The Companions
submitted: O Messenger of “llah pbuh ! Who
are these people? Tell us their distinguishing
qualities. “llah s Messenger pbuh observed:
These are the people who love each other for the
sake of “llah only. [Tabrani]
29
• When there is no benefit you wish to obtain
from someone, and you love them only
because of their devotion to Allah (subhana
wa ta ala), and because they are devoted to
safeguarding “llah s Deen, then your love
of them is for the sake of “llah.
• Those who love others for the sake of Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) are actually loving
“llah. “ saying in Urdu goes, When you
love Layla, even her dog becomes dear to
you. So how is it possible that a person be
true in their love of Allah, yet not love
others who love Allah and are striving in
His cause?
30
• The greatest sign of love is obedience.
When you love someone you want to do
whatever pleases him/her. You hate to do
what you know your beloved dislikes out
of fear of displeasing him/her. Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) says about the
Momineen ”ut those of Faith are overflowing in their love for “llah. [Quran 2:165] Thus, the Momineen are most careful
about sticking to “llah s Shariah – minding
His likes and dislikes.
• Loving for the sake of Allah is to love those
Muslims who ardently strive to please
Allah with His obedience. Pulpits of pearl,
faces radiant with light, and honour with
Allah; these are the rewards for being true
in your love of Allah. 31
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Excessive Joking • The Prophet (pbuh) said to his Companions (may Allah
be pleased with them : Who will take these words and
apply them, or knows someone who will? “bu
Hurairah may “llah be pleased with him answered, I
will, O Messenger of “llah, whereupon the Prophet
(pbuh) took his hand and enumerated five things,
saying:
“void the unlawful deeds and you will be the most
religious of people.
”e satisfied with what “llah has alotted you and you
will be the richest of people.
Treat your neighbour well and you will be a believer.
Love for others what you love for yourself and you will
be a Muslim.
“void excessive laughter for too much laughter kills
the heart. [“hmad] 35
• Imam Nahlawi says The necessary
condition for the permissibility of joking
is that it does not contain lies or occasion
fright, because this hurts others, and we
are forbidden to do so.
• Excessive joking is blameworthy since
it eliminates one s dignity and reserve,
and creates resentment in certain
situations and people. It also causes
immoderate laughter, which kills the
heart. [al-Durar al-Mubaha fi al-Hazr
al-Ibaha, quoted in "Reliance of the
Traveller" by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri]
36
Pious Woman is Half of Deen
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: Whoever “llah blesses
with a pious woman has in fact been
helped by Allah with half his Deen. So
he should fear Allah (struggle to
achieve) regarding the other half as
well. [Majma Az-Zawa id by Imam
Al-Haythami: Kanz-ul-Ammaal]
37
• This hadith informs us of the importance
of having an Allah-fearing woman as
one s wife. Having such a wife has been
equated with having half of Eeman and
Islam. Such a woman is to be treasured
for the benefits she brings to her husband
in this world and in the next.
• In this life she makes his home a peaceful
sanctuary for him. Her love and
obedience enables his family life to be
spent pleasantly. The children are brought
up lovingly to be righteous Muslims and
they become Sadaqah Jaariya for their
parents.
38
• The benefit a pious wife brings to her
husband s Akhirah is that she facilitates
his religious obligations. She encourages
him to be a better Muslim, to pray
regularly, to perform his prayers in the
Masjid. If he is involved in activities to
earn “llah s pleasure she doesn t bother
him with demands. She allows him to
keep his focus on earning “llah s
pleasure.
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• She lives contentedly with his income
and doesn t goad him to increase their
standard of living by Haraam means.
She doesn t taunt him by saying things
like, Look at so-and so s household,
how comfortably they live, how well
they eat! Instead, she thanks “llah and
her husband that he does not bring ill-
gotten wealth into the house.
40
• A pious wife spends her time positively
and so the other members of the
household also learn from her example
to utilize their time to benefit their
Akhirah. Since she doesn t watch TV or
movies, a lot of evil and un-Islamic
influences are kept at bay.
• It is thus no wonder that Allah (subhana
wa ta ala) says that a pious woman is
half of the Deen.
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Entrance Ticket for Ar-Rayyan
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: There is a gate to Paradise
that is called Ar-Rayyan. On the Day
of Resurrection it will say, Where are
those who fasted? When the last one
has passed through the gate, it will be
locked. [Sahih ”ukhari]
45
• Just as there are tickets to enter carnivals,
concerts, and movie theatres, Paradise also
has a price. The difference is that carnivals,
concerts and movie theatres are places
where Shaitaan and his corrupt followers
are found: while Paradise is a purely good
place. Nothing bad can happen to anyone in
Paradise. Nobody can get pick-pocketed,
molested, drugged or abused in any way. It
is pure fun with no evil consequences.
• One way to get in this beautiful Paradise is
by fasting. One of the eight gates of
Paradise accepts fasts as the entrance ticket.
Let s make sure we can at least enter
through this gate called Ar-Rayyan. 46
Permissible Lying
• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
He who settles disagreements
between people to bring about good or
says something commendable is not a
liar. Umm Kulthum (radi Allahu
anha added: I did not hear him
permit untruth in anything people say,
except for three things: war, settling
disagreements, and a man talking with
his wife or she with him (in smoothing
over differences. [Sahih Muslim] 47
• This is an explicit statement that lying is sometimes
permissible, scholars having established criteria
defining what types of it are lawful. Imam Abu
Hamid Ghazali says Speaking is a means to
achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is
attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it
is unlawful to accomplish through lying because
there is no need for it…It becomes obligatory to lie if
an obligatory deed cannot be achieved except by
lying. When, for example, one is concealing a
Muslim from an oppressor who asks where he is, it
is obligatory to lie about his being hidden. Or when
a person deposits an article with one for safekeeping
and an oppressor wanting to appropriate it inquires
about it, it is obligatory to lie about having
concealed it, for if one informs him about the article
and he then seizes it, one is financially liable to
cover the article s cost…. [Reliance of the Traveller
by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri]
48
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Exchange Gifts
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Exchange gifts. This will generate
mutual feelings of love and eliminate
feelings of animosity and
estrangement from your hearts.
[Mishkat]
52
• The Prophet (pbuh) often sent gifts to
his illustrious Companions (may Allah
be please with them . The Prophet s
Companions (may Allah be please with
them) also frequently exchanged
presents among themselves.
• The exchange of presents augments
sentiments of love and creates a soft
corner in the heart of the receiver for the
donor.
53
• In the matter of exchanging gifts, always
keep within your means. Whatever the
status of the receiver, do not think that
your gift should necessarily be a costly
one. Give according to your means and
whatever is easily available.
• The real worth of your gift depends on
your sincerity and the nature and depth
of feelings with which you have
presented the gift. It is sincerity, love
and devotion that unites hearts.
54
Prayer for Fulfillment of a Need
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: When
someone seeks fulfillment of a need from Allah or
man, he should first carefully perform ablution, say
two Rakahs of superoragatory (Nafl) prayer and
then offer thanksgiving and praise to The Lord;
afterwards, he should invoke peace and blessings of
Allah on the Prophet, and finally utter this prayer
to Allah: La ilaha illallahul-halimul-karim.
Subhanallahi rabbil-arshil-azeem. Wal-hamdu
lillahi rabbil-alameen. “s aluka mujibati rahmatika
wa azaaimi maghfiratika wal-ghanimata min kulli
birrin was-salamata min kulli ithmin la tada li
dhanban illa ghafartahu wa la hamman illa
farrajtahu wa la haajatan hiya laka ridan illa
qadaitaha ya arhamar-rahimeen. [Tirmidhi] 55
• Whenever any need arises, big or small, stand
before Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and ask
through this prayer. The translation of the
words of this dua are There is no deity save
Allah, the Clement, the Bountiful. Glory be to
Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Praise
be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds! I beg of You
the means of (obtaining) Your Mercy and
securing Your Pardon; participation in every
righteousness and protection from every sin.
Leave no sin of mine unforgiven, no anxiety
unrelieved, and let no need of mine go
unfulfilled wherewith You are pleased. O You
the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!
