For your act of worship to be accepted it must meet the Sunnah in these six

The noble Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih Al-’Uthaimeen رحمه الله said in his explanation of forty hadeeths of An-Nawawee رحمه الله: for acts of worship to be accepted-after sincerity- they must conform with the way of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم in six things:

1-The reason: it must be a one that is approved by the Sharee’hah. For example if someone prayed the night prayer on the 27 of Rajab or the 15 of Sha’baan. We say to him this act is rejected because Allah did not make these two nights a reason to pray the night prayer.

2-The kind: for example if someone sacrificed a horse on Eidul-Adhaa. We say this is rejected because the kinds of sacrificial animals have been specified and horse is not one of them.

3-The amount: for example if someone made ablution four times on one limb or added a rak’ah to a prayer.

The advice of Ibn Umar to a seeker of knowledge

Al-Layth bin Sa’d and others narrated: a man wrote to Ibn Umar saying: write to me the whole of knowledge. So he wrote to him: verily, knowledge is abundant, however if you are able to meet Allaah while your back is free from people’s blood, while your stomach is empty from their wealth [unlawfully], while your tongue is restrained from their honors and while sticking to their legion then do so.

Siyar A’laamin-Nubalaa’ 3/222

The Destructive Nature of Showing Off

Showing-off is considered to be from the “concealed shirk”; since the scholars of this nation have explained the two-fold nature of shirk as being “apparent shirk” (such as in open and apparent actions of worshipping idols, tombs, shrines, trees, stones with regards to slaughtering for them or seeking aid or directing supplication to them and other than that), and “concealed shirk” (shirk within the intention of a person, that which resides in his heart and it is concealed from the people and known to Allaah alone).

The word “riyaa” (showing-off) in Arabic is derived from the root word indicating vision or sight, and that is due to the one engaging in it intends that the people see him performing his action, or hear of his actions, in order to obtain their praise or other than that.

“Where in the Qur’an does it tell you how to Cook this Meal?” Sheikh ibn ul-Uthaimeen

 

Indeed the Qur’aan was sent by Allaah as a guidance to creation, it is as the Prophet  صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم would say in the weekly Friday sermon, “Indeed the best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم and the most evil of affairs are the newly invented, and every innovation is misguidance”. Indeed Allaah revealed this Book in order that the people may be removed from darkness to light, from Shirk to Tawheed. The Qur’aan that holds no contradictions but rather all of its information is true and correct, the Qur’aan along with the Sunnah that is a clarification and guidance in all affairs.

Upon this point regarding the Qur’aan being a guidance for all affairs al-’Allama ibn ul-Uthaimeen رحمه الله mentioned a story regarding a Christian scholar who questioned a Muslim scholar whilst in a restaurant upon the specifics pertaining to the cooking of a particular meal! The Shaikh mentioned in one of his Khutba that a Muslim person of knowledge was sat in a restaurant and a Christian approached him and stated as a challenge to him, “You say that the Qur’aan is a guidance in all affairs, so where in the Qur’aan does it tell you how to cook this meal?” Allaah سبحانه و تعالى inspired the person of knowledge to have insight in answering the question, and so he called over the chef, once the chef arrived he asked him how to cook the particular meal he was eating, and so the chef explained the process. Thereafter the person of knowledge said to him, “This is what the Qur’aan has taught us “فاسأوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون“….ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. In this way he explained that the manner of discovering the process of cooking the food was indeed taught in the Qur’aan!

The Difference Between Evil Eye and Envy - Sheikh ibn ul-Uthaimeen

Q: "What is the difference between the evil eye and envy and how do we protect ourselves from them?"

A: "There is no practical difference , but the origin of the evil eye is from envy, that is because the one who causes the evil eye - and we seek refuge in Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى - has in his heart envy for the servants of Allaah and he does not love any good for anyone. If therefore he sees something from a person that pleases him and he is envious then this emotion emanates from him and afflicts the individual he envies, and that is why Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى said, “… And from the evil of the envier when he envies."

