Where is your coat??

Who will be put to trial??

“Anyone who turns away from the worship, obedience and love of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, will be put in to trial with the worship, service and love for the creation.”

Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

When the slave wakes up as the night encloses him, and his only concern is Allaah and how to please and obey Him, then Allaah takes upon Him[self] to fulfill all of his needs and remove from him all that causes him anxiety. Allaah سُبحانه وتعلى also makes his heart free to love Him only, his tongue free to remember Him only, and his body free to serve Him only.

However, when a slave of Allaah wakes up when the night encloses him, and his main concern is the world, Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى will make him bear the burdens of anxiety, grief, and hardship. Allaah will entrust him to his own self and He will make his heart busy, sealing it from His love, since it will be preoccupied with love for creation. Allaah will keep his tongue from remembrance because it will be engaged with His creation; his body will be kept from obedience, since it will be enslaved by its desires and services. And he will toil like a beast of burden toils in the service of another.

 

Translation:

"From the sign of completeness of a servant's intelligence and knowledge is that he knows if Allaah has afflicted him with some evil, and that none can remove it except Him سبحانه وتعالى.

And if He سبحانه وتعالى  blessed him with a favor, then none can provide for him with the like except Him عزوجل."

 

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله

The Secret of Salaah

Sheikh-ul-Islaam Ibnul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله stated:

The secret of the Salaah, its soul and core is the slave’s turning to Allaah in totality whilst in the prayer. Therefore, just as it is not befitting that he turns his face away from the Qiblah to other than it during the Salaah, it is likewise not befitting to turn his heart away from his Lord to other than Him during the Salaah. Rather he (the slave) makes the Kaa’bah, which is the house of Allaah, the Qiblah of his face and body. (Likewise) he makes the Lord of the House the Qiblah of his heart and soul. So according to how much the servant turns to Allaah in his Salaah, (then this) will determine how much Allaah turns towards him. And if he (the slave) was to turn away, then Allaah will turn away from him. 

And (the saying goes): 

“.... as he lives, he is treated (accordingly).”

{Source: Asraarus-Salaah, pg. 75}

What are the THREE conditions which are tokens of the servant’s happiness ??

Three conditions are tokens of the servant’s happiness [sa’adat al-abd], and the signs of his success in this world and the next. No servant is without them, but is always shifting from one to the other.

These are: 

1. When blessed, he gives thanks (Shukr);

2. when tried with difficulties/trials, he perseveres (Sabr); and

3. when sinful, he seeks forgiveness (Tawba).

1.     Shukr for blessings: The first condition is the blessings which come to the servant from Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, one after another. What secures them is gratitude [Shukr], based on three supports: (a) inward recognition of the blessing; (b) outward mention and thanks for it; (c) and its use in a way that pleases the One to whom it truly belongs and who truly bestows it.

Different Perspectives on Patience..

Ibnul Qayyim al Jawziyyah رحمه الله

Patience may be of two types, either physical or psychological, and both types may either be by choice, or without choice, as follows:

1.     Physical patience by choice, such as doing hard labour willingly.

2.    Physical patience without choice, such as patiently bearing illness, beatings and extremes of heat and cold.

3.    Psychological patience by choice, such as refraining from things which both the Sharî‘ah and common sense say are wrong.

4.   Psychological patience without choice, such as patiently bearing an enforced separation from one whom you love.

Different degrees of patience 

As mentioned above, patience is of two types, by choice or without choice. Patience by choice is of a higher status than patience without choice, as the latter is common to all people, but the former is not attainable by all. Therefore the patience of Yûsuf عليه السلام in disobeying the wife of al-‘Azîz, and his patience in bearing the resulting punishment, is of higher status than his patience in response to his brothers’ actions, when they threw him in the well, separated him from his father and sold him as a slave. This superior, voluntary, patience is the patience of the Prophets, of Ibrâhîm, Mûsâ, Nûh, ‘Īsâ and the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم). Their patience was in calling the people to Allâh and in striving against the enemies of Allâh.

