Letters To My Precious Mother... (6)

Sidr Trees of Dammaj

Alhamdulillaah… the batteries were revied temporarily which means we will be having water and electricity until we make alternative arrangements... Phew! What a relief! We were also informed that a brother from Al-Hind (India) had purchased a large motor to supply electricity for the larger part of the day.. that was news to rejoice.. Alhamdulillaah… this means we will have electricity insha-Allaah from the first Adhan until around 6 am., thereafer from 8 to 12:00 noon.. the next shift would be from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30p.m. Wow! This was good news indeed to the locals and the foreigners alike.. Hmm.. we could use our electric appliances,, may be run a refrigerator for 6 hours a day…relax under the fan (may be)!! Smile! This is the first time ever such a project was initiated. We were thrilled to see the electricity polls and meters fixed too.. Those who could afford had already got the wiring and meters fixed to their homes… waiting anxiously for the inauguration!!

Dammaj has natural underground springs and Allaah has blessed this valley with ample water. Alhamdulillaah. It is just that very few have the necessary pipes connected to their homes from the springs to get regular supply of water. If one is able to afford an overhead water tank with a sump and a motor to pump the water up, then there is sufficient regular water supply, bi’ithinllaahi.

Those who cannot afford direct water supply to their homes have to fetch water in ‘the Dammaji car’, which is a unique mode of transport found only in this valley… this vehicle needs no petrol or diesel but muscle power.. lol! It is a common sight to see men folk and children use 'the Dammaji car' to fetch groceries (substitute for fancy supermarket carts), mode of transport for kids, use it for whatever purpose this wheel barrow may serve. Alhamdulillaah! Usually there is one common wheelbarrow shared amongst a few house holds. How creative!!! 

 To be continued bi’ithnillaahi…

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 6

                      Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'dee
                              From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

The disbeliever knows nothing of tawakkul, nor does he look to other than his own weak, humiliated self. Allaah has given him abilities that he uses only to benefit his self, and thus caused them to become useless. If he attains some things that he loves, then he is only being led into a gradual punishment. 

The believer meets all blessings that come his way with thankfulness, and he uses them to benefit himself in a way that will cause more good to come.

The disbeliever meets blessings with exuberance and pride, busying himself with the blessing rather than the One who gave it to him, and thus does not offer any thanks. He uses the blessings for his lowly goals. With all his exuberance, his blessings are quick to part from him. 

The believer meets calamities with patience and counts on Allaah's Reward, hoping for Allaah to remove the difficulty. The goodness and the reward that Allaah gives him in place of his loss is greater than the beloved thing he lost or the hardship he endured. 

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 5

                         Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'adi
                                    From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

The disbeliever is rash, harsh, and full of worries and dismay. He lies and is not trustworthy. He is quarrelsome with an aggressive temperament. 

The believer does not render himself completely to other than Allaah. Both his heart and face have become safeguarded against submitting fully or rendering themselves to other than their Lord. He is virtuous, strong, brave, and generous. He has integrity, and chooses what is good.

The disbeliever is upon the opposite of that. His heart is attached to the created beings. He fears their harm and hopes to benefit from them, expending all of his energies for them. He is not virtuous, nor is he strong or brave, unless it is to achieve his lowly motives. He has no integrity, nor does he care if what he earns is pure or filthy.

The believer combines seeking after the means that benefit him and placing his trust in Allaah, relying on Him, and seeking help from Him in all his affairs. He finds that Allaah the Most High helps him. 

To be contd.. bi'ithinillaahi

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 4

                       Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'dee
                                From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

However, the disbeliever has pride and looks down upon the Truth. He looks down upon other people, too. He is amazed at himself, and does not make a practice of being sincere to anyone.

The believer has a clean heart that is free of deception, rancor, and jealousy. He loves for the Muslims what he loves for his own self, and he hates for them what he hates for his own self. He dedicates himself to working in their best interests. He carries the burden of being harmed by them, and does not oppress them in any way. 

The disbeliever's heart is boiling with rancor and jealousy. He does not want any good or benefit for anyone else, unless there is some worldly goal in it for his own self. He does not mind oppressing others when he is able, while he is the weakest of them in bearing their harms that reach him.

 The believer has a truthful tongue and interacts with people in a good manner. He is gentle, calm, peaceful, merciful, patient, and trustworthy. He is easy to be around and a good host to his guests. 

To be contd.. bi'ihnillaahi

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 3

                      Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'dee
                                From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

The disbeliever has no concern other than gathering and enjoying material things. His heart is always in a state of unrest, afraid that he may lose the things he loves, afraid that affairs he does not like will reach him. He does not have the Eemaan that makes facing difficult things easy and lightens the weight of calamities. 

The disbeliever has been deprived of the delight of Eemaan, the sweetness of drawing close to Allaah, and the fruits of Eemaan in this life and the Next. 

The disbeliever does not hope for any reward from Allaah, nor does he fear any punishment. His only hope and fear is connected to the cravings of his lowly, materialistic, worldly desires.

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 2

                     Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'dee
                              From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

The believer scoffs at the materialistic fancies of this worldly life, as he is focused on the delight of repenting to Allaah, and turning completely to Him alone. With this, he takes an ample share of worldly delights and enjoys them, but not as the disbelievers or heedless ones do. He indulges in them in a way that assists him in establishing the Rights of Allaah and the rights of His servants.

By contenting himself in this way and hoping for the reward from Allaah, the believer fulfills his desires, his heart rests peacefully, and he finds tranquility. He does not become saddened if some affairs reach him that he does not like. With this, Allaah has combined for him the happiness of this worldly life and the happiness of the Hereafter.

The Characteristics of the True Believer – 1

 

                         Al-'Allaamah 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'dee
                                    From the book: Essential Q&As about Eemaan (p.58-63)

[In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful... ]

What are the characteristics of the believers that make them distinct from the disbelievers?

This is a great question indeed. By knowing the difference between the believers and other people, the difference between Truth and falsehood becomes distinctly clear, as does the difference between the people of eternal happiness and the people of eternal misery. 

Know that the true believer is the one who believes in Allaah and all of His Names and Attributes that are found in the Book and the Sunnah, upon their proper understandings. They must be fully acknowledged. Furthermore, the believer exalts Allaah, declaring Him free of anything that contradicts the perfection of His Names and Attributes. Thus, his heart becomes full of Eemaan, knowledge, conviction, serenity, and becomes totally concerned with Allaah.

The believer repents to Allaah alone, performing acts of worship for Him that He has legislated upon the tongue of his Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), with sincerity to Allaah, hoping for His Reward and fearing His Punishment.

Loving Good For Your Muslim Brother (or Sister)

Do Not Envy people for what Allaah has given them of His Bounty

 

Taken From: My Advice To The Women, By the Shaykhah: Umm 'Abdillaah al-Waadi'iyyah

With the introduction and review of the Esteemed Shaykh: Aboo 'Abdur-Rahmaan Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi'ee
Pgs. 242-251

Musaddad told us that Yahya told us upon the authority of Shu'bah from Qataadah from Anas (radiAllaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."   - (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Hence, in this prophetic narration you find that the one who does not desire good for his Muslim brothers, similar to the good that he desires for himself, is deficient in his belief.

Al-Haafidh said, The intent behind the negation here is (a negation of) the completeness of faith, and negating the name of something conveys a negation of the completeness of it and this is understood from their speech as in the statement, "So and so is not human."  The word Khayr (good) is a comprehensive word that includes all of the acts of obedience and permissible actions related to both the worldly life and the Hereafter while excluding the prohibited things.  This is because the word Khayr (good) does not include those actions. (289) [End of cited speech].