Do you know Allaah?

FIRST PAMPHLET IN THE 'INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM SERIES'.

These pamphlets are designed to introduce authentic Islaam in a simple and clear manner by brother Faisal ibn Abdul Qaadir  حفظه الله. In this first pamphlet one will learn about Allaah, Our Lord, Creator and Sole Sustainer. May Allaah azzawajal reward the brother for the hard work and accept it on his scale of good deeds, aameen!

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Blog URL: http://darussaafi.com

Recommended Sunnahs When A Newborn Arrives

Sheikh Muqbil  رحمه الله was asked:

Question: What are the recommended Sunnan when a newborn arrives?

Answer: “The recommended Sunan, rather what is obligatory is the Aqeeqah. For verily the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said:

كل غلام مرتهن بعقيقته

Every boy is mortgaged by his ‘Aqiqah.

It is two sheep for a boy and one sheep for a girl. This is one affair. Another affair is to choose a good name. It was reported by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said:

أحب الأسماء إلى الله عبدالله وعبدالرحمن

The most beloved names to Allaah are Abdullah and Abdurrahman.

Beware, beware of calling your child the names of disbelievers like George. Likewise, names of oppressors like Saddam, Ma’mar al-Qadhafi, and Hafidh Asad. Beware of naming with these names. Also the name Jamaal. There is no harm in this. However, if he is named Jamaal Abdul-Nasir, may Allaah not have mercy upon him, then no. So what is important, is to choose a good name. Then after that, also choose a pious wet-nurse. For verily a child is influenced by the one who nurses him. 

Call yourself to account in this world ....

Signs of Beneficial Knowledge

Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid said in his book ‘Hilyah Taalib Ul ‘Ilm’:

Ask yourself about your portion of the signs of beneficial knowledge.

They are:

1.     Action upon it:

2.     Disliking praise and appraisals, and being arrogant over the creation.

Note: Sheikh ‘Uthaimeen said: ‘And this is what some have been tested with…’

3.     Having much humility when you increase in knowledge.

4.     Running away from loving leadership, fame and the Dunya.

5.     Staying away from claiming knowledge.

Don't depend too muchon anyone in this world...

A Profit That Will NEVER Perish!

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says:

{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ}

“Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allaah and establish prayer and spend [in His cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a profit that will never perish..”

[Faatir, 35:29]

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم  said:

“Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says: ‘O son of Aadam, devote yourself to My worship. I will fill your breast with freedom from want and plug up your poverty. If you do not do this, I will fill your breast with (worldly) pursuits and will not obstruct poverty.”

Would you like the reward for fasting the complete year written for you?

The Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

صوم ثلاثة أيام من كل شهر يعدل صوم الدهر كله))))

‘Fasting three days of every month is equivalent to fasting the whole year.’

[Bukhari & Muslim]

O Abu ‘Abdullah! Are you groaning?

There are also some Angels who write down the deeds of human beings.

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ
‘But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you,’

كِرَامًاكَاتِبِينَ
‘Kirâman (honourable) Kâtibîn writing down (your deeds),’

يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
‘They know all that you do.’

 (Al-Infitar 82:10-12)

مَا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

“Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).”

(Qaf 50:18)

One of the companions of Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) visited him while he was sick. He found him groaning from the sickness. He said:

“O Abu ‘Abdullah! Are you groaning? Tawus said ‘Indeed, the Angels write down everything, even the groan of a sick person, because Allaah says:

مَا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it.”‘

(Qaf 50:18)

Therefore, Abu ‘Abdullah began to have (more) patience, and he stopped groaning,[¹] because everything is written down. “Not a word does he (or she) utter? – Meaning any word uttered by you is written. However, you might be rewarded or punished for it. This is based on the saying that was said.

Nullifiers of Islaam

Sheikh Ibn Baaz (رحمه الله)

All praise is due to Allaah Alone. Peace and blessings be upon the Last Prophet, his family, Companions and those who follow his guidance.

A Muslim should know that Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) enjoins all the creation to embrace Islaam, hold it firmly and avoid what contradicts it. Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to call for that, informing them that whoever follows him will be guided and whoever turns away from him will be misguided. In many Ayahs (Qur’anic verses), Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى warned people against causes of apostasy and all forms of Shirk (associating others with Allaah in His Divinity or worship) and Kufr (disbelief). Under the topic of the rulings of the apostate, scholars (may Allaah be merciful with them) mentioned that a Muslim may abandon Islaam by committing one of the nullifiers that make his blood and money violable and turn him out of the fold of Islaam. The most dangerous and common ten nullifiers are mentioned by Sheikh and Imam Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab and other scholars (may Allaah be merciful with them). Here we will list them in brief so that a Muslim can keep away from them and warn people against them in hope for safety and wellbeing. We will briefly elaborate on them.