56
• When your children ask you for favors,
direct them to ask Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) through this dua and Salaat.
Make their connection with Allah
strong. It is only if Allah puts it in your
heart and provides you with the means,
that are you able to fulfill the needs of
your children. Put your reliance and the
reliance of your children in Allah
(subhana wa ta ala). It is He who loves
us more than we love each other or
ourselves.
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Earth’s Transformation on Day of Resurrection
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: On the Day of
Resurrection, mankind will be
gathered on an earth that is Afra, like
a fine loaf of bread (made from pure
fine flour . [”ukhari]
61
• The colour Afra has been translated by
various scholars as dull white, white
which has a hint of red, and pure
white.
62
• The land on which mankind will be
gathered on the Day of Resurrection will
not look like this earth of ours. Allah
says in the Quran: On the Day when
the earth will be changed to another
earth and so will be the heavens, and
they (all creatures) will appear before
“llah, the One, the Irresistible.
[Surah Ibraheem: Ayat 48]
• The above mentioned Hadith tells us
what this new land will look like. It will
have no landmarks for anybody to make
use of.
63
Punctuality in the Asr and Fajr Prayers
• Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
There are angels who take turns in visiting
you by night and by day, and they all assemble
at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon (Asr)
prayers. Those who have spent the night with
you, ascend (to the heaven) and Allah, Who
knows better about them, asks, In what
condition did you leave My slaves? They
reply, We left them while they were
performing Salat and we went to them while
they were performing Salat. [Sahih ”ukhari] 64
• When the principal of a school makes
special mention of the high achievement
of one of the students in assembly, it is
not because the Principal doesn t know,
but because he/she wants to honor the
high achiever by mentioning their
achievements before all the other
students and faculty. Almighty Allah
knows everything but even then He
asks the angels about His pious slaves
so that the piety of the believers and
their merit and distinction become
evident to all.
65
• The angels for the night come at the
time of Asr when the angels from the
morning are present. The angels of the
two shifts assemble at this time and
exchange duties. The angels of the night
shift then leave their duty in the
morning at Fajr, and the angels of the
morning shift resume their duty. Thus,
the two groups assemble again at this
time.
66
• Angels are very punctual. They know
no such thing as procrastination or
delay. Thus, when they are exchanging
duties only the people who are punctual
in their Salat are engaged in Fajr or Asr
prayers. Therefore, we should try very
hard to be punctual in praying the Asr
and Fajr Salat so that when Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) asks the angels
about us He is told that the angels left
us while we were remembering Him
and praying and not while we were
sleeping, busy in games, watching T.V.,
or some other worthless activity. 67
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Eavesdropping
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him said: Whoever
eavesdrops on people s conversations
when they do not like that or they try
to move away from him, will have
molten lead poured into his ears on
the Day of Resurrection. [Bukhaari]
71
• People who eavesdrop on others will be
punished on the Day of Judgment by
having molten lead poured into their
ears. It isn t worth it to eavesdrop!
72
Pick up the Food you Drop
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said, When a morsel of any of
you falls, he should pick it up and
remove any of the dirt on it and then
eat it, and should not leave it for
Shaitaan... [Sahih Muslim]
73
• This hadith tells us to pick up a fallen
dry morsel of food and eat it after
brushing off any dirt that might be on it.
This is an expression of humility and
also prevents Shaitaan from deriving
blessings from our food.
74
• Present-day Muslims hardly care for
this directive of the Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) thinking that picking up
dropped food will bring disgrace and
dishonour upon them. To make matters
worse, some even throw away
unconsumed food in the garbage, while
others deem it necessary to leave a little
food in their plates as a sign of their
manners or affluence! How far the
Muslim community has departed from
the teachings and excellent example of
their Prophet (pbuh)!
75
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78
Earth’s Information
• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited
this Ayat: That Day it the earth will
declare its information. [Quran:
Surah Az-Zalzalah, Ayat 4] He (pbuh)
then asked his Companions: Do you
know what its information is? They
said: “llah and His Messenger know best. He pbuh said: Its information
means that it will testify against every
man and woman about what they did on
its surface. It will say, On such and such
a day they did such and such. That is its
information. [Tirmidhi] 79
• Among the witnesses against a person
will be the earth, and days and nights;
they will testify about what was done
on/in them and against them. Wealth
will testify against its owner a person s
own body will testify against him; and
the angels who record deeds, both good
and evil will also be witnesses. Imaam
Qurtubi devoted a chapter to this subject
in his Tadhkirah.
80
Patience on Death of Child • The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: When a
person's child dies, Allah the Most High asks
His angels, Have you taken out the life of the
child of My slave? They reply in the
affirmative. He then asks, Have you taken the
fruit of his heart? They reply in the affirmative.
Thereupon he asks, What has My slave said?
They say: He has praised You and said: Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji un (We belong to Allah
and to Him we shall be returned . “llah says:
”uild a house for My slave in Jannah and name
it Bait-ul-Hamd the House of Praise .
[Tirmidhi] 81
• One of the greatest worldly calamities for
a person is to lose his or her child. None
but those who have gone through it know
what it is like. This hadith highlights the
great merit of exhibiting patience at this
time of calamity. Rather than wailing and
complaining, one should submit to the
Will of Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and try
to remember His promised reward.
Children who die before reaching the age
of puberty cause their parents to be
brought to Jannah through them. An
attitude of patience brings great reward
from Allah (subhana wa ta ala).
82
• How does one reconcile with such
events? Another hadith tells us the story
of a pious man who loved his wife very
much. When she died suddenly he was
devastated. He shut himself off from
society, refusing to talk to or see anyone.
Finally, a woman sat outside his house
and refused to budge until he talked to
her regarding a problem that she had.
83
She told him that a friend of hers had given
her jewelry for safekeeping which she
would often wear. She had had it in her
possession for a long time but now her
friend had come to ask for it back. The
problem was that since she had had the
jewelry for so long she had gotten used to
having it and didn t want to give it back.
The man immediately replied from inside
the house that she must return her friend s
amanah (possessions given in trust). He
also realized that the problem she had
come to discuss with him was just to make
him realize how in fact he must reconcile
with Allah (subhana wa ta ala) taking back
what belonged to Him. 84
• Death is only a temporary separation
for family members going to Jannah.
People going to Jannah will be reunited
therein where they will never suffer
separation again.
85
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87
88
Exchange of Deeds
• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
Whoever wronged his brother with
regard to his honour or any other matter,
should seek his forgiveness today, before
there are no longer any dinars or
dirhams; and if he has any righteous
deeds, they will be taken from him, in
accordance with the wrong he did; and if
he has no Hasanaat (good deeds), some of
the Sayi aat (bad deeds) of his
counterpart will be taken and added to
his burden. [Bukhaari] 89
• When the Day of Resurrection comes, a
man s wealth and capital will be his
Hasanaat (good deeds).
• If he had wronged any people, they will
take from his Hasanaat to the extent that
he mistreated them. If he does not have
any Hasanaat, or if his Hasanaat run out,
then some of their Sayi aat (bad deeds)
will be taken and added to his burden,
till all scores are settled.
• Then his deeds will be weighed in the
Balance!
90
Purchase Garments of Paradise
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: If
any Muslim clothes a Muslim when he
is naked, Allah will clothe him with
some green garments of Paradise; if any
Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is
hungry, Allah will feed him with some
of the fruits of Paradise; and if any
Muslim gives a Muslim drink when he
is thirsty, Allah will give him some of
the pure wine which is sealed to drink.
[Abu Daud] 91
• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has made
some things easy for us to acquire, that
we otherwise would not have known
how to obtain. Had Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) not told us, we would not even
have known of Paradise let alone the
garments therein. Not only has he
informed us of their existence but made
it possible for each one of us to easily
get some.
92
• Are we getting as excited about it as we
do about a clearance sale at our favorite
clothes store? If not, then there is
something wrong with our eeman.
Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with
him) said that if he were to see Paradise
with his own eyes he would not long for
it more than he already longs for it. Nor
would he by seeing Jahannum with his
own eyes fear it more than he already
does. This shows us the level of belief
the Sahabah had in the words of Allah
(subhana wa ta ala).
93
94
95
96
Evil in the Self and Deeds
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him taught us to say: “ll praise is
for Allah, we praise Him and seek His
help and His pardon. We seek refuge in
Him from the evil in our selves and
from the evil of our deeds. [“bu
Dawud; Kitab an-Nikah]
97
• There is agreement amongst those who
seek Allah, despite their different
schools and practices, that the self (Nafs)
stands between the heart and reaching
Him. Only the silencing of the self – by
turning away from it and ignoring its
whims and overcoming it – can lead you
into the domain of Allah and make it
possible to reach Him.
98
• “llah, the Exalted, says: Then as for
whoever exceeded the limits and
preferred the life of this world, surely
his abode will be the Fire; and as for
whoever feared to stand before his
Lord and restrained the desires of his
self (Nafs), surely his abode will be
the Garden. [Quran: Surah Naziaat,
Ayaat 37-41]
99
• The self urges you to wrong actions, and
to preferring this life to the next life;
while Allah, the Exalted, tells His
servants to fear Him, and to restrain the
self from following its whims and
impulses.
• There are two kinds of people in life:
intelligent and foolish. The foolish kind
are those whose Nafs have overcome
them and led them to ruin because they
yielded to them and obeyed their
impulses. The intelligent kind of people
are those who have overcome their Nafs
and made them obey their commands. 100
• Evil lies hiding in the self, and it is this
that leads it on to do wrong. If Allah
were to leave the servant alone with his
self, the servant would be destroyed
between its evil and the evil that it
craves; but if Allah grants him success
and help, then he will survive. We seek
refuge in Allah the Almighty, both from
the evil of our selves and from the evil of
our deeds.
101
Protect Your Children
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: “ct upon the obedience to
Allah and avoid the prohibitions of
Allah, and order your children to abide
by the commandments of Allah and to
avoid the prohibitions of Allah, and by
that you protect yourselves and them
from the Hellfire. [Ibn Jurayr]
102
• This hadith holds a couple of important
lessons for us:
1. It is the right of children to be brought
up in accordance with the guidelines of
Islam. It is the duty of parents to protect
their children from the Fire of Hell by
teaching them “llah s commands and
prohibitions.
103
2. The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) first commands the parents
to act upon the commands of Allah
(subhana wa ta ala). It is a well known
fact, that children learn by imitation.
What a parent says, carries a lot less
weight, than what a parent does.
Children automatically do what their
parents do, but not necessarily what
they say.
104
105
106
107
Extinguish Anger With Water
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: “nger comes from the
devil and the devil was created from
fire. Fire is but extinguished with
water; so if one of you gets angry, he
should perform ablution. [“bu
Dawood]
108
• When a fire breaks out, water is used to
extinguish it. Since anger is like fire, using water
will cool your temper. Do Wudhu.
• To summarize the instructions of the Messenger
of Allah (pbuh), when assaulted with anger:
1. Say "Audhu billahi minash-shaytan nir-
rajeem.
2. If you are standing, sit. If the anger fails to
subside, lie down.
3. Remain silent.
4. Make Wudhu.
5. Pray two Rakaat Nafl.
6. Remember to be merciful to “llah s creation if
you desire Him to be merciful towards you
and continue to have Him overlook and
forgive your faults.
109
On the Back of Every Fish
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: It is written on the back of
every fish and bullock that it will be
the sustenance of such and such
persons. As such, it is only
unnecessary labour for a greedy person
to be in search of his sustenance.
[Minhaaj ul-Abideen by Imaam
Ghazali]
110
• Man s sustenance was allotted and
distributed in the very beginning of the
creation of the universe.
• It is necessary for me to have complete
faith in this Divine Dispensation and
conviction that no alteration in it is
possible.
• After putting faith in the eternally
original distribution of sustenance, it is
a matter of disgrace in the world and
loss in the Hereafter to search for
sustenance desperately and fretfully.
111
• I should work for a lawful income. The
Messenger of “llah pbuh said It is
compulsory on every Muslim to seek
lawful earnings. [Ihya Ulum Id-Din by
Imam Ghazali]
• However, I must pay full attention to
my prayers, not compromising on them
or any other order of “llah s e.g. loyalty
to Islam and Muslims, behavior, speech,
dress, or anything else) to make a living.
Nobody can take away what is destined
for me. And nobody can give me what is
not written for me.
112
113
114
115
First to Enter
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The first of those who shall enter
Paradise are the people who do acts of
kindnesses." [Tibrani]
116
• This story comes to us through the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
that there was once a prostitute in the
tribe of the Bani Israil. She passed by a
dog going around a well about to die of
thirst. So she took off her shoe and, tying
it to her head wrap, lowered it into the
well to get some water for the dog.
Because of this one act of kindness,
Allah forgave her her sins.
117
• This shows us not only “llah s love for
humans and how He loves to forgive us,
but also His love for all His creatures.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) told us that we are rewarded for
every act of kindness we do to any
creature. Every time a bird eats from
your fruit tree you are rewarded by
Allah for that too.
• In today's society though, it seems that
kindness is reserved for animals while
one's relatives and fellow Muslims are
not considered worthy of it. Don't
neglect them. 118
• Instead of asking somebody to bring a
glass of water for you, bring it for them.
This is a kindness. To pay attention to a
child's story is a kindness. To give the
elderly your time is a kindness. To share
a particular skill you have is a kindness.
To wash someone else's dishes is a
kindness. To make room for somebody
is a kindness. There are hundreds of
kindnesses to do. Make it your goal for
this week to seek out acts of kindness
throughout the day, and do them! Every
little deed will count on the Day of
Judgment. 119
Obedience to Parents Opens Doors to Paradise
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: He who
arises in the morning as obedient to both parents
for the pleasure of Allah, then Allah opens out
two doors of Paradise for him. If he has a single
parent, a single door is opened for him. If he
arises in the morning as a disobedient child to
his parents, two doors of Hell are opened out to
him and if there is one parent then one door is
opened out. “ person asked, Even if the
parents are cruel to him or oppress him? He
pbuh replied, Even if they oppress him! Even
if they oppress him! Even if they oppress him!
[Bayhaqi; Sha bil Imaan] 120
• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has left no
room for us to be disrespectful or
disobedient to our parents. Only if they
command us to go against any
injunction of “llah s are we allowed, in
fact required, to respectfully disobey
them. We are in all other matters to bow
down to their will and try to please
them for the sake of Allah (subhana wa
ta ala).
121
• If we adopt this behaviour because
Allah (subhana wa ta ala) asks us to,
then our reward is with Him. It is He
who will reward us and He is the best of
rewarders.
• When you wake up in the morning ask
yourself, would Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) rate you as a child who is
obedient to his/her parents or
disobedient?
122
123
124
125
Four Signs of A Hypocrite
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: Whoever has the following
four characteristics will be a pure
hypocrite: If he speaks, he tells a lie; if he
gives a promise, he breaks it; if he makes a
covenant he proves treacherous; and if he
quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent,
evil, insulting manner (unjust). And
whoever has one of these characteristics,
has one characteristic of a hypocrite unless
he gives it up. [Sahih ”ukhari]
126
• Make a check list of all un-Momin like
traits that you find within yourself. At
the end of each day check which
shortcoming you succumbed to. Give
yourself marks. See how long it takes
you to achieve full marks, i.e. you
display only Momin (believer vs.
Munafiq/hypocrite) like characteristics
that day. Then keep this up. Having a
visual check list and a grading system
helps.
127
Overlooking the Faults of Muslims
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: Whoever conceals the
faults of a Muslim in this world, Allah
will conceal his faults in this world
and in the Hereafter. [Muslim]
128
• It is a sign of noble character to overlook
the mistakes of our Muslim brothers
and sisters. As we err, they err. As we
would like to be forgiven and have our
deficiencies concealed, we should
forgive and conceal their deficiencies.
