I lost a lot of friends yet only to gain sisters
priceless. . .♡
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What are the best righteous deeds after the obligatory duties?
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked the following question:
I
asked the Shaykh, who followed in the footsteps of the earlier
generations and was the example for the later generations, the most
knowledgeable man I have ever met in the east or the west, Taqiy
al-Deen Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ahmad ibn Taymiyah, to point out to me what is
the best righteous deed after the obligatory duties.
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied as follows:
What you have asked about, the best
deed after the obligatory duties, varies from one person to another,
depending on what they are able to do and what is best at any given
time. So it is not possible to give a comprehensive, detailed answer
that suits everyone. But what those who have knowledge of Allaah and
His commands are agreed upon is that constantly remembering Allaah
(dhikr) is the best thing with which a person may occupy himself in
general.
Therefore the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah narrated by Muslim says:
“ ‘The mufridoon have gone ahead.’They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, who are the mufridoon?’He said, ‘Those men and women who remember Allaah much.’”
And Abu Dawood narrated from
Abu’l-Dardaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds and that which is most pure in the sight of your Lord, that which raises you more in status and is better for you than giving gold and silver (in charity), and better than your meeting your enemy and striking their necks and they strike your necks?’They said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.’He said, ‘Remembering Allaah (dhikr).’”
There is a great deal of Qur’aanic evidence to support this.
The least that a person should do is
to persist in reciting the adhkaar (pl. of dhikr) which have been
narrated from the teacher of good and the leader of the pious (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as the adhkaar to be recited
at certain times, at the beginning and end of the day, when going to
bed and waking up from sleep and after the prescribed prayers; and the
adhkaar to be recited on certain occasions, such as that to be said
when eating and drinking, when getting dressed, when having
intercourse, when entering or leaving the home, the mosque or the
washroom, when it rains, when thunder is heard, and so on.
Books have been compiled on this topic called ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (Actions of the Day and Night).
One of the best books written on this topic is the small book entitled Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib,
which is derived from the book by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah called
al-Kalim al-Tayyib; this has been edited by al-‘Allaamah al-Albaani.
Then one should persist in remembering Allaah in general, the best of which is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah.
There may be some situations where
certain kinds of dhikr are preferable, such as saying Subhaana Allaah
wa’l-hamdu-Lillaah wa Allaahu akbar wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa
Billaah.
Moreover, one should
realize that everything that the tongue utters or the heart imagines
that may bring one closer to Allaah, such as seeking knowledge or
teaching, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, is a kind
of dhikr or remembering Allaah. Hence the one who occupies himself in
the pursuit of beneficial knowledge after performing the obligatory
duties, or who joins a gathering in order to learn or teach, which
Allaah and His Messenger have called fiqh or understanding, is also
doing something which is one of the best forms of remembering Allaah
(dhikr).
If you think about it, you will not
find much difference of opinion among the earliest generation
concerning what is the best of deeds. Whenever a person is confused he
should pray istikhaarah as prescribed in sharee’ah, for the one who
prays to Allaah asking Him for that which is best (istikhaarah) will
not have any regrets.
He should do that a lot, and make a
lot of du’aa’, for that is the key to all goodness. He should not be
hasty and say “I prayed but I did not get an answer.” He should seek
out the times of special virtue, such as the end of the night, the
times immediately following the prescribed prayers, the time of the
adhaan, when rain is falling, and so on.
Quoted from the
essay al-Wasiyyah al-Jaami’ah li Khayr al-Dunya wa’l-Aakhirah, by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), published
by al-Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, Cairo.
This is posted by Shimul Ali via salafi-network yahoo group
Related Links:
- Gaining Rewards – The Hadeeth of the Prophet which were chosen For their great rewards for easy actions
Hadeeth taken from ‘Saheeh al-Kalima at-Tayyib’ – By Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
Checked by Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee [PDF] Must Read !!
The Easiest Way to Memorize the Noble Qur’an
The Easiest Way to Memorize the Noble Qur’an – salafyink.com
By: Shaikh ‘Abdul Muhsin Bin Muhammad Al Qaasim an Imaam and Khateeb in
the Masjid of Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi wa sallam).
By: Shaikh Muhammad Bin Saalih Al ‘Uthaimeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) “the way in which an individual will memorize the Qur’an is by being consistent (upon memorizing it).
People (generally) have two ways of going about memorizing (the Qur’an).
The Second: is to memorize page by page … Furthermore, it is incumbent whether, (one memorizes) by the first or second method, that they do not proceed (to the next verse or page) until they have excellently memorized (that verse or page that they are currently on)…”
Source : Recieved in mail from brother Rajeef Musthafa
By: Shaikh ‘Abdul Muhsin Bin Muhammad Al Qaasim an Imaam and Khateeb in
the Masjid of Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi wa sallam).
“Similarly,
utilize this method for every page of the Qur’an, however do not
exceed eight verses in a day (or one page) so that the portion
memorized will not increasewhich may result in a weakening of the
memorization of said portion…”
By: Shaikh Muhammad Bin Saalih Al ‘Uthaimeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) “the way in which an individual will memorize the Qur’an is by being consistent (upon memorizing it).
People (generally) have two ways of going about memorizing (the Qur’an).
The First: is to memorize verse by verse, or two or three verses at a time, depending on the length of the verses.
The Second: is to memorize page by page … Furthermore, it is incumbent whether, (one memorizes) by the first or second method, that they do not proceed (to the next verse or page) until they have excellently memorized (that verse or page that they are currently on)…”
Source : Recieved in mail from brother Rajeef Musthafa
Cure to Laziness and Idleness in seeking knowledge- Al Shinqeeti
Amazing, Heart Softening lecture from Shaykh Muhammad Mukhtaar al-Shinqeeti. The shaykh discusses about the cure to laziness and idleness and gives us the importance of knowledge and its people.
Imaam al-Bukhaari and Imaam Muslim narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that The Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,
"Allah, the Exalted, has teams of angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find some people remembering Allah they call to one another and say, `Come to what you are looking for;' and they surround them with their wings till the space between them and the lowest sky is fully covered. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them (although He is best informed about every thing): `What are my slave saying?' They say: `They are glorifying Your Tasbih, Tahmid, Takbir, Tamjid, (i.e., they were declaring Your Perfectness, praising, remembering the Greatness and Majesty of Allah).' He asks: `Have they seen Me?' They reply, `No, indeed, they have not seen You.' He asks: `How would they act if they were to see Me?' Thereupon they reply: `If they were to see You, they would engage more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You and would extol You more.' He would say: `What do they beg of Me?' They say, `They beg You for Your Jannah.' Allah says, `Have they seen My Jannah?' They say, `No, our Rubb.' He says: `How would they act if they were to see My Jannah?' They reply, `Were they to see it, they would more intensely eager for it.' They (the angels) say, `They seek Your Protection.' He asks, `Against what do they seek My Protection?' They (the angels) say, `Our Rubb, from the fire of Hell.' (He, the Rubb) says, `Have they seen the fire of Hell?' They say, `No. By Your Honour, they have not seen it.' He says: `How would they act if they were to see My Fire?' They say: `If they were to see it, they would more earnest in being away from it and fearing it. They beg of Your forgiveness.' He says: `I call you to witness that I hereby grant pardon to them and confer upon them what they ask for; and grant them protection against what they seek protection from.' One of the angels says: `Our Rubb, there is amongst them such and such slave who does not belong to the assembly of those who are participating in Your remembrance. He passed by them and sat down with them.' He says: `I also grant him pardon because they are the people by virtue of whom their associates will not be unfortunate'.''
“Do not accustom yourself to comfort and luxury”
With regards to the student of knowledge not chasing after the luxuries and comforts of this world, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah comments:
(The author’s advice), “do not accustom yourself to comfort and luxury”.
This is advice to be said to the
student of knowledge and (also) to other than the student of knowledge
– because accustoming oneself to that is contrary to the guidance of
the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. For indeed he used to
forbid from an abundance of luxuriousness and he would command with
walking barefoot sometimes.
And a person who has become accustomed
to a luxurious life will find it difficult when he encounters (certain)
matters – because sometimes there will come to him matters in a form
where he is not able to have the luxury (he is used to) along with him.
And let us strike an example, with the
example which we have mentioned in the hadeeth: he would command with
walking barefoot sometimes. Some people do not walk barefoot – always
there is a sock upon him, and upon it a leather sock, and upon it a
shoe. You will not find him walking, this man, if a temporary
impediment were to occur to him and he were to be told to walk 500
metres without any protection for the foot; you would find that
extremely difficult upon him. And sometimes his foot would bleed from
the contact with the ground.
However if he were to accustom himself to a roughness and to leaving off always having comfort, then he would attain much good.
So if the (person’s) body is not accustomed to the like of these matters (of forsaking luxury), then he will have no manaa’ah (strength and toughness). You will find him feeling pain from anything from that (affair which is difficult).
However if he has manaa’ah then he will not be bothered by it.
(Sharh hilyah taalib il ‘ilm p43 of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah)
Link:http://salaf-us-saalih.com/2011/10/24/do-not-accustom-yourself-to-comfort-and-luxury/
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Personal 147
Asalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabaraktu! It has truly been a long time since the last time I've blogged and I cant apologize enough to those of you who come to my blog frequently, in'sha'Allah forgive me. Seems like life has really taken it's tole on me, from midterms to trying to find a decent job to just keeping up with my islamic studies; it's really been all work but very worth it nonetheless alhamdulilah. I hope that we all are trying to benefit ourselves with the little free time we have in our day, whether it's reading an islamic book or just remembering Allah through thikr...anything is better then nothing. Busy lifestyles often make us forget what our goals are because we're so focused and set on whats in front of us presently, we shouldn't forget our life after this life = the hereafter. I find myself sometimes having no time for myself and getting frustrated with the situation but realizing something small yet consistent that I keep doing throughout my day really helps me still aware of Allah & remembering Him. When doing an exam, or writing a paper you can always say 'Bismillah' ; say a quick dua before your exam or presentation starts. Small things like that can really impact your day, trust me that's what gets me through them alhamdulilah. I really hope that every ones been doing well in'sha'Allah - leave a comment, say Asalamu Alaykum or just pass on any good that you've heard from hear! & In'sha'Allah i'll try to blog alot more often! - p.s make dua for me I have 1 more midterm left, jazakullah kair lovlies ! <3
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Display
And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance
[Al-Ahzaab] 33:33
Aaishah Bint Abu Bakr
Aaishah, daughter of Aboo Bakr. She was born in the house of truthfulness and piety and she was nurtured in the house of eemaan. Her mother was a companion and her sister, Asmaa, Lady of the Two Girdles and her brother were also companions. Her father is the truthful man of this Ummah. She grew up in the house of knowledge, for her father was the erudite scholar of Quraysh and the highest authority in genealogy. Allaah endowed her with outstanding intelligence and a sharp memory. Ibn Katheer said, “No nation has produced a woman as sharp, knowledgeable, fluent and intelligent as ‘Aaishah.” She excelled the women of her race in knowledge and wisdom. She was blessed with understanding of Islaamic jurisprudence and memorisation of poetry. She was in fact, a treasure of Islaamic sciences. Adh-Dhahabee said, “The most knowledgeable woman of this Ummah is ‘Aaishah. I do not know any woman from the Ummah of Muhammad or from any other nation more knowledgeable than her.”
She excelled all women with her virtues and beautiful companionship. Allaah’s Messenger said,
| “The superiority of ‘Aaishah over other women is like the superiority of thareed [1] over other kinds of food.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim) |
The Messenger of Allaah loved her; and he did not love anything but that which is pleasant.
‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas once asked Allaah’s Messenger,
| “Who is most beloved to you of all people?” The Prophet answered, “‘Aaishah.” And he said, “And among men?” And he answered, “Her father.” (Al-Bukhaaree) |
She
was the only virgin the Messenger of Allah married, and the revelation
did not come to him in other woman’s blanket but hers. She was chaste
and devoted to her Lord. She did not go out of her house except in the
night so that men could not see her. She said of herself, “We did not
use to go out but only in the night.” This is in line with Allaah’s
instruction,
Al-Qurtubee said, “There are resplendent evidences
in Islaam that require women to stay at home and not to go out except
when necessary. And when it becomes necessary for them to go out they
should do so with complete covering of themselves and their
adornments.”
Allaah puts whomever He wills
to test, and the test is in accordance with one’s eemaan. ‘Aaishah was
slandered while she was only twelve. She said, narrating her ordeal in
this incidence, “I wept and I could not sleep and I just kept weeping
until my parents thought that my liver would burst from weeping.” She
said that the trial was so severe that she would weep but could not
find any more tears to shed.
Ibn Katheer
said, “So Allaah decided to defend her honour, and He revealed ten
verses to absolve her. This elevated her status and these verses were
recited and they shall continue to be recited till the Day of
Resurrection. Allaah testified that she was one of the purest women and
promised her forgiveness and a generous provision.
Teaching Women How to