Purifying Our Souls Before Ramadhan

 

By: Abuu 'Atiyyah Mahmoud Ibn Muhammad

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Purifying our souls before Ramadhan

Souls Cannot Be Purified Until They Are Put to The Test

️[Admonition By Imaam Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله تعالى]

[Source: An Excerpt from ‘Al-Fawaa’id’ pages 293-300. slightly paraphrased]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله تعالى said: The souls will not be purified and upright until they are put to test through afflictions.

Shaikh-ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله تعالى said: 

Allaah سبحانه و تعالى said:

الٓمٓ (١) أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوٓاْ أَن يَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ (٢)وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ‌ۖ فَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ (٣) أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَا‌ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ (٤) مَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ لِقَآءَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ لَأَتٍ۬‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ (٥) وَمَن جَـٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَـٰهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۤ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٦) وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ وَلَنَجۡزِيَنَّهُمۡ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلَّذِى كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (٧) وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٲلِدَيۡهِ حُسۡنً۬ا‌ۖ وَإِن جَـٰهَدَاكَ لِتُشۡرِكَ بِى مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬ فَلَا تُطِعۡهُمَآ‌ۚ إِلَىَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ (٨) وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَنُدۡخِلَنَّهُمۡ فِى ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (٩) وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ فَإِذَآ أُوذِىَ فِى ٱللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتۡنَةَ ٱلنَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٮِٕن جَآءَ نَصۡرٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا ڪُنَّا مَعَكُمۡ‌ۚ أَوَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعۡلَمَ بِمَا فِى صُدُورِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (١٠) وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ (١١)

Alif-Lam-Mim. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars; Or those who do evil deeds think that they can outstrip Us (i.e. escape Our Punishment)? Evil is that which they judge! Whoever hopes for the Meeting with Allaah, then Allaah’s Term is surely coming. and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself. Verily, Allaah is free of all wants from the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists). Those who believe [in the Oneness of Allaah (Monotheism) and in Messenger Muhammad, and do not apostate because of the harm they receive from the polytheists], and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall remit from them their evil deeds and shall reward them according to the best of that which they used to do.

Never Leave Off Making Dua

Ibn ‘Uyaynah (رحمه الله) said:

“Don’t ever leave off making du’a nor allow what [bad deeds] you commit to prevent you from it, for indeed Allaah answered the du’a of Iblees (the Devil) and he is the most evil of creation [when he said to Allaah] “‘Grant me respite until the Day in which they will be resurrected.’ He (Allaah) said, ‘Indeed you are from those who are granted respite.’ ”

[Al-Araf:14-15]“

Source:

[Ash-Shu’ab, 2/1147]

From the All Inclusive Supplications of the Prophet (ﷺ)

‏
ﻋَﻦْ ﺃَﺑِﻲ ﺑُﺮْﺩَﺓَ، ﻋَﻦْ ﻋَﻠِﻲٍّ، ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻟِﻲ ﺭَﺳُﻮﻝُ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ‏ "‏ ﻗُﻞِ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﺍﻫْﺪِﻧِﻲ  ﻭَﺳَﺪِّﺩْﻧِﻲ ﻭَﺍﺫْﻛُﺮْ ﺑِﺎﻟْﻬُﺪَﻯ ﻫِﺪَﺍﻳَﺘَﻚَ ﺍﻟﻄَّﺮِﻳﻖَ ﻭَﺍﻟﺴَّﺪَﺍﺩِ ﺳَﺪَﺍﺩَ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻬْﻢِ.  ‏

  Ali reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: Say, "O Allaah, direct me to the right path and make me adhere to the straight path," and when you make a mention of right guidance, keep in mind the right path and when you consider of the straight (path), keep in mind the straightness of the arrow.

Source:

Muslim Hadith No. 2725

True Brothers

When Allaah tests a believer

Trials & Tribulations

 “No calamity befalls, but with the Leave [i.e. decision and Qadar (Divine Preordainments)] of Allaah, and whosoever believes in Allaah, He guides his heart [to the true Faith with certainty, i.e. what has befallen him was already written for him by Allaah from the Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], and Allah is the All-Knower of everything.”

 Allaah سبحانه و تعالى says:

(No calamity befalls, but by the Leave decision and Qadar of Allaah). This takes account of all calamities that may touch one’s self, wealth, children, loved ones, and so forth. All that touches the slaves happens by Allaah’s decision and destiny. His knowledge has encompassed all this beforehand; His Pen recorded it, His decree appointed it, His wisdom dictated it.

The heart of the matter is, would the slave fulfil their mission here or not? One who does will earn the handsome reward and the beautiful compensation in this and the Last Life. When one believes that calamities are ordained by Allaah, feels content, and submits to Allaah’s decision, Allaah will guide his or her heart. They will then be tranquil and not prone to anxiety when calamities befall, unlike those whose hearts Allaah did not guide. Allaah will also grant them firmness when calamities come, and therefore, they will fulfil the requirements of patience. As a consequence they will earn immediate reward along with the reward that Allaah will keep for them for the Day of Recompense just as he stated, 

 إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

⁃ سورة الزمر - ٣٩:١٠

“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.”

A Powerful Reminder - (poem)

“Dear humanity,

I don’t think I need to introduce myself. The whole world is talking about me, in lock down because of me, and in perpetual stress because of me. Unlike most of you, I don’t have time to waste, so I’ll get straight to the point and share with you things about myself which the media will not cover. 

I do not differentiate between people; young or old, sick or healthy, practicing or otherwise. Don’t accuse me of harshness. I’m simply following the orders of the Supreme Lord who released me. 

I’m the one who has busied tyrannical governments from furthering their oppression of their Muslim minorities. I am the one who has humbled the pharaohs of the 21st century and snapped the spine of arrogance in every one of them. I am the one who closed the venues of alcohol, fornication, gambling, smoke and terrified every user of interest. I am the one who harasses the disbeliever behind closed doors as he now questions everything he ever stood for. I am the one who struck fear into the heart of every sinner and cornered him into regret. I am the reminder that moral decay cannot go without retribution. I am proud of this, I don’t apologize for it, and shame on the hard hearts of humanity for needing me as their reminder. 

The Stance of a Believer in the Face of an Epidemic

The Stance of a Believer in the Face of an Epidemic (Corona Virus) - 

by Abū Atiyah Mahmūd bin Muhammad

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The Stance of a Believer in the Face of an Epidemic