Useful advice on raising children ... (MUST READ !!)

This is an excerpt from the Book of : Imâm Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله , a famous book called Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood. One of the most important chapters of his book is the sixteenth chapter, which is entitled 'Fi fusool naafi’ah fi Tarbiyat al-Atfaal tuhmad ‘awaaqibuha ‘ind al-Kabr' (Useful advice on raising children which will have good consequences when the child grows up.)

Here is a summary of what Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

1. The child should be breastfed by someone other than his mother, two or three days after birth. That is better because her milk after that time will be thick and contain different ingredients, unlike the milk of one who has been breastfeeding for a while. All the Arabs pay attention to that, and they give their children to desert women to breastfeed, as the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم was given to Banu Sa’d to be breastfed among them.

2. They should not be picked up and carried around until they are three months old or more, because they have only recently emerged from their mother’s wombs and their bodies are still weak.

3. They should be given only milk until their teeth appear, because their stomachs are weak and unable to digest food. When the baby’s teeth appear, his stomach has grown strong and is able to be nourished by food. Food should be introduced gradually.

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What a woman !!!

Ibnul Jawzee رحمه الله said: 

Sayyaar رحمه الله reported from Riyaah رحمه الله who said:

"A woman was mentioned to me, so I married her. Whenever she finished praying Ishaa , she would perfume herself, adorn herself with incense and wear her (fine) clothes; then she would approach me and say: 'Do you have a need?' If I said yes, she would stay with me; and if I said no, she would take off her (fine) clothes and stand up for (prayer) till the morning. Riyaah said: 'By Allaah, she really delighted me.' ”

[Sifatus Safwah: page: 116]

From among the punishments of sinful acts are that they cause the servant to forget himself..

When a person forgets his soul, he corrupts it, and then destroys it.  If o­ne would ask, “How does someone forget himself if he does forget?  Which things does he remember?” Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى has said,

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

"And do not be like those who forgot Allaah (i.e. became disobedient to Allaah) and He caused them to forget their own selves.”

[Suratul-Hashr 59:19]

In other words, Glory is to Him, Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى punishes the o­ne who forgets Him with two punishments:

(1). Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى forgets him.

(2). He سُبحانه وتعالى causes the individual to forget himself. 

Allaah’s forgetting the servant involves His disregard, abandonment and neglect of the disobedient o­ne. As a result, destruction draws closer to him than his own face and hand. 

As for the sinner, his forgetting himself means that the person stops thinking about the finer qualities of the soul and the things that lead to its success and well-being.  He forgets all of this.  The matter does not even come to mind.  Nor does he bring it to mind.

The Last Will of Sheikh Al-Albaani رحمه الله

"I recommend my wife, children, my friends and all those who love me to supplicate for me after my death, that Allah the Almighty forgive my sins for me and put me in His Mercy, and that they should not grieve over my death by raising their voices with crying.

They should hasten to bury me and not inform all my families, accept those who will carry out the responsibility of preparing my dead body. I want Izzat Khidr Abu Abdullah, my neighbour and my dear friend, to wash my body.

I want to be buried at the closest place possible in order to make it easy upon the people and I want to be buried in an old graveyard in a grave that will not be raised up. Also, whoever is in the city in which I died should not inform those who are outside the city whether they are my children or my loved ones, until after my burial in order to avoid delay in my burial, due to emotions.

Can Shaitaan read man's thoughts & intentions?

Q. Does Shaitaan know what crosses our minds of ideas which no one knows except Allaah & thus whisper to us what is in accordance with our thoughts?

A. Praise be to Allaah.

The sound evidence indicates that the Shaitaan is close to man, and indeed he flows through him like blood, so he whispers to him at moments of heedlessness and withdraws from him when he remembers Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى. Through this constant closeness he knows what whims and desires occur to man, so he makes them appear attractive to him and he whispers to him regarding them.