129
• This is relevant to those faults of a
Muslim which pertain to his self. This
does not apply where the rights of other
people are involved. For example, you
will conceal the fact that a person
overeats, but you will not stay quiet
when that same person behaves
dishonestly with public funds.
130
131
132
133
Focus on Yourself
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) said: "O you who have entered Islam
with your tongues but whose hearts faith
has not entered: do not slander people, and
do not ferret out people's shameful points.
Whoever searches out the shameful points
of his brother, Allah will search out his
shameful points, and if Allah searches out
a person's shameful points, be sure that
He will disgrace him even if he should
remain in the middle of his house." [Abu
Dawud] 134
• This hadith teaches us a number of things:
1. It points to the difference between being a
Muslim and being a Momin. A person who
has embraced Islam but not reformed his
heart and inner self through it, is called a
Muslim but not a Momin.
2. One characteristic that differentiates a
Muslim from a Momin is that a Muslim
may be on the look out for people's hidden
flaws and shameful secrets: but a Momin
would never waste his or her time in such
a disgraceful activity. This is because a
Momin knows that in the Final Reckoning
they will be asked about their own faults
and not those of others.
135
3. The punishment for someone who tries
to find flaws in others is that Allah will
surely disgrace them by making their
shameful deeds public. These may be
things we considered done and hidden
forever. But if Allah chooses to disgrace
somebody, there is nowhere they can
hide to escape the wretchedness of
disgrace.
136
• We waste so much time looking for and
discussing the faults of others. Allah
says, "That is a nation which has
already passed away: there awaits it
whatever it has earned, while you
will have what you have earned. You
will not be questioned about what
they have been doing." [Quran 2:141]
Focus on that which is your
foremost responsibility and in your
control. Yourself!
137
Oath on Patience and Begging
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: There are three men about
whom I can take an oath. No man s
wealth can be reduced by charity. Any
man who shows patience in the face of
oppression, Allah honors him. And a
man who opens the door to begging,
Allah opens on him the door to poverty
and want. [Ibn Majah]
138
• It often happens that with the people
nearest and dearest to us we are least
forgiving. Somebody says something
harsh and Shaitaan immediately jumps
to our side telling us to throw a brick in
exchange for a stone. He incites us
saying that unless we crush the other
person in retaliation we will never get
any respect.
• But this is not the formula for honor
given by our beloved Prophet (pbuh).
He told us to forbear the personal
insults we receive if we desire honor.
139
• It is sad that we are willing to show
forbearance when Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) is insulted, and patience when
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
maligned, but quick to react when the
lowly persons of ourselves are treated
contemptuously.
140
• It is against the honor of a Muslim to ask
of others – let alone beg. This hadith tells
us that begging brings us no good
anyway. Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
guarantees that person poverty who
stretches his hand out in front of others
instead of Allah.
• If you want anything pray and ask Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) for it. He is the source
of everything anyway. Teach your
children also to ask from Allah, rather
than from you. If it is written for them,
Allah will put it in the heart of the person
through whom it is to reach them.
141
142
143
144
Farewell Advice
• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) said: "O people, your wives have
certain rights over you and you have
certain rights over them. Treat them
well and be kind to them, for they are
your partners and committed helpers."
[Tirmidhi]
145
• Fair dealings and good behavior is
necessary towards everyone, but the
Prophet (pbuh), mercy for all mankind,
emphasized it especially towards women.
A man is rewarded for every morsel of
food that he puts into his wife's mouth.
The best sadaqah is that which is spent on
one's family and kindness to the wife is an
aspect of faith. Aisha (may Allah be
pleased with her) reported Allah's
Messenger as saying, "Among the
believers who show most perfect faith are
those who have the best disposition, and
are kindest to their families." [Tirmidhi]
146
• Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her),
the Prophet's wife, is one of the most
famous women in Islamic history. She
was gifted with outstanding intelligence
and memory, and is considered to be one
of the most reliable narrators of ahadith
of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
147
Rich Begging
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: The begging of a rich
person will appear as a disfigurement
on his face on the Day of
Resurrection. [Musnad al-Imam
Ahmad]
148
• One who asks from other people when
he is not in need, will be humiliated
with disfigurement on the Day of
Resurrection, as he had unnecessarily
disfigured his image in the world with
begging.
• Teach your children from day one not to
ask people for things. All bad habits
begin small.
149
150
151
152
Forty Women to One Men
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"A time will come when a man will go
about with alms from his gold and will
not find anyone to receive it. One man
will be seen being followed by forty
women dependant upon him on
account of the scarcity of men and
excess of women." [Sahih Muslim]
153
• This hadith reveals two of the prophecies of the
Prophet (pbuh) which have not been fulfilled
yet. One is that wealth will be abundant and the
other is that females will greatly exceed males in
number. This may happen due to wars, when
more males will be killed. It might be that the
birth rate of females exceeds that of males. Or it
may be due to any other reason. As a result of
pollution with oestrogen like compounds in
Britain's rivers, genetically male fish in the
rivers have been found to be physically
feminized in large numbers. SubhanAllah,
when fitnah appears in society, nothing remains
safe and everything is affected!
154
Retaliation
• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
People shall be mustered on the Day of
Judgement naked, uncircumcised, and
possessionless, and a call will be made to
them in a voice that those who are far
shall hear as well as those who are near,
saying: I am the King, I am He who
gives recompense: it is not meet for any
inhabitant of hell to enter it while any of
the inhabitants of paradise owes him
something until I exact it of them. 155
And it is not meet for any inhabitant of
paradise to enter it while he owes any of
the inhabitants of hell something until I
exact it from him, even if it be the
requital of a single slap of the face. We
asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh),
How will this be, when we meet “llah
Mighty and Majestic naked,
uncircumcised, and without a thing?
He replied, With good and bad deeds.
[Musnad Ahmad] 156
Retaliation…
• Just retaliation is a fact of the Day of
Judgement. No one will be able to avoid
it. It is the day when Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) as King and Judge will distribute
justice and nothing will escape His notice.
Every gesture and every intention will be
weighed in the balance. That day people
will pay each other with their good deeds.
If one person slapped another unjustly he
will have to hand over some of his good
deeds to make up for it. If a person s good
deeds finish while he still owes people,
their bad deeds will begin to be loaded
into his account.
157
• This news is a warning to each of us to
watch ourselves, for no deed, big or
small escapes “llah s knowledge. It is
also balm on the aching wounds of the
oppressed. Such perfect justice is not
possible on earth where you can t undo
most harm, you can t turn back the
clock, you can t catch every criminal,
you can t prove many injustices.
158
159
160
161
Fifteen Traits of the Doomed
• The Prophet pbuh said: If my Ummah bears fifteen
traits, tribulation will befall it. Someone asked, What
are they, O Messenger of “llah? He said, When any
gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit
to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a
profit; when paying Zakat becomes a burden; when a
man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats
his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when
voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a
people is the worst of them; when people treat a man
with respect because they fear some evil he may do;
when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when
female singers and musical instruments become
popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the
first ones - then let them expect a red wind, or the earth
to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.
[Tirmidhi] 162
• This hadith lists some of the evils that will
befall the Ummah in its last days. Because of
our committing these sins we will deserve to
be punished. It is scary to see how many of
these sins are now rampant amongst
Muslims.
• The first sin mentioned is that the wealthy
will keep wealth among themselves
exclusively, not letting it circulate and
benefit the poor. Look at current tax laws
and you will see this to be true. Another
manifestation of this sin is the invitation of
rich relatives to celebrations but not poor
ones. This is also a way of keeping good
things among the rich only, as it excludes the
poor from even benefiting from a meal. 163
• When people hold certain positions but
only do their job when they are bribed,
this amounts to using a trust to make a
profit. Holding a position of
responsibility is a trust/amanat, but we
see politicians, government servants and
many others, instead bent on
profiteering. Another example of using a
trust to make a profit is the practice of
banks loaning out to others on interest
the money that people keep as
safekeeping with them.
164
• The third trait mentioned in this hadith is
that zakat will become a burden. This is
also evident today. How many people
happily give zakat, despite it being a
purification of wealth and source of great
reward with Allah ?
