The origins of Wrongdoing

Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله stated:

The origins of wrongdoing are three:

1.     Arrogance: It is that which drove Iblees to that which it drove him (i.e. to commit that which Iblees committed).

2.     Desire: It is that which caused Aadam to be expelled from the Paradise.

3.     Jealousy: It is that which caused one of the sons of Aadam to transgress against his brother.

Obedience Magnifies the Soul & Disobedience Belittles it !

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى stated:

“The one who purified his soul is indeed successful and the one who corrupts his soul is indeed destroyed.”

The meaning: The one who magnifies his soul, lifts it and makes it superior by way of being obedient to Allaah is indeed successful. And the one who makes his soul inferior and insignificant and belittled it by way of disobedience to Allaah is indeed the loser. There is nothing that belittles the soul like disobedience to Allaah. And there’s nothing that magnifies the soul, makes it honorable and raises it up (in status) like obedience to Him.

(Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafi pg.52)

Charity and Kindness Have an Amazing Effect in Bringing About Relaxation..

Ibnul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (رحمه الله) said in ‘Zad al-Ma’ad’ (2/22-26):

“…The Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم was the most generous person in giving away what he owned, and he would never look at something as being either too big or too insignificant to give up for the sake of Allaah.

Nobody would ask him for anything except that he gave it to them, regardless of how big or small it was.  He gave things away in a way that made it seem that he never feared poverty, and generosity and charity were the most beloved things to him. His happiness and joy in giving something away was more than that felt by those who would accept his gifts. He was the most generous person, and his generosity was like the blowing wind.

The Heart of a Liar Is Far Removed from the Truth..

Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

Beware of falsehood because it spoils your natural ability to gain information, and it spoils your information and your ability to teach people. The liar describes that which does not exist, and that which exists he says it does not exist just as he describes truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth, and good as evil and evil as good. It spoils his conception and his knowledge, which then becomes a punishment. Then he describes what is not true to the person who trusts him. The heart of a liar is far removed from the truth, and is inclined to that which does not exist and he prefers falsehood. When his ability to perceive has been spoiled as well as his knowledge, which is the basis of every voluntary deed, these deeds would also be spoiled and the principle of falsehood would come into force.

The Superiority of the Prophetic Medicine Over All Other Medicine

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله stated in his excellent work, Zaad al-Ma’aad (3/97-98), after discussing the benefits of honey in relation to the man who was advised by the Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم to treat the ailment of his stomach with honey:

“His medicine صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم is NOT like the medicine of the physicians, for the medicine of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم is certain, definitive, emanating from (Divine) Revelation, the lantern of Prophethood, and perfection of reason. As for the medicine of others, most of it is conjecture, presumptions and experimentation.

“Indeed most children’s corruption came from their parents and their neglect of them…”

Ibnul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله said:

And Al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadeeth of Anas رضي اللّه عنـه who said that:

'A man was sitting with the Prophet, so one of his sons came to him, so the man kissed him and sat him in his lap. Then his daughter came to him so he took her and sat her to his side. So the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said, ‘You were not just between them.’ And the Salaf used to like to be just between their children when kissing them.'

And some of the people of knowledge said that Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى will ask the parent about his child on the Day of Resurrection before asks the child about his parent. So just as the father has a right upon his son, the son has a right upon his father, as Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى said,

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا

“And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents..”

[Al- ‘Ankabut:8]

What is the BEST thing to do in every time & situation???

Ibnul Qayyim   رحمه الله

 
... it is to do whatever PLEASES Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى ...!

 …They say that the best worship is to do what will please Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى at every time in accordance with what that particular time calls for.

So, the best acts of worship during the time of Jihad is Jihad, even if this leads to abandoning certain rituals such as night prayer, fasting, etc. In fact, this applies even if you are to not pray a complete obligatory prayer as you would in times of safety and calm.

And the best thing to do when you have a guest, for example, is to see to his rights as a guest and to preoccupy yourself with that instead of the recommended rituals you would usually engage in at the time.

Such is also the case in fulfilling the rights of your wife and family.

The best thing to do during the early morning hours is to be preoccupied with prayer, Qur'aan, supplication, remembrance of Allaah, and asking His Forgiveness.