Al-Bukhari (3281) & Muslim (2175) narrated from Safiyyah bint Huyayy رضي الله عنها that the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said: "The Shaitaan flows through man like blood.“

Sheikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said:

They smell a good smell or a bad smell [meaning the angels, who smell a good smell when a person is thinking of a good deed, as was narrated from Sufyaan ibn …Uyaynah]. But the devils do not need that [smell] in order to know; rather they even know what is in the heart of the son of Adam, and they see and hear what he says to himself. Moreover, the devil has full control over man‘s heart, then when man remembers Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى he withdraws, and when he neglects to remember Him, he whispers to him. He knows whether he is remembering Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى or is neglecting to remember Him, and he knows the whims and desires of his heart and makes them appear attractive to him.

Imâm Abdur-Rahman As Sa’adi رحمه الله attends the tea party

 

Down Memory Lane... children will remember you... even if years go by....!

The following is a summarized translation:

'If a person sees his daughters or his little ones playing with toys, he should sit with them sometimes...'

During the period this incident is related, Sheikh as-Sa'di رحمه الله was a major scholar, judge, Imâm and lecturer. One day, he was about to leave his home when he saw his young daughter and her friend sitting and playing with their toys. They had made up a skit as though they were in a room, pretending that some objects represented tea and coffee, playing as girls normally would do. When the Sheikh was about to leave his daughter's friend (the little girl) asked him: ‘Why don’t you visit us?’ He رحمه الله replied, ‘I will visit you, tomorrow, insha-Allaah.’

When he رحمه الله wanted to leave the house, he stood at the door and knocked on the door calling out his daughter’s friend by her name. She opened the door and said: ‘Please enter.’ So, he رحمه الله came and sat with them in the area they were playing. They sat and pretended to give him coffee and they spoke with him and told him about their toys, and then he stood up to leave.

When he stood up, his daughter said to him: ‘You have not been my guest.’ He رحمه الله replied: ‘Tomorrow I will be your guest.’ The next day he رحمه الله came and knocked on the door and called out his daughter by her name. She opened the door and said: ‘Please enter.’ He entered the room and sat with them conversing and being humourous. 

This DOES NOT take more than three or four minutes of a person's time. However, his daughter cheerfully narrates this incident (as an adult) in one of the books. This occurred once in her youth but it brought back tremendous gush of happiness for her....

Healthy Detox Drink !

  I received this from a dear friend via email and wanted to share it with all the readers...

We take the means placing our TRUST in Allaah azzawajal...

Don’t despair..!

Sulayman ad Darani said:

“If every single person began to have doubt in the truth, I would remain certain in it by myself.”

Every time you feel disheartened by your being alone on this path, then look to those who came before you and strive to catch up with them, and turn away from everyone else,  they will not benefit you in the least with Allaah. If you happen to see them somewhere along the path that you are upon, then DO NOT turn to look at them, for if you do so they will distract you and simply delay your progress.

[Madaarij as Salikeen 1/21 by Ibnul Qayyim]

“I never made du’a to Allaah for anything except that He gave it to me … except for ONE thing.”

Imâm Ibnul Jawzi (رحمه الله) wrote a book about the virtues of Imâm Ahmad (رحمه الله) in which he details a beautiful story that teaches us the importance of regular adhkaar.
 
Imâm Ahmad was the most famous man in the Muslim world both before and after the fitanh during his lifetime. Imâm ad-Dhahabi even said that he had the largest Janazah that took place in that era. In just one day, 1.3 million people came to pray Janazah on him. SubhanAllaah! Just imagine how popular and beloved he was رحمه الله. He would cover his face when travelling to seek knowledge so people wouldn’t notice him. Look at the humility.
 
One day, he was travelling to ash-Shaam and on the way, he stops by a Masjid to spend the night. The guard of the Masjid tells him, ”You need to get out, the Masjid is closing”. “I have nowhere to go,” said Imâm Ahmad. “Ukhruj.. get out,” said the guard. Now, he could have said, “O, by the way, I am Imâm Ahmad,” but he didn’t. Instead, he, رحمه الله took his belongings and went to sleep on the steps of the Masjid. The guard came outside and told him to get off the steps and go somewhere else. Imâm Ahmad didn’t know what to do.
 
This guard then picks up Imâm Ahmad by his legs and drags him to the middle of the street and drops him.