• A man obeying his wife in preference to
his mother is also a sin. This is provided
that neither of them is asking him to do
something haraam or that which
compromises any other s rights. There is
no obedience if that obedience entails
disobedience of “llah s prescribed rules
and laws.
165
• Unfortunately, we also see among
Muslims today that friends take
precedence over family, although rights
through kinship are highly stressed in
Islam. We also see people raising their
voices in mosques in argumentation and
quarrels. The worst of a people being the
leader of that nation also appears to be
the case in many Muslim majority
countries around the world.
Consequently, people are afraid of the
evil of their leaders and despite their
wickedness thus treat them with respect.
166
• As for the last four traits: Many
members of the Muslim Ummah are
gripped in the vice of drinking alcohol;
many don t think much of the sin of men
wearing silk; female singers and music
are entrenched in the popular culture of
Muslims; and some deviant sects also
engage in the repulsive sin of bad
mouthing the first generation of
Muslims.
• We need to seriously repent and ask
Allah to save us from the punishments
that befall the sinful.
167
Old Dress
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Whosoever puts on a new dress and
has means, should give away his old
dress to the poor. [Tirmidhi]
168
• The Prophet (peace be upon him)
guided us in all matters of life. A
Muslim s wardrobe is limited because
they care about their fellow human
beings, for the sake of “llah s happiness.
So when they get a new dress they
should give away one of their old
dresses to the poor. This is a way of
recycling usable material and also
taking care of the needs of the needy.
169
• As with all deeds, the intention should
be to seek the pleasure of Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) rather than
humanitarianism, taking care of the
environment, or any other motive.
“llah s laws and recommendations
already take care of people, their
environment and, in fact, all creatures. It
is our Maker and Cherisher we should
seek to please.
170
• When oil riggs are set up, the trillions
spent are not for the useful by-product
we call Vaseline. It is oil for which the
expenditure is incurred and petroleum
jelly is just a useful by-product. So also,
when we follow “llah s laws and
recommendations, the thing of real
value is “llah s Pleasure, while the
resulting benefits to humans and other
creatures is the useful by-product.
171
172
173
174
Fear of Allah • Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated that the Prophet pbuh said: “ man who had
never done a pious deed said to his family members,
When I die burn me to ashes and divide the ashes into
two parts. Scatter one of them on land and the other in
the ocean. By Allah! If Allah gets hold over this body,
He will punish it as severely as He may not have
punished anyone else.
When he died, his family members obeyed his
instructions. Allah commanded the land to gather his
ashes and it collected every particle of his ashes on it.
And He commanded the ocean and it too gathered all
particles even from its depths. (Then He gave it life and
speech and He asked him, Why did you do that? He
said, My Lord! Fear of You! So “llah forgave him.
[Sahih Bukhari] 175
• This hadith highlights the importance of
having fear of Allah. The man had done
no good deed throughout his life despite
“llah s blessings on him, but at the time
of his death the events of his life flashed
before his eyes and made him so fearful
of “llah s punishment that he instructed
his family members to burn his body
and scatter his ashes over land and sea
in the hope that Allah would not be able
to put his body together again to punish
him.
176
• The man made a gross misjudgment of “llah s
attributes and supposed that by treating his
body in this way he would be able to defeat
“llah s plans to revive him. “llah, who has
created life out of nothing, is fully capable of
gathering scattered particles in the expanse of
the universe and reviving the dead. However,
Allah forgave the man because his wrong
approach had been prompted by fear of Him
and punishment at His hands.
• Thus, having the fear of Allah is a noble and
valuable asset. Allah says in the Quran, ”ut as
for him who feared the standing before his Lord
and restrained his soul from caprices, surely the
Garden shall be his abode. [79:4 -41]
177
• This hadith also teaches us never to despair of
the mercy of Allah Most High. We should
hope that He will forgive everyone who
makes a sincere repentance and seeks
forgiveness. A believer must maintain two
balanced approaches; that of fear and hope –
fear of being punished and hope for His
mercy. It is not correct to lean on any one
approach alone. As a bird with one wing
heavier than the other cannot fly so also
having a disbalance in fear and hope will not
allow a person to be a successful Muslim. An
extremity of fear makes one too despondent
to do good deeds, while over dependence on
hope makes one neglect piety.
178
One Whom Allah Loves
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: ”y “llah, “llah will never
throw one who loves Him and whom
He loves into the Fire. [Musnad
Ahmad]
179
• Love is a reciprocal thing. Suppose you love
someone from the bottom of your heart but
regardless of what you do for them they do not
reciprocate your feelings. While you look at
them adoringly, they look past you as though
you were invisible. You put everything on the
side to serve them day and night but they don t
acknowledge your selfless love or any of your
sacrifices. You stand by them through thick and
thin but they don t value your feelings. You
always try to do what pleases them but they
don t ask for your opinion. They say about you
things that are untrue and listen silently while
your reputation is trashed. How long will your
love last?
180
• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has shown
His intense and unceasing love for me;
but have I loved Him in return? Have I
given preference to Allah, His feelings
and His opinions?
• May Allah (subhana wa ta ala) help me
to become such that I reciprocate His
love. Those who believe are
overflowing in their love for “llah.
[Quran: Surah Baqrah, Ayat 165]
• May my love for Him become greater
than my love of my own desires and
may I value His opinion more than that
of people.
181
182
183
184
Fitnah of Duyna
• Abu Musa Ashari (may Allah be
pleased with him) narrated that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: He who loves his dunya
hurts his Akhirah, and he who loves
his akhirah hurts his dunya. Therefore
you should give preference to the one
that lasts over the one that is to
perish. [Hakim in Mustadrak]
185
• If you live in a rented house and are having
your own house built will you spend a
great deal of money, if any, on the rented
house or will you try to save as much as
you can for the construction of your own
house? When one works for the everlasting
next life they try to send whatever they
have forward. That means that they
compromise their life styles in order to
spend their money in “llah s path. They compromise on their leisure in order to put
in more effort for their akhirah. They
compromise on their desires so that Allah
fulfills their every desire in the Hereafter. In
short, they try to maximize the return on
whatever Allah has given them in this
world. 186
• A look at the life of any of the Sahabah
will show the practical application of
this hadith. Allah repeatedly calls this
world a deception. Despite being
warned, we act as though it will last
forever. We spend two or three decades
on acquiring the education that will
only serve us in this life. We then spend
the rest of our decades trying to enjoy
this life as much as we can. But for the
everlasting life that will begin with the
blink of an eye we do not bother to
prepare much.
187
• Sufyan Thawri narrated that Eesa ibn
Maryam (alaihis salam said “s fire
and water cannot coexist within the
same bowl; in the same way love of the
akhirah and love of this world cannot
coexist in the heart of a Momin. [Dham
ad-Dunya li Ibn Abi ad-Dunya]
188
On the Most Evil
• Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (radi Allahu
anhu) narrated that the Prophet (peace be
upon him said: Islam will wear out as
embroidery on a garment wears out, until
no one will know what fasting, prayer,
(pilgrimage) rites and charity are. The
Quran will disappear in one night, and
not one verse of it will be left on earth.
And there will be some people left, old
men and old women who will say, We
saw our fathers saying these words: la
ilaha illa “llah, so we say them too. 189
Silah asked Hudhayfah, What will
saying la ilaha illa Allah do for them
when they do not know what prayer,
fasting, (pilgrimage) rites and charity
are? Hudhayfah ignored him; then Silah
repeated his question three times, and
each time Hudhayfah ignored him.
Finally he answered, O Silah, it will
save them from Hell, and said it three
times. [The Chapters on Tribulations
Sunan Ibn Majah]
190
On the Most Evil…
• This indicates that in the last days, knowledge
will be taken from the people, and even the
Quran will disappear from the Mushafs and
from people's hearts. People will be left without
knowledge. Only old people will tell them that
they used to hear people saying la ilaha illa
Allah; and they will repeat it to feel close to
Allah. So it will give them some blessing, even
if they do not have any good deeds or beneficial
knowledge. Knowledge will be taken away
from men and ignorance will increase during
the last days. Ignorance and misguidance will
increase until the end of time, as in the hadith
of the Prophet pbuh The Hour will not come
upon anyone who says, 'Allah, Allah'; it will
only come upon the most evil of men.
