The idiot is known by six characteristics

Ibnul-Jawzee رحمه الله said: 

"The idiot is known by six characteristics:

1) He becomes angry over nothing;

2) He gives to the one who should not be given to;

3) He speaks regarding that which is of no benefit;

4) He trusts everyone he comes across;

5) He spreads secrets (of the people) and does not differentiate between his friend and his enemy;

“Part of the TEST is when a believer supplicates & receives NO response.."

Ibnul-Jawzi رحمه الله said:

"I think part of the test is when a believer supplicates and receives NO RESPONSE, and he repeats the du’aa’ for a long time and sees no sign of a response. He should realize that this is a test and needs patience.

What a person experiences of was-waas when the response is delayed is a sickness which needs medicine, I have experienced this myself. A calamity befell me and I supplicated and did not see any response, and Iblees started to lay his traps.

Sometimes he said:

The generosity (of Allaah) is abundant and He is not miserly, so why is there a delay?

I said to him:

Be gone, O cursed one, for I have no need of anyone to argue my case and I do not want you as a supporter!

Then I told myself:

Beware of going along with his whispers, for if there was no other reason for the delay except that Allaah is testing you to see whether you will fight the enemy, that is sufficient wisdom.

My soul (nafs) said:

How could you explain the delay in the response of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى to your prayers for relief from this calamity?

I said:

It is proven with evidence that Allaah, سُبحانه وتعالى is the Sovereign, and the Sovereign may withhold or give, so there is no point in objecting to Him.

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]

Behaviour of the majority when stricken with illness

An observation of Imaam Ibnul Jawzi رحمه الله during his era

Imaam Ibnul Jawzi رحمه الله said:

Indeed, I see that when the majority of the people are stricken with illness, they would sometimes preoccupy themselves with (feelings) of anguish and complaining, and sometimes they would preoccupy themselves with medication. So preoccupation with the severity (of the illness) diverts them from the beneficial commandments, performance of good deeds or preparation for death. And how many (a person) has sins which he has not repented from, or trust which he has not returned, or a debt, or zakaah (to pay), or a misdeed related to responsibility of his, which he has not realized! But his sadness is (focused) in his parting with the worldly life. He has no interest other than (the sadness felt due to parting with this world), and perhaps he may regain health and command wrong doing. The reason for this is due to weakness in Imaan, as Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى said:

Shaitaan says : “If you miss him now , you will never catch him again....”

                                                          By Ibnul Jawzi رحمه الله

When death befalls someone, he should know that it is an hour of serious suffering because it is a moment of severe pain, when he is leaving all objects of love, his loved ones, and to all that the horror of the throes of death and fear of where his wealth go. Then Shaitaan comes and attempts to have the slave [of Allaah] become discontent with his Lord, he tells him ‘Look at you! What made you die? Is it painful? You are leaving your wife, your children and you will be laid under the ground? So he might cause him to become discontent with his Lord, hating Allaah’s decree, making him say things that include any kind of objection, or he might make him unjust in his will, giving some of the inheritors preference over others, to on and so forth. In this case, we need to cure the whispers of Shaitaan and cure the self .

Abu Dawood reported from Abu al-Yusr (رضي اللّه عنـه) that the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) used to say,

 أَعُوْذ بكَ أْن يَتَخَبـطَنيَ الشيطَانَ عِنْدَ المَوْت   

'Aoozu bika ay-yatha khabbathaniyash Shaitaana indal Mawth'

“I seek refuge in You that Shaitaan flounders me at death." ^[1]

In that minute Shaitaan tells his assistants,

“If you miss him now [i.e. you do not succeed to lead him astray before he dies], you will never catch him again [i.e. you will never be able to deviate him at any other time].”

Ibnul-Jawzi’s Remarkable Comments on Supplication

“I have reflected over an interesting situation: that a calamity may befall a believer & so he supplicates, going to great lengths in doing so, but he sees no sign of an answer.  So when despair comes close, at that time his heart is looked at, thus if it is in acceptance of the [many] decrees of fate, not having despaired of Allaah the Mighty & Majestic’s Bounty, then in most cases at that time the response is hastened, for it is there that eemaan is qualified, & the devil vanquished, & it is there that a man’s worth is shown.

And this has been alluded to in His Saying, the Most High, 

“… until [even their] messenger & those who believed with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allaah?”

[Baqarah 2:214]

Ibnul Jawzi on the Dying Person’s Alertness

The Shaikh, the Imaam, the Allaamah, the Shaikh of Islaam, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jawzi, said:

 

“From the most interesting things is the alertness of the dying person at the time of his death–for he becomes perceptive to a degree which cannot be described, and worried to an extent that has no limits.

And he yearns for his times of old, and wishes that he be left so that he can make up for what passed him by, and so that he can be truthful in his...repentance in accordance with the level of certainty he [now] has about death. 

And he–out of grief–almost kills his own soul before its [actual] death.

And if a [single] atoms weight of these things were found at the time of health and well-being, everything that is intended by doing pious deeds would be achieved.

DON'T become tired of making Du'aa...

 

Ibnul Jawzi (رحمه الله) says:

“If you fall into a hardship that is hard to be free from, you can’t (do anything) but make du’aa and take refuge in Allaah, after repenting from sins, because sins necessitate punishment, so if they disappear by repentance from them, the reason (for punishment) is lifted. So if you repented and made du’aa, and did not see any trace of response, then look into your affair. Maybe the repentance was not sound, so correct it then make du’aa and don’t become tired of making du’aa. Maybe the good is in delaying the response, and maybe the good is not in responding, so you will be rewarded and responded by being referred to what benefits you, and it would be beneficial for you to not be given what you requested, but rather to be given other than it as a replacement.

So, if Iblees comes and says: ‘How much did you call upon Him and did not see any response?’ Then say: ‘I worship (Allaah) by making du’aa, and I am certain that the answer will come. But maybe its delay is due to some good, and even if it doesn't happen, worship and humility takes place.’ So take care not to ask for something except by combining it with asking for that which is good, because the occurrence of many a wish from the dunyaa was a cause for destruction.

Source: {Sayd ul-Khaatir; Chapter 249, p.343}

The Likeness of Ramadhan and Prophet Yusuf

From Ibnul Jawzi‘s ‘Bustan al-Wa’idhin wa Riyad as-Sami’in’ (p. 213-214):

“The month of Ramadhan to the other months is like Yusuf to his brothers. So, just like Yusuf was the most beloved son to Ya’qub, Ramadhan is likewise the most beloved month to Allaah.”

A nice point for the nation of Muhammad (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) to ponder over is that if Yusuf had the mercy and compassion to say {“There is no reproach for you today…“} [Yusuf; 92], Ramadhan is likewise the month of mercy, blessing, goodness, salvation from the Fire, and Forgiveness from the King that exceeds that of all the other months and what can be gained from their days and nights.

Another nice point to think about is that Yusuf’s brothers came to rely on him to fix their mistakes after all those they had made. So, he met them with kindness and helped them out, and he fed them while they were hungry and allowed them to return, and he told his servants: “Carry their belongings with you so that they don’t lose them.” So, one person filled the gaps of eleven others, and the month of Ramadhan is likewise one month that fills the gaps of our actions over the other eleven months. Imagine the gaps and shortcoming and deficiency we have in obeying Allaah!