“You must be willing to have hope that you can change…”

“You must be willing to change. You must be willing to break the deal you made with the devils within. You must be willing to leave the past and not be tempted to rebound when times are tough. You must be willing to let go of everything and anyone that takes you back to your sins. You must be willing to have hope. You must be willing to have hope that you can change and that you will and that you will be better. You must believe you are worthy of change and you are worthy of improvement and you are worthy of being the best. You must be willing to set aside your negative notions about life, about hardships, about people, about things, about yourself. You must be willing to stop feeling sorry for yourself while looking at the world move around you. Get up and make something of yourself.”

— Imâm Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله

Your Child's Morals & Attitude??

            

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

"One thing that the child desperately needs is for care to be taken with regard to his morals & attitude, for he will grow up with whatever the one who is raising him accustoms him to when he is small, & when he grows older it becomes difficult for him to change what he has gotten used to; these attitudes & characteristics that have become deeply ingrained in him, even if he tries to suppress them, they will always surface & expose him."

{From: Tuhfat al-Mawdood (240)}

Healing with the Qur'aan vs. Natural Medicine

Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says:

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.”

[al-Isra’ 17:82]

The correct view is that the word min (translated here as “of”) serves to explain the nature of the Qur'aan as a whole, not to refer to parts of it and not other parts.

The Qur'aan is the complete healing for all mental, spiritual and physical diseases, all diseases of this world and the Hereafter. But not everyone is guided to use it for the purpose of healing. If the sick person uses the Qur'aan for healing in the proper way, and applies it to his disease with sincerity, faith, complete acceptance and firm conviction, fulfilling all its conditions, then no disease can resist it.

How can disease resist the words of the Lord of heaven and earth which, if He had revealed it to the mountains they would have crumbled and if He had revealed it to the earth it would have broken it apart? There is no sickness, spiritual or physical, but in the Qur'aan there is that which indicates its remedy, its cause and how to protect against it for those who are blessed with understanding of His Book.

{End quote from Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/352}

Continue to read.. 

How can these hearts stop remembering Him?

Ibnul Qayyim (رحمه الله) said:

“If we look closely at the words of the Qur'aan, we will find a Sovereign, to Whom belongs all Dominion, and all praise and thanks are due to Him. All affairs are in His grasp, and He is the source and the end of all affairs. He rose over His throne, and no secret of His kingdom shall ever be hidden from Him, as He is the Knower of the servants’ souls. He alone is the Planner of the Kingdom’s affairs. He hears, sees, grants, averts rewards, punishes, honors, abases, creates, gives and takes life, provides, estimates, judges, and conducts the affairs of man. The decrees, whether minor or major, descend and ascend by His permission. Nothing can move, even equal to the weight of an atom, except by His permission; not a leaf falls, but He knows it.

The Relief of the Heart & Body Lies in the Obedience to Allaah

by Imâm Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله

In this lies a great secret from the secrets of Tawheed. This is that the heart cannot become firm, it cannot find satisfaction and it cannot find tranquility except by reaching out to Him. Everything that is loved and desired besides Him then it must be desired for other than His sake. The One Who is desired, the One Who is beloved in and of Himself, with Whom all matters find their final goal is only one. It is impossible that the final goal be to two destinations just as it is impossible that the beginning of the creation be from two sources.

Marks of Hypocrisy in Prayer..!

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله writes:

“Six matters that are linked to the prayer have been indicated as marks of hypocrisy:

1. Laziness when one stands up to pray;


2. Intending to show off with one’s prayer;


3. Delaying the prayer;


4. Praying in an extremely hasty manner;


Faa'ida regarding Ibaadah

Sharing what I benefited from Umm Hyatt حفظه الله's last Dars....

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله mentioned that there are two conditions that must be present in order for a particular action to be considered ibādah.

1.     The first is 'Muhabbah' -- love for Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى;

2.     Second is 'Humility' (humble yourself before the Lord of the 'Aalameen.)

Note:

If one of these conditions are missing, then that action is NOT considered ibādah. We cannot worship Allaahسُبحانه وتعالى  if we don't have love for him and have kibr (pride).

                                                  

How many of us have been praying, fasting and doing various ibaadah without knowing the conditions of ibaadah?? Alhamdulillaah seeking ilm is the first step to erase ignorance from oneself bi'idnillaahi ta'ala.
Indeed knowledge is praiseworthy and ignorance is blameworthy!! Alhamduillaah, All the Praise is due to the Rabbil Aa'lameen for giving us the opportunity to continue our journey of seeking ilm even if we had to leave Dammaj. Qadr Allaah! There is indeed khair in everything that Allaah has decreed for a believer!