191
192
193
194
Friends of Allah
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: “llah
Most High says, He who is hostile to a friend
(Wali) of Mine I declare war against. My slave
approaches Me with nothing more beloved to
Me than what I have made obligatory for him,
and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me
with voluntary works until I love him. And
when I love him, I am his hearing with which
he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand
with which he seizes, and his foot with which
he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give to
him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely
protect him. [Sahih ”ukhari] 195
• “llah s friends are those who are
constant and sincere in obedience to
Him. A friend (Wali) of Allah is one who
is close to Him because of his devotion
to Him, through obeying His commands
and shunning the acts which he has
forbidden. Allah declares war against
those who harass people because of their
Islam. Allah says that He will fight such
people Himself. And whoever such a
thing should happen to, should expect
only the worst possible things to happen
to him or her.
196
• This hadith also tells us that the obligatory
deeds (Faraid) are the most beloved to
Allah. Nothing makes Allah happier than
performance of Faraid and keeping away
from the forbidden deeds (Haraam). This
is what makes a person a friend of “llah s.
We should also keep the performance of
obligatory (Fard) and recommended
(Sunnah/Nafl) deeds in perspective. It is
said that the recommended deed amounts
to but one-seventieth of the value of an
obligatory deed. [Reliance of the Traveller
by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri]
197
• Thus, whoever draws near to Allah
through what is obligatory, and then
through the recommended deeds, Allah
draws him nearer to Himself and
elevates him from the level of true faith
(Iman) to the level of perfection of faith
(Ihsan). The consequence of this is the
preservation of the individual s whole
person, so that he forsakes selfish
desires and is wholly absorbed in
obedience.
198
• This hadith is also a metaphor for “llah s
help and assistance. By Allah becoming
someone s hearing or sight or hand what
is meant is that Allah helps the Momin to
perceive what He wants him to perceive
and do through his limbs what He wants
him to do.
• When a Momin becomes a friend of
“llah s, “llah grants the Momin what he
asks for. This happened to many of the
early Muslims, and Allah protects such a
person from whatever he fears. Whoever
draws near to Allah through the above
will not have his duas rejected.
199
Naked on Day of Resurrection
• When Aishah (may Allah be pleased
with her) heard the Messenger of Allah
pbuh say: Mankind will be gathered on
the Day of Resurrection, barefoot, naked
and uncircumcised, she said, O
Messenger of Allah, men and women
together, looking at one another? He
pbuh said, O Aishah, it will be too
distressing for them to be looking at one
another. [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh]
200
• On the Day of Judgement all human
beings who ever lived will be
resurrected and gathered together. They
will be naked, barefoot and
uncircumcised. But the Day of
Judgement will be too stressful for
anyone to even notice the other people
around them, let alone look at them.
Each person will be consumed with
worry, so concerned about their fate that
everything else will cease to be of
significance to them.
201
• “nd warn them O Muhammad of
the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the
Day of Resurrection), when the
hearts will be choking the throats,
and they can neither return them to
their chests nor can they throw them
out. [Quran: Surah Ghafir, Ayat 18]
202
• O mankind! Fear your Lord and be
dutiful to Him! Verily, the
earthquake of the Hour (of
Judgement) is a terrible thing. The
Day you shall see it, every nursing
mother will forget her nursling, and
every pregnant one will drop her
load, and you shall see mankind as
in a drunken state, yet they will not
be drunken, but severe will be the
Torment of “llah. [Quran: Surah
Hajj, Ayaat 1-2]
203
204
205
206
Five Pillars
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: Islam is built upon five
pillars: testifying that there is no God
except Allah and that Muhammad is
His Messenger, the establishment of
the prayer, the giving of Zakah, the
fast of Ramadan and the pilgrimage
(Hajj) to Makkah. [Sahih ”ukhari]
207
• A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon
him and said: O Messenger of “llah, tell
me what Allah requires of me as regards
fasting. He answered: The month of
Ramadan. The man asked: Is there any
other fast ? The Prophet peace be upon
him answered: No, unless you do so
voluntarily. [Sahih ”ukhari]
208
• The edifice of Islam is built on five
pillars. The fasts of Ramadhan are one of
the pillars that support the structure of
Islam. The whole Muslim nation agrees
that the fast of Ramadan is obligatory. It
is one of the pillars of Islam, and if one
disputes this, he cannot be called a
Muslim.
209
Necessary Education
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
The best gift that a father can bestow
upon his son is to arrange good
education and training for him.
[Mishkat]
210
• Concentrate all your efforts on training
and educating your children in piety.
Consider the greatest sacrifice too little
to achieve this purpose. This is an
obligation laid upon you by your
religion, it is a favor you owe to your
children, and it is the greatest good that
you can do to yourself. Allah (subhana
wa ta ala) says in the Quran: O you
who believe, save yourselves and
your families from a fire whose fuel
is men and stones. [Surah Tahreem:
Ayat 6]
211
• The only way to save oneself from
Hellfire is by passing one s life in loyalty
and devotion to the commands of Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) and His Messenger
(pbuh). For this one must gain the
requisite knowledge of religion.
212
• In a house alone at night, an old woman
was teasing some wool and speaking
aloud The prayer of the good be upon
Muhammad, may the blessed bless him!
I was standing in tears before dawn. If
only I knew, when death gives us
different forms, whether the Abode will
join me to my beloved! She meant the
Prophet (pbuh). Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) wept as he overheard
her.
213
• Since this is the desire of all true
Muslims, not only for themselves, but
for other Muslims too, Umar (may Allah
be pleased with him) as the Khalifa of
the Muslims, prescribed compulsory
education for them that would enable
them to unite with their beloved: All
Muslim boys and girls were required to
commit at least Surah Al-Baqarah, Surah
An-Nisa, Surah Maidah, Surah Al-Hajj
and Surah An-Noor to memory. These
Surahs elaborate the Islamic laws and
principles that none of us can afford to
not know about. 214
215
216
217
Free to Believe
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: “llah does not compel
belief, and leaves the people free to
believe or disbelieve. [Sahih Muslim]
218
• Winners carefully choose their beliefs
whereas losers adopt them from others.
Supreme success and the greatest
success as defined by “llah in the
Quran) is admittance into Jannah.
• Just as a person cannot be compelled to
try to get admission into an excellent
university, nobody can be forced into
having the set of beliefs (and resulting
actions) to get into Jannah either. There
must be sufficient motivation in the
individual himself/herself to gain
admission.
• What we choose to believe or disbelieve
is up to us. But the consequences have
been clearly spelt out. 219
No Body Hair in Jannah
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: The people of Jannah will
enter Jannah hairless, looking as if
their eyes are ringed with kohl, aged
thirty-three. [Tirmidhi]
220
• One of the aspects of beauty of the people
of Jannah is that they will have no body
hair. Nobody has to make any effort to
keep themselves clean - its all taken care
of in advance! Think how much time it
will save us and what pains we are
spared once we make it to Paradise
inshaAllah.
• Our eyes will look like they are anointed
with kohl. No need for make-up, its all
naturally beautiful!
• Each person will enter Jannah aged thrity-
three, the age of strength, vitality and
youth.
221
222
223
224
Final Prophet
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: My likeness among the
prophets is as a man who, having built a
house and put the finishing touches on it
and made it seemly, yet left one place
without a brick. When anyone entered it
and saw this, he would exclaim, How
excellent it is, but for the place of this
brick. Now, I am the place of that brick:
through me the line of the prophets (Allah
bless them and give them peace) has been
brought to completion. [”ukhari] 225
• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) was the last in a long succession of
prophets, that Allah sent to mankind
over the millennia. Anyone claiming to
be a prophet or messenger after him is a
fraud, misled and misleading. Since the
last prophet has come, we can deduce
that we are in the final stages of life on
earth.
• Since no prophets are to come after
Muhammad (peace be upon him), Allah
has taken it upon himself to guard the
final revelation from being tampered
with. It will remain in its original form
till the Blowing of the Trumpet. 226
Noblest Thoughts
• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went out to a
circle of his Companions and said, What is
it that has caused you to sit together? They
said, We sat down to remember “llah and
praise Him for He has guided us to Islam
and been gracious to us. He said, ”y “llah,
is that the only thing that made you sit
together? They said, ”y “llah, we sat down
for that reason alone. He said, I did not
make you swear out of any suspicion of you,
but Jibreel came to me and reported to me
that Allah Almighty is boasting about you to
the angels. [Sahih Muslim] 227
• Imagine! Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
boasting about us! Us? All praise
belongs to Him alone. It is His
graciousness that He consider us worth
talking about, let alone boasting of.
• This boasting on the part of Allah
Almighty is an indication of the nobility
of Dhikr in His sight. The Dhikr that the
Companions were engaged in, that
caused “llah s boasting, was mention of
“llah s favors on them and gratitude
towards Him for being guided to Islam.
These are the noblest thoughts and
feelings a human being can have. 228
229
230
231
False Advertising
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“void swearing falsely in order to sell
your goods. Apparently it appears to
be promoting your business, but in
fact it lets your business down and
damages the goodwill of your
business. [Muslim]
232
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught
us everything of use to us, including
business ethics. He told us how false
advertising - making incorrect claims
about the product we want to sell - hurts
the business. Even if it appears to be
increasing sales, it is damaging in the
long run.
• Does this mean that if I am willing to
take on long term loss for short term
gain, I am free to do so? No, because
false advertising is still lying and lying
leads to the fire of Jahannum.
233
No Indulgence in Rebuking
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: It is not possible that you
indulge in rebuking and reproaching
and at the same time remain Siddique
truthful and straight. [Mishkat Al-
Masabih]
234
• When a person gets into the rebuking
mode, he very easily goes overboard. It
suddenly becomes next to impossible
for the person to control himself and
limit himself to saying only that which
is strictly true, without making
generalizations and exaggerating. The
situation quickly develops into an
argument and each person becomes
bent on proving that they are right and
the other is to blame.
235
• If you must let someone know of their
shortcomings, decide in advance on exactly
what statement you are going to make.
Make sure that it is 100% factually true and
limit yourself to saying only that much. For
example, assume you felt insulted when
you were cut short in front of your friends.
Keep your tone neutral; simply describe the
bahaviour and your feelings When you
interrupted me in front of my friends, I felt
insulted. Please do not interrupt me like
that again. Should the other person start
attacking you, control yourself; hold your
tongue and say no more. 236
• If that statement had been said to you,
you should have evaluated it quietly in
your mind and fixed your shortcoming,
without starting an attack in return.
237
238
239
240
First Ummah to Enter Jannah
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
We are the last Ummah to appear ,
but we will be the first on the Day of
Resurrection. We will be the first of
mankind to enter Jannah. [”ukhari]
241
• The Muslim Ummah will be the first
nation to enter Jannah. This is because
they followed “llah s commands most
closely, in particular the command by
which He has distinguished them and
which is the basis of their excellence.
242
• You are indeed the best community
that has ever been brought forth for
(the good of) mankind: you enjoin the
doing of what is right and forbid the
doing of what is wrong, and you
believe in Allah. Now if the followers
of earlier revelation had attained to
(this kind of) faith, it would have been
for their own good; (but only few)
among them are believers, while most
of them are iniquitous. [Quran: Surah
Al-e-Imran, Ayat 110]
243
• Therefore, encouraging people to do
good deeds and trying to prevent them
from doing evil deeds, while believing
truly in Allah, His names and attributes,
is what distinguishes Muslims from
other nations. It is what makes them
worthy of entering Jannah before other
nations. It is not the job of a clergy to
bring people closer to Allah, but every
Muslim s job to work in his/her own
capacity to connect people with Allah
and His commands.
244
• Allah does not group people on the basis
of race, color or ethnicity. People are
either His followers or the followers of
Shaitaan; even though Shaitaan
promises nothing but lies while Allah
promises Jannah. Therefore, it is not a
particular race or ethnicity that will
enter Jannah but those most obedient to
“llah s commands.
245
Modesty Indicator of Eeman
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: Indeed Haya (modesty)
and Eeman (faith) are companions.
When one of them is lifted, the other
leaves as well. [Baihaqi, Shu abul
Iman]
246
• Haya is a special characteristic of a
Mumin. People who are ignorant of the
teachings of the Prophet (pbuh) do not
concern themselves with Haya.
• Haya and Eeman are interdependent ;
therefore, they either exist together or
they both perish. One begins to do
immodest deeds, these lead to vulgar
deeds; then a person begins to justify his
lewd actions, thereby negating the
teachings of Islam. Denying the
teachings of Islam (e.g. that Hijab or
guarding one s gaze is not required of
Muslims), is Kufr (disbelief). 247
• Thus, we see that Haya and Eeman go
together, when one leaves the other
leaves as well. You can judge the level of
your Eeman by your level of modesty.
248
249
250
251
Family Counts in Sadaqah
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: What a Muslim spends on
his family, for seeking the pleasure of
“llah, is also counted as charity.
[Bukhaari]
252
• Allah advises man to first be kind to
himself and to the people in his home,
then to his larger circle of relatives, and
then to all human beings.
• When a man provides for his wife,
children, parents and any other
dependents, he is worshipping Allah by
obeying Him. If his intention is to fulfill
the responsibilities Allah has assigned
to him, he gains the reward of
performing good deeds, by paying for
his family s food, clothes, housing,
medicine, etc. 253
• Allah has forbidden both miserliness
and extravagance (wasteful spending).
We should spend in a balanced manner,
keeping well away from these two
extremes.
254
Molten Lead in Whose Eyes
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: On the Day of Judgement,
molten lead will be dropped in the eyes
of a person who lustfully looks at a
woman s beauty. [Az-Zawajir]
255
• Beware of what you see when you go
out of your house and beware of which
book you open or what screen you turn
on!
• Take for example television: What can
one not help but see if they turn their
T.V. on? It s not just movies and
entertainment programs that need to be
avoided; Is it worth watching
educational programs or the news if the
sight of the news-casters or
advertisements littering the program,
can be converted into molten lead in
one's eyes on the Day of Judgement? 256
257
258
259
Fasting Recompensed Without Measure
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him said: Every good deed of
the son of Adam will be multiplied
between ten and seven hundred
times, but “llah says, Except for
fasting, because it is for Me and I
will give the reward for it.
[Bukhaari]
260
• Among the actions which will be
multiplied beyond measure, to an extent
known only to the One Who gives the
reward, is fasting.
261
• The reason that the one who fasts will be
given reward without measure, is that
fasting requires Sabr (patience), and
those who are patient will be given
reward without measure. Allah says in
the Quran: Only those who are
patient shall receive their reward in
full, without measure. [Surah Az-
Zumar: Ayat 10]
• Imaam Qurtubi said The scholars
said, Every reward will be measured
and weighed out, except (the reward
for) fasting, which will be poured out
and heaped up. [Tafseer al-Qurtubi] 262
Manner of Advising
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said: O Umar! You are a strong
person. Do not jostle through the
crowds to reach the black stone lest
you injure the weak. If you find an
opening, then touch it, otherwise
simply face it and utter Tahleel and
Takbeer (laa ilaaha illallaah and
Allaahu akbar . [Musnad Ahmad]
263
• On one occasion the Prophet (pbuh) noticed
that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
was making Tawaf around the Kaabah and as
he wished to touch the black stone, he jostled
through the crowds and kissed it. Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) was very
muscular and strong and on his way to the
black stone he could have harmed someone.
The Prophet (pbuh) wanted to advise him in
this regard, so in order to mentally prepare
him for advice he started by saying, O
Umar, you are a strong person. Umar may
Allah be pleased with him) became pleased
upon hearing this. The Prophet (pbuh) then
said, Do not jostle through the crowds to
reach the black stone. 264
• There was once a king who saw in a
dream that all his teeth had fallen out.