The patience of men and the patience of animals

These four types of patience apply only to human beings. Animals share only the two types of patience in which there is no choice, and man is distinguished by having the patience in which there is choice. However, many people have only the types of patience that animals have, i.e. patience without choice.

The patience of jinn

Jinn share the quality of patience with humans, as they are responsible for their actions like humans are. They need patience to fulfill their responsibilities towards Allâh سُبحانه وتعالى  the same way that we do. One might ask: are they responsible in the same way that we are, or in a different way? The answer is that with regard to matters of emotion and feelings they are responsible just as we are, and share the obligation to love for the sake of Allâh and hate for Allâh سُبحانه وتعالى, to believe and have faith, to take believers for friends and unbelievers for enemies, etc. But as far as physical matters such as ghusl, wudû‘, washing after relieving oneself and circumcision are concerned, they are not the same as us. Their duties in that regard are in accordance with the way they are created.

Ten Types of Modesty

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله mentioned in his book Madarij us Saalikeen Vol. 2 Pg. 267  - 'Al Hayaa’ (i.e. modesty) is categorized into ten types:

1. The modesty of Shame: This is similar to the modesty of Adam عليه السلام when he fled in Paradise after eating from the forbidden tree. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى asked him “Are you fleeing form me O Adam because of your sin?” He said: “No my Lord! Rather it is out of shame that I flee from you!”  

2. The modesty that results in you realizing your shortcomings such as the modesty of the angels, those who praise Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى day and night and never enervate (weaken). On the Day of Judgment they will say Subhanaka! (i.e. Glory be to You!) we did not worship You as You deserved to be worshiped.”

3. The modesty of Magnification: This modesty is a result of knowledge. The extent of knowledge the slave has of his Lord, will determine how modest or shy of Him he/she is.

4. The modesty of Generosity: This is similar to the modesty of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم with those people he invited to the walimah (i.e. marriage banquet) of Zaynab Bint Jahsh رضي الله عنها and they stayed with him longer than necessary, so he stood up and walked away without saying to them “Leave!”.

 5. The modesty of Embarrassment: This is similar to the modesty of Ali Ibn Talib رضي اللّه عنـه when he was too embarrassed to ask the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم himself about the pre-seminal discharge he was experiencing, because he was married to his daughter.

Beauty of seeking knowledge of the religion....

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“When Allaah granted Prophet Yoosuf عليه السلام physical beauty it caused him to be locked up in the prison; but when Allaah granted him knowledge (when he interpreted the dream of the king) it not only took him out of prison, but elevated his rank in society, clearly showing us the virtue of knowledge and that physical beauty DOES NOT mean anything.”

(Al-‘Ilm wa Fadhluhu wa Sharafuhu pg.32)

What is the G-R-E-A-T-E-S-T of Losses??

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“The one with a D-E-A-D heart will make you feel lonely. So, take advantage of his absence as much as possible, because you will not feel lonely except when he is with you.

If you are put to trial with him, give him your outer attention, wander from him with your heart, separate your inner self from him, and do not let him distract you from what is more deserving of your attention. Know that the GREATEST of losses is for you to be preoccupied with one who will bring you nothing but a loss in your time with Allaāh – the Mighty and Majestic – and being cut off from Him, wasting of your time on him, weakening of your energy, and dispersing of your attention.  

Ways & means by which knowledge is obtained!

            

Edited by: Umm Hasna bint Jabir as-Saylâniyyah

Beneficial knowledge has certain ways and means by which it is obtained and certain paths that are taken in its acquisition and memorization. Amongst the most important of them are: 

Firstly: That the servant asks his Lord for the beneficial knowledge and that he seeks assistance by Him, the Exalted, and shows his need to Him. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى ordered His Prophet, Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم to ask Him that He increases him in knowledge, in addition to his knowledge.

He, سُبحانه وتعالى said:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

And say, “O Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

[Soorah Taa Haa (20):114].

  

 And the Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم used to say,

“O Allaah, benefit me with what you have taught me and teach me that which will benefit me and increase me in knowledge.”

[Reported by at Tirmidhee (5/578) and Ibn Maajah (1/92). Also refer to Saheeh Ibn Maajah (1/47)].

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