First: Shirk in the worship of Allaah. Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) says: Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills He (سُبحانه وتعالى) also says: Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allâh, then Allâh has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers. This includes invoking the dead and seeking relief, vowing or offering sacrifice for them.

Second: Whoever takes intermediaries between him and Allaah, invokes, and asks them for intercession with Allaah and puts his trust in them has committed Kufr (disbelief) according to the Ijma` (consensus) of scholars.

Third: Whoever does not hold the polytheists to be disbelievers, has doubts about their disbelief or considers their ways and beliefs to be correct has committed disbelief.

Fourth: Whoever believes that some guidance other than that of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is more complete than his guidance or that someone else's judgment is better than his judgment, such as those who prefer the judgment of the Taghut (false gods) over his judgment, then he is a disbeliever.

Fifth: Whoever hates something that the Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم came with, even though he may act on it, has disbelieved. Allaah (عز وجل) says: That is because they hate that which Allâh has sent down (this Qur’ân and Islâmic laws, etc.); so He has made their deeds fruitless.

Sixth: Whoever mocks or ridicules any part of the Messenger’s religion, its rewards or punishments has committed an act of disbelief. Allaah (عز وجل) says: Say: “Was it at Allâh (عز وجل), and His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?” Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.

The Creation is in Need of Allaah

 

Dr. Saleh as-Saleh رحمه الله

 

Man always looks for what benefits him and what protects him from harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to realize what is harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love so that he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good about his choice. He also must know the proper and good approach that would make him achieve this goal. This latter condition requires that man:

1.     Know about harm

2.     What ways can be used to drive harm away

Certainly, man can have no better guidance than that which comes from the One Who had perfected everything, and the One who Has no deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who is Ever-Living and Who does not die. There can be no One better than the One Who Has no need for anything; the One Who is rich; the Giver; the One who, after all, controls man’s soul. Man is so poor to Him. He is Allaah, the True and only God. Man can bring harm to himself if he seeks other than Allaah for help. Allaah is the One Who can help man drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His Power.

Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) sent down His Books and chose His Messengers to guide man to:

1.      Know His Lord as He (سُبحانه وتعالى) had explained about Himself, and

2.      Seek Him Alone while living in accordance with His plan

Knowing Allaah’s Names and Attributes liberates man from worshiping any form of creation because creation is weak and is in need of The Creator, Allaah. The knowledge about Allaah leads man to know that he is created to live according to Allaah’s way as revealed to the last Messenger Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم. This Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is beneficial or harmful is established so that man can center his life around this Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving he would turn to Him and to Him alone seeking His forgiveness:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ

“Know, therefore, that there is no God Who deserves to be worshiped except Allaah; and ask forgiveness for your sins.”

(Muhammad, 47:19)

It is wrong to think or believe that Allaah created other ‘gods’ besides Him so that man turns to them for help; loves them or fear them, etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not order that people should make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc. gods besides Him. He (سُبحانه وتعالى) cannot be ‘contradictory’. He has one way (religion) that calls man to surrender his will only to Him. He warned that if man (even Muhammad would take partners with Him, then his work will fail and will be among losers:

 وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُن مِّنْ الشَّاكِرِينَ

“And verily, it had been revealed to you (O Muhammad) as  has been revealed to those before you. If you join others in worship with Allaah (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers. Nay!  But worship Allaah and be among grateful.”

(Az-Zumar, 39:65-66)

Let us know what Muhammad, the man-Prophet, who knew Allaah best, used to say:

“O Allaah, I seek refuge in You for Your Pleasure and against Your Wrath, and in Your Forgiveness and against Your Punishment and in You from You, I cannot Praise You as You can Praise Yourself.”

(Muslim, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi, ibn Majah)

“I have surrendered myself to You, I have directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of You, there is no resort nor survival from You except (in turning) to You. I have faith in Your book (i.e. the Qur’aan) which You brought down and in the Prophet (Muhammad) you have sent.”

(Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

When we read in the Qur’aan that:

مَا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

“Whatever of Mercy (i.e. of good), Allaah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”

(Fatir, 35:2)

And when we read that: