Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Beauty Of Knowledge And How It Enlivens The Heart
Category: SOUND
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (ra)
Acquire knowledge because doing so is good. Seeking it is worship. Reviewing it is glorifying Allah. Researching it is jihad. Teaching it to the ignorant is charity. Serving the scholars is a way of drawing near to Allah because knowledge is the path of ascension to the stations of Paradise. It is a companion in isolation and a comrade in distant lands. It speaks to you in solitude. It is a guide to prosperity and a shield against adversity. It beautifies one among friends and is a weapon against enemies.
With it Allah elevates people and makes them guides and bellwethers of good. The scholars are people whose words are sought and whose actions are imitated. The angels long for the scholar’s company and comfort them with their wings. Everything, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the earth, the predators of the land and sea, and the cattle pray that blessings come upon him.
This is because knowledge enlivens the heart against ignorance, illuminates the eyes against darkness, and strengthens the body. It transports the servants to the mansions of the select and the righteous and to the highest ranks in the world and in the Hereafter. Contemplating it is equivalent to fasting, and reviewing it is equivalent to the Night Prayer vigil. With it, kinship is united and the lawful is distinguished from the unlawful. Knowledge is an imam which leads to righteous actions. It is craved by the people destined for Paradise and shunned by people destined for Hell.
Source: Warathatu’l-Anbiya’; Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (ra)
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (ra)
Acquire knowledge because doing so is good. Seeking it is worship. Reviewing it is glorifying Allah. Researching it is jihad. Teaching it to the ignorant is charity. Serving the scholars is a way of drawing near to Allah because knowledge is the path of ascension to the stations of Paradise. It is a companion in isolation and a comrade in distant lands. It speaks to you in solitude. It is a guide to prosperity and a shield against adversity. It beautifies one among friends and is a weapon against enemies.
With it Allah elevates people and makes them guides and bellwethers of good. The scholars are people whose words are sought and whose actions are imitated. The angels long for the scholar’s company and comfort them with their wings. Everything, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the earth, the predators of the land and sea, and the cattle pray that blessings come upon him.
This is because knowledge enlivens the heart against ignorance, illuminates the eyes against darkness, and strengthens the body. It transports the servants to the mansions of the select and the righteous and to the highest ranks in the world and in the Hereafter. Contemplating it is equivalent to fasting, and reviewing it is equivalent to the Night Prayer vigil. With it, kinship is united and the lawful is distinguished from the unlawful. Knowledge is an imam which leads to righteous actions. It is craved by the people destined for Paradise and shunned by people destined for Hell.
Source: Warathatu’l-Anbiya’; Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (ra)
Sin Leads To More Sin
Category: SOUND
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (ra) writes regarding sins in his book ad-Daa wa Dawaa:
And from it [i.e consequences] is that the sin produces more of its like and multiply, so much so that it becomes overwhelming for the slave to leave it off or find a way out.
Just like some of the salaf used to say:
And if he does it a third good deed proclaims the same thing and so on.
So the reward is multiplied and the good deeds are increased.
And the same thing applies for sins, until performing either good deeds or committing sins become firmly imbedded habits and part of a person’s character.
So if a righteous person was to leave off a good deed then that would weigh him down immensely and he would feel as a fish taken out of its water until he is brought back into it so that his heart finds peace and tranquility again.
And if the sinner was to turn away from his sins towards obedience then he would feel an immense constriction of his soul until he made himself firm upon that righteous action.
To such an extent that a lot of sinners commit sins without acquiring any pleasure from it rather they commit it due to the pain and anguish they feel leaving it off.
And a slave does not cease to perform acts of obedience, loving it, but that Allah through His infinite Mercy sends angels to him encouraging him towards obedience and righteousness. And makes him leave his bed and laziness altogether.
And a slave does not cease to commit sins, loving it, but that Allah sends devils upon him edging him on [in sin].
So as for the first one then he sought strength in righteousness and asked for aid [from the angels] so they became from amongst the greatest of helpers.
And the other strengthened his army of evil with help [from the devils] so they became aids against him.
Source
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (ra) writes regarding sins in his book ad-Daa wa Dawaa:
And from it [i.e consequences] is that the sin produces more of its like and multiply, so much so that it becomes overwhelming for the slave to leave it off or find a way out.
Just like some of the salaf used to say:
From amongst the punishments of committing sins is that they lead to more sins and from the rewards of performing good deeds is that one performs more good deeds, so if a slave performs a good deed another good deed calls towards him proclaiming do me too!
And if he does it a third good deed proclaims the same thing and so on.
So the reward is multiplied and the good deeds are increased.
And the same thing applies for sins, until performing either good deeds or committing sins become firmly imbedded habits and part of a person’s character.
So if a righteous person was to leave off a good deed then that would weigh him down immensely and he would feel as a fish taken out of its water until he is brought back into it so that his heart finds peace and tranquility again.
And if the sinner was to turn away from his sins towards obedience then he would feel an immense constriction of his soul until he made himself firm upon that righteous action.
To such an extent that a lot of sinners commit sins without acquiring any pleasure from it rather they commit it due to the pain and anguish they feel leaving it off.
And a slave does not cease to perform acts of obedience, loving it, but that Allah through His infinite Mercy sends angels to him encouraging him towards obedience and righteousness. And makes him leave his bed and laziness altogether.
And a slave does not cease to commit sins, loving it, but that Allah sends devils upon him edging him on [in sin].
So as for the first one then he sought strength in righteousness and asked for aid [from the angels] so they became from amongst the greatest of helpers.
And the other strengthened his army of evil with help [from the devils] so they became aids against him.
Source
"The Goodly Life"
Category: SOUND
Transcript:
“The Godly Life”
Sheikh Muhammad Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti
Life, is either for a person, or against him
It's hours and seconds, days and years pass him by
Leading him (by his actions) to the Love and Good Pleasure of Allah
until he is amongst the people of Ultimate Success and the Gardens of Paradise
or they are against him, leading him (by his actions) to the Fires of Hell
and to the Anger of the One, the Just Ruler [Allah]
Life, either it will make you laugh & rejoice for an hour
over which you will cry for an eternity (in the Hereafter)
or it will make you cry for an hour
over which you will laugh & rejoice for an eternity (in the Hereafter)
Life, is either a great blessing for a person,
or an adverse affliction against him
This is a life which was lived by the earliest generations
by our fathers and forefathers
and by all those who preceded us
All of them, returned to Allah with what they used to do [their deeds]
"Life" refers to every single moment that is lived within it
and every hour spent within it
And within all of these, we live a life that is either for us or against us
Thus, the successful and happy person
is the one who sees life, and recognises it's reality and true nature
For by Allah, it is a life that frequently causes some people to weep, their tears never drying
and frequently makes others laugh, their laughs and joys then never to return
My beloved, Allah has made this life as a trial, a test,
an exam, in which is made apparent the true nature of His slaves
Thus happy is the one who is made successful (in this exam) by the Mercy of Allah
while miserable & banished (from salvation) is the one upon whom the Pleasure of Allah becomes forbidden (through this exam)
(Know) for every hour that you live, either Allah is pleased with you in this hour (by your deeds)
or the opposite, we seek refuge in Allah from that
Therefore (by this hour) either you come closer to Allah
or you stray further from Him
Thus it may be, that you live a single moment of love and obedience to Allah (by your actions)
by which are forgiven the inequities of your life
and a lifetime of sins
And it may be that you live a single moment in which you deviate purposely from the Path of Allah
distancing yourself from His obedience
which then becomes a cause of misery & distress, for the rest of your life
We ask Allah for His Safety and Pardoning
In this life there exist two seperate 'callers'
The first, is anything that calls to the Mercy, the Good Pleasure and the Love of Allah (be they thoughts or actions)
The second type of caller, is anything which invites to the opposite of that
(Such as) a desire or lust that incites one to evil
or a sudden sinful whim that may result in an evil ending (dying in bad or sinful circumstances)
Thus it may be, that a person within a moment of his life, weeps;
a weeping of regret and repentance over his negligence towards his Lord;
and by (these tears) Allah changes his evil deeds into good deeds (on his record)
But how many a people continue to commit sins?
how many a people still indulge in evil?
how many a people continue to distance themselves (from Allah),
frequently travelling away from their Lord (by their actions)?
Thus all of them are distant from the Mercy of Allah
unbeknownst to them, strangers to the Good Pleasure of Allah
Then comes upon them that hour, that exact moment (of penitence),
which is what we are referring to, by "the goodly life",
in order that they shed tears of regret and remorse,
and that a reason for anguish in the heart may be ignited,
Such that the person realises how long his alienation from Allah has been
and how long his absence from his Lord truly has been
so that he may then say, "Indeed I am turning to my Lord repentant, remorseful,
and in hope of His Mercy and Good Pleasure!"
This time (of penitence) is a person's key to happiness and contentment,
the time of regret.
It is as the scholars say,
"Indeed man sins a great deal,
but if he is truly sincere in his regret and repentance,
Allah will change his sins into good deeds"
Thus his life too then becomes pure and goodly,
by the purity and truthfulness of that regret and repentance
and by the sincerity in the very distress and pain felt within himself
We ask Allah the Greatest, Lord of the Honourable Throne,
to give life to this blessed caller to His Mercy, within our hearts
and to the pain we should feel when we are neglectful towards Allah and His Commands
My beloved, every single one of us needs to ask themselves a question,
we need to ask ourselves day and night,
How many nights are spent awake in activity?
and how many hours are passed (in this way)?
How many have laughed in this life?
And (most importantly) was Allah Pleased with this laughter?
How much of this time was spent in entertainment and enjoyment in this life?
Was this enjoyment one that Allah was Pleased with?
How many nights were spent awake (in activity)?
Was this staying awake (and what you did in those nights), pleasing to Allah?
And so on and so forth,
(These are) questions that he should be asking within himself
But a person might wonder why he should be asking these questions (i.e. what's the point)?
Yes! You must ask yourselves these questions
as passes not the instant of a blinking of an eye,
nor a fleeting moment in your life,
except that you are living in and experiencing the Blessings of Allah!
Thus it is from great respect and humility towards Allah
that a person remains constantly aware of the greatness of the Blessings bestowed upon him
From this humility is to truly feel and acknowledge that the food we eat,
belongs to and is provided by Allah
And that we quench our thirst with a drink created by Allah
And that we are shaded and sheltered by a roof provided by Him
And that we walk forth upon a ground provided by Him
And that without doubt we are living in and experiencing His every Bounty and Mercy
So what could we possibly have to offer Him in return?
(So it's important) a person asks himself these questions.
(For example) doctors say that there exists a substance in a person's heart,
that if it were to increase or decrease by 1%
he would die instantly...
So (think) in which courtesy and kindness,
which mercy and compassion from Allah does mankind enjoy, experience and live in!
(Even if) a person asks himself about the Mercy of Allah alone,
When he wakes up in the morning,
possessing his hearing
possessing his sight
possessing his physical strength,
who is the one safeguarding his hearing?
Who is the One safeguarding his sight?
Who is the One safeguarding his intellect?
Who is the One safeguarding his very soul?
He must ask himself, who is the One protecting all of these things?
Who is the One who Bestowed him with good health and wellbeing?
(Think of) those who are sick, lying on white beds (in hospital)
those who are sighing and in pain (from illness),
By Allah, through these great blessings Allah conveys His Love for us,
The great blessings of good health, wellbeing, security and safety
All of these are provided purely so that we may live a goodly life
Allah, praised & exalted is He, desires two things from His slave:
The first is that he carry out his obligatory duties (e.g. prayer)
and the second, is the abandonment of all Allah has forbidden and held him back from
As for the one who claims that closeness to Allah
entails a life of suffering or limitations
Then such a person without doubt has erred greatly in how he perceives Allah
For, by Allah, if you do not purify and make good your life by closeness to your Lord,
you will never be able to do so by way of anything else
And if you do not purify and adorn your life by carrying out your obligatory duties to Him,
and abandoning all that He has forbidden,
Then by Allah, you will never be able to so by way of anything else
A person may experience every single pleasure life has to offer
but by Allah, he will never experience anything more pleasurable,
more beautiful than servitude to Allah
by carrying out his obligations to Him
and leaving all that He has forbid him from
(In life) you are subjected to two choices,
whenever you are faced with a matter,
you have the choice to either do it or not do it
If you decide to go forth and do anything in this life,
ask yourself, "Has Allah permitted you to do this thing, or not?"
Since the human being himself is owned by Allah
the hearts are all owned by Allah
and the souls are all owned by Allah
Thus a person should,
whenever he wants to do something or hold back from it,
ask himself, will Allah be pleased with you (by this action)?
If so, then let him proceed
Or, will Allah not be pleased by this action?
If not then he should hold himself back.
For, by Allah, a person does not proceed with an action nor hold back from it,
requesting Allah's Mercy (and counsel in the decision),
except that he pleases his Lord in the process
Therefore true happiness and a goodly life are only to be found in closeness to Allah
Closeness to who?
To the King of Kings
the Controller of the Heavens & the Earth
To whom belongs the Ultimate Command, all creation
and the perfect arrangement and measure of all that exists
Thus you may find that man is always
in a state of anxiety and weariness
You may find an individual who has everything he desires
But by Allah, you will find most of those who have all they desire
suffer from mental or psychological problems,
from anxiety and depression,
most of them are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives
Go and look for the wealthiest person
and you'll most likely find him to be from
the most miserable people in life
And has made the sweetness and savour of life to be found,
in being close to Him
And has placed the key to a pleasurable, amiable life,
in a pleasurable, amiable relationship with Him
(If we look at just) one prayer that a person performs
from the 5 obligatory daily prayers;
at the moment of completing his bowing and prostrating
and completing his servitude to his Lord,
then at leaving the place of prayer,
he feels a great sense of ease and peace within himself!
By Allah, even if he were to spend all the wealth on the earth
(in attempt to buy this feeling)
He would be unable to seek a way to it.
Thus the goodly life is found only in closeness to Allah
A pleasant, comfortable life will only be found by a closeness to Allah
If a person does not purify and make good his life
through this close relationship,
then by who (or what) will he....?
Transcript:
“The Godly Life”
Sheikh Muhammad Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti
Life, is either for a person, or against him
It's hours and seconds, days and years pass him by
Leading him (by his actions) to the Love and Good Pleasure of Allah
until he is amongst the people of Ultimate Success and the Gardens of Paradise
or they are against him, leading him (by his actions) to the Fires of Hell
and to the Anger of the One, the Just Ruler [Allah]
Life, either it will make you laugh & rejoice for an hour
over which you will cry for an eternity (in the Hereafter)
or it will make you cry for an hour
over which you will laugh & rejoice for an eternity (in the Hereafter)
Life, is either a great blessing for a person,
or an adverse affliction against him
This is a life which was lived by the earliest generations
by our fathers and forefathers
and by all those who preceded us
All of them, returned to Allah with what they used to do [their deeds]
"Life" refers to every single moment that is lived within it
and every hour spent within it
And within all of these, we live a life that is either for us or against us
Thus, the successful and happy person
is the one who sees life, and recognises it's reality and true nature
For by Allah, it is a life that frequently causes some people to weep, their tears never drying
and frequently makes others laugh, their laughs and joys then never to return
My beloved, Allah has made this life as a trial, a test,
an exam, in which is made apparent the true nature of His slaves
Thus happy is the one who is made successful (in this exam) by the Mercy of Allah
while miserable & banished (from salvation) is the one upon whom the Pleasure of Allah becomes forbidden (through this exam)
(Know) for every hour that you live, either Allah is pleased with you in this hour (by your deeds)
or the opposite, we seek refuge in Allah from that
Therefore (by this hour) either you come closer to Allah
or you stray further from Him
Thus it may be, that you live a single moment of love and obedience to Allah (by your actions)
by which are forgiven the inequities of your life
and a lifetime of sins
And it may be that you live a single moment in which you deviate purposely from the Path of Allah
distancing yourself from His obedience
which then becomes a cause of misery & distress, for the rest of your life
We ask Allah for His Safety and Pardoning
In this life there exist two seperate 'callers'
The first, is anything that calls to the Mercy, the Good Pleasure and the Love of Allah (be they thoughts or actions)
The second type of caller, is anything which invites to the opposite of that
(Such as) a desire or lust that incites one to evil
or a sudden sinful whim that may result in an evil ending (dying in bad or sinful circumstances)
Thus it may be, that a person within a moment of his life, weeps;
a weeping of regret and repentance over his negligence towards his Lord;
and by (these tears) Allah changes his evil deeds into good deeds (on his record)
But how many a people continue to commit sins?
how many a people still indulge in evil?
how many a people continue to distance themselves (from Allah),
frequently travelling away from their Lord (by their actions)?
Thus all of them are distant from the Mercy of Allah
unbeknownst to them, strangers to the Good Pleasure of Allah
Then comes upon them that hour, that exact moment (of penitence),
which is what we are referring to, by "the goodly life",
in order that they shed tears of regret and remorse,
and that a reason for anguish in the heart may be ignited,
Such that the person realises how long his alienation from Allah has been
and how long his absence from his Lord truly has been
so that he may then say, "Indeed I am turning to my Lord repentant, remorseful,
and in hope of His Mercy and Good Pleasure!"
This time (of penitence) is a person's key to happiness and contentment,
the time of regret.
It is as the scholars say,
"Indeed man sins a great deal,
but if he is truly sincere in his regret and repentance,
Allah will change his sins into good deeds"
Thus his life too then becomes pure and goodly,
by the purity and truthfulness of that regret and repentance
and by the sincerity in the very distress and pain felt within himself
We ask Allah the Greatest, Lord of the Honourable Throne,
to give life to this blessed caller to His Mercy, within our hearts
and to the pain we should feel when we are neglectful towards Allah and His Commands
My beloved, every single one of us needs to ask themselves a question,
we need to ask ourselves day and night,
How many nights are spent awake in activity?
and how many hours are passed (in this way)?
How many have laughed in this life?
And (most importantly) was Allah Pleased with this laughter?
How much of this time was spent in entertainment and enjoyment in this life?
Was this enjoyment one that Allah was Pleased with?
How many nights were spent awake (in activity)?
Was this staying awake (and what you did in those nights), pleasing to Allah?
And so on and so forth,
(These are) questions that he should be asking within himself
But a person might wonder why he should be asking these questions (i.e. what's the point)?
Yes! You must ask yourselves these questions
as passes not the instant of a blinking of an eye,
nor a fleeting moment in your life,
except that you are living in and experiencing the Blessings of Allah!
Thus it is from great respect and humility towards Allah
that a person remains constantly aware of the greatness of the Blessings bestowed upon him
From this humility is to truly feel and acknowledge that the food we eat,
belongs to and is provided by Allah
And that we quench our thirst with a drink created by Allah
And that we are shaded and sheltered by a roof provided by Him
And that we walk forth upon a ground provided by Him
And that without doubt we are living in and experiencing His every Bounty and Mercy
So what could we possibly have to offer Him in return?
(So it's important) a person asks himself these questions.
(For example) doctors say that there exists a substance in a person's heart,
that if it were to increase or decrease by 1%
he would die instantly...
So (think) in which courtesy and kindness,
which mercy and compassion from Allah does mankind enjoy, experience and live in!
(Even if) a person asks himself about the Mercy of Allah alone,
When he wakes up in the morning,
possessing his hearing
possessing his sight
possessing his physical strength,
who is the one safeguarding his hearing?
Who is the One safeguarding his sight?
Who is the One safeguarding his intellect?
Who is the One safeguarding his very soul?
He must ask himself, who is the One protecting all of these things?
Who is the One who Bestowed him with good health and wellbeing?
(Think of) those who are sick, lying on white beds (in hospital)
those who are sighing and in pain (from illness),
By Allah, through these great blessings Allah conveys His Love for us,
The great blessings of good health, wellbeing, security and safety
All of these are provided purely so that we may live a goodly life
Allah, praised & exalted is He, desires two things from His slave:
The first is that he carry out his obligatory duties (e.g. prayer)
and the second, is the abandonment of all Allah has forbidden and held him back from
As for the one who claims that closeness to Allah
entails a life of suffering or limitations
Then such a person without doubt has erred greatly in how he perceives Allah
For, by Allah, if you do not purify and make good your life by closeness to your Lord,
you will never be able to do so by way of anything else
And if you do not purify and adorn your life by carrying out your obligatory duties to Him,
and abandoning all that He has forbidden,
Then by Allah, you will never be able to so by way of anything else
A person may experience every single pleasure life has to offer
but by Allah, he will never experience anything more pleasurable,
more beautiful than servitude to Allah
by carrying out his obligations to Him
and leaving all that He has forbid him from
(In life) you are subjected to two choices,
whenever you are faced with a matter,
you have the choice to either do it or not do it
If you decide to go forth and do anything in this life,
ask yourself, "Has Allah permitted you to do this thing, or not?"
Since the human being himself is owned by Allah
the hearts are all owned by Allah
and the souls are all owned by Allah
Thus a person should,
whenever he wants to do something or hold back from it,
ask himself, will Allah be pleased with you (by this action)?
If so, then let him proceed
Or, will Allah not be pleased by this action?
If not then he should hold himself back.
For, by Allah, a person does not proceed with an action nor hold back from it,
requesting Allah's Mercy (and counsel in the decision),
except that he pleases his Lord in the process
Therefore true happiness and a goodly life are only to be found in closeness to Allah
Closeness to who?
To the King of Kings
the Controller of the Heavens & the Earth
To whom belongs the Ultimate Command, all creation
and the perfect arrangement and measure of all that exists
Thus you may find that man is always
in a state of anxiety and weariness
You may find an individual who has everything he desires
But by Allah, you will find most of those who have all they desire
suffer from mental or psychological problems,
from anxiety and depression,
most of them are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives
Go and look for the wealthiest person
and you'll most likely find him to be from
the most miserable people in life
And has made the sweetness and savour of life to be found,
in being close to Him
And has placed the key to a pleasurable, amiable life,
in a pleasurable, amiable relationship with Him
(If we look at just) one prayer that a person performs
from the 5 obligatory daily prayers;
at the moment of completing his bowing and prostrating
and completing his servitude to his Lord,
then at leaving the place of prayer,
he feels a great sense of ease and peace within himself!
By Allah, even if he were to spend all the wealth on the earth
(in attempt to buy this feeling)
He would be unable to seek a way to it.
Thus the goodly life is found only in closeness to Allah
A pleasant, comfortable life will only be found by a closeness to Allah
If a person does not purify and make good his life
through this close relationship,
then by who (or what) will he....?
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