He called a dream-interpreter, told him
what he had seen, and asked him to
interpret it.
• When the interpreter heard the dream
his complexion changed and he began
to repeat, “llah s refuge is sought!
“llah s refuge is sought! The king
became worried and asked, What is the
interpretation of my dream? The
interpreter said, “fter many years pass,
your wife and children will die and you
will be all alone in your kingdom! 265
• The king screamed, became furious, and
began to hurl abuses and insults. He then
ordered that the interpreter be
imprisoned and called for another one.
He again related to him what he had seen
in his dream and asked him for the
interpretation.
• The dream interpreter smiled and said,
Glad tidings dear king! The king said,
What is the interpretation of the
dream? The interpreter said, It means
that you will live for very long – so long
that you will be the last of your family to
die, and you will remain a king your
entire life. 266
• The king became very pleased,
showered him with gifts, and remained
content with him whilst angry with the
first dream-interpreter. In reality, both
interpretations were the same, the
difference was in the way in which the
interpretation was conveyed.
• “ man s flesh is not fit for eating nor is
his skin fit for clothing – there is nothing
in him except the sweetness of his
tongue.
267
268
269
270
Forbearance and Patience Most Loved
• The Prophet (pbuh) said to al-Ashaj
bin Abd Qays (may Allah be pleased
with him : You have two qualities
that “llah and His Messenger love.
Al-Ashaj (may Allah be pleased with
him) became overjoyed and said:
What are the two qualities, O
Messenger of “llah? The Prophet
pbuh said: Forbearance and
patience. [“hmad] 271
• Before you rush to settle scores with
people remind yourself of this hadith.
• One of the most striking examples of
forbearance and patience is that of the
Prophet Yaqub (pbuh). Consider how he
dealt with his sons knowing they had
been involved in foul play with his
beloved Yusuf (pbuh), their step brother.
His love of his son Yusuf (pbuh) was
such that he did not even like him to go
out to play with his step brothers. Yet
how many decades did he forbear while
his heart bled and his eyes became blind
with silent weeping. 272
• Allah tells us the stories of prophets in
the Quran so we may model our
behavior on their exalted characters.
273
Misled by Debaters after Guidance
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“fter receiving guidance no
community went astray and did not
deviate from the path it was following,
except when debaters turned them
away from it. [Tirmidhi]
274
• On account of their tongues, debaters do
not stay within limits. They keep talking,
feeling conceited and strutting along. For
this group, the import of their words is of
primary importance, while truth takes
second place. They are responsible for
their own misguidance as well as the
misguidance of their victims.
• Such debaters may be among our
families, colleagues or friends. They are
very prevalent on mass media, on T.V.,
radio, in the print media and scholarly
circles. Their slickness makes many
people slip.
275
• Each person should take care to avoid
the gatherings and spell-casting talk of
such people. We need to be very vigilant
because, while they will shoulder blame
for misguiding us, we will still be
punished for allowing ourselves to be
misguided by them.
276
277
278
279
Forbearance Required of Muslims
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Patience comes with forbearance.
[Ad-Daraqutni]
280
• Forbearance means to suppress one s
anger and other negative reactions that
naturally and immediately surface in the
untrained person when they are
insulted, abused, hurt or taken
advantage of. Forbearance means to
tolerate perceived harm and control
one s reaction, exhibiting only such
behavior as pleases Allah.
281
• A Muslim preacher was once giving a
lecture in a prison. The lecture was
delivered in a special section of the prison
where most of the prisoners were guilty of
murder or manslaughter. When he had
finished his lecture and the prisoners were
going back to their cells, one of them came
forward to thank him. He was the one
responsible for cultural activities in the
prison. The preacher asked him about the
cause which led most of these men to
commit murder. He replied, Just anger. ”y
Allah, dear Shaykh, some of them have
killed over a few riyals during a dispute
with a shopkeeper or a petrol station
attendant! 282
• The Prophet (peace be upon him)
ordered us to train ourselves on
forbearance. The first time a person
suppresses his anger, it may drain his
emotions 100%. The second time, it will
decrease to 90%. The third time, it will
be 80%, and so one until forbearance
becomes second nature. Eventually, on
experiencing unpleasant circumstances,
a person will exhibit patience, one of the
qualities most beloved to Allah.
283
Marry If You Can, Otherwise Fast
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Whoever among you can afford it, let
him get married, for it is more effective
in lowering the gaze and guarding
chastity. And whoever cannot afford it,
then let him fast, for it will be restraint
for him. [Sunan an-Nasai]
284
• The Prophet (pbuh) recommended that
Muslims get married. It is against the
teachings of Islam to have the financial
ability to get married but choose to stay
single.
• There is a specific code of conduct while in
this world that Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
has outlined for those who want to spend
eternity as they please in Jannah. One of its
requirements is to be careful with where
one looks and guard oneself from looking
at the opposite gender except one s
spouse). What the eye sees, the limbs follow
to. To look at forbidden things is the first
step in the wrong direction. 285
• ”eing married helps to guard one s gaze
and remain within the boundaries of
Islam. If a person is not able to get
married for some reason, then they
should fast. Fasting helps to guard one s
chastity.
286
287
288
289
Fifty Thousand Books of Account
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) was asked about the deed on
account of which most people will
enter Paradise. He (peace be upon him)
said: Fear of “llah and good
manners. [Tirmidhi]
290
• Adjust your accounts with everybody.
Account will be taken of you on the Day
of Resurrection, and of your dealings
with each and every person you
encountered in life.
• “ pious Muslim said I saw a merchant
in a dream and asked him, What
treatment has “llah meted out to you?
He replied, Fifty thousand books of
accounts have been opened before me. I
asked, “re all these records of sins. He
replied, You will find one record for
each person you have dealt with in the
world. All have been recorded in these
books of accounts. [Ihya Ulum Id-Din] 291
• Each person you come across in life
equals one book of accountability. We
don t just have monetary transactions
with people. Our books of account will
have our conduct with people recorded
in them, each word, each favor and each
injury.
• Think of how many people you ve come
across in life. Estimate how many books
of accountability you already have. Try
to keep the awareness of your mutual
book in mind every time you are in the
presence of another human being.
292
Unlawful Food Bars Acceptance of Dua
• Once Sa ad (radi Allahu anhu) said to
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him : Pray to “llah that He may
accept my invocation. The Messenger
of “llah peace be upon him said: Eat
lawful food and for that your
invocation will be accepted. [Ihya
Ulum Id-Din by Imam Ghazali]
293
• If you feel that your prayers are not
being answered, look into the source of
your income. Scrutinize it carefully. Are
you going against any of “llah s
injunctions to earn it?
294
Modesty before Allah
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: ”e modest
before “llah as it is proper to be modest. The
Sahabah (radi Allahu anhum said: We are modest
before “llah, and for this we thank Him. The
Prophet pbuh said: This is not modesty. The
modesty that should be before Allah demands that
you keep your head and all parts safe from falsehood,
keep your belly and your food safe from forbidden
things, and remember the condition of death and that
of the grave; and he who wants to love the life of the
Hereafter, should give up the embellishments and
grandeur of worldly life, and should prefer the
Hereafter to the world. He who has done so has as if
fulfilled the right of being modest before “llah.
[Tirmidhi] 295
• We try to display our best conduct and
behavior in the presence of those whom
we consider great and whom we want
to please. Before them we speak only as
much as necessary. Every step that we
take before them is with caution and
fear of their disapproval.
296
• A Muslim whose religion teaches him
that he is never away from the sight of
Allah, because he is in His presence day
and night, is more awed by Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) than he is by
important people and more careful not
to displease Him than he is cautious
about displeasing important people. He
is, therefore, more careful to obey Him
than he is concerned about obeying the
people important in his life.
297
• If a person conducts his life with the
consciousness that Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) is watching him, and if he hates
to be lax and defective in matters
concerning Allah, then he has fulfilled
the right of being modest before Allah.
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