As for protection from the evil of the envier and the evil eye:

1 - Trust and dependence in Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, and that a person does not turn to these affairs and give them importance and concern, rather he shuns away from them.

2 - Using the beneficial supplications mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah for they are the best of protection for a person, just like what has been authenticated from the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم regarding Ayat ul-Kursee and that the one who recites it at night then there will not cease to be a protector upon him and Shaytaan will not approach him until he awakens in the morning.

Reward of shaking hands with a Believer

Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ” Indeed whenever  a believer meets another believer takes his hand and shakes it,  sins fall from both of them the same way  leaves fall off a tree.”

Collected by At-Tabarani in his Awsot (245) graded Saheeh by Shaykh Al-Albani in his Silsilahtus Saheeh. 6/431

Benefits about this topic:

Sheikh Al-Albani 1421H (may Allah rest him in Jannah) wrote in Silsilahtus Saheeh; 

The Crime of Fornication and relieving Oneself from its Evil Effects

 
Sheikh ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy upon him), was asked: “What is binding upon one who falls into the crime of fornication to clear himself from the effects of that?”

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, answered: “Fornication is from the most disgusting of prohibitions and greatest sins. Allaah has threatened the polytheists, those who murder people without due right and the fornicators with a double torment on the Day of Resurrection and remaining therein humiliated and debased due to the wickedness and severity of their crimes.

As Allaah says:

“And those who invoke not any other deity along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace, except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds…”

[25:68-69]

From the Benefits of Taqwah: ‘Preservation of One’s Offspring after his Death’

On the authority of Abu Dharr and Mu’aadh bin Jabal, may Allaah be pleased with them both, narrated that the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, stated: “Observe taqwah of Allaah wherever you may be…” [At-Tirmidhi]

[It comes in the book "Al-Jaami' fee Sharhil Arba'een An-Nawawiyyah" a mention of the benefits of Taqwah and here is one of them.]

’Preservation of One’s Offspring after his Death’

Allaah, the Most High, says:

“And let those (executors and guardians) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own children, if they had left weak offspring behind. So let them fear Allah and speak right words.”

[4:9]

Would you like to be a Key to Good?

 

In the Name of Allaah, the Beneficent, Most Merciful. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions. As for what follows:

The Messenger of Allaah, may peace and blessings be upon him, said:

‎”Verily amongst the people are those who are keys to good ‎and locks to evil. And amongst the people are those who ‎are keys to evil and locks to good. So Toobaa‎ [1] for the ‎one whom Allaah has placed the keys of good upon his hands and woe be to the one ‎whom Allaah has placed the keys of evil at his disposal.” ‎[Sunan Ibn Maajah #237, Ibn Abi 'Aasim in "As-Sunnah" #297, Musnad At-Tayaalisi #2082, Al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Eemaan #698, and Al-Albani delcared it good in As-Saheehah #1332]

Sheikh ‘Abdur Razaaq bin ‘Abdul Muhsin Al-’Abbaad, may Allaah preserve them both, said:

“From the ways to be a key to good is by supplication.”

The Fruits of Patience

Discontentment is a trait of an impatient individual whose very own intolerant disposition prevents them from receiving rewards from Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى. Moreover, their sinful behavior leads them to being overwhelmed by their difficulties. Consequently, they are besieged by two afflictions: problems in their religion caused by their unhappiness and the weight of the hardship that befell them in the first place.

To the contrary, the truly patient believer controls him or herself at the onset of their difficulty. Yes, they do not like that this calamity has happened to them, but they patiently control themselves. He or she refrains from uttering anything or doing anything that would anger Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى. Nor does this believer harbor ill-feelings in their heart towards the Most Wise. In spite of their trials and mishaps, this person is patient. The contented one is at ease and totally calm during their adversity as though nothing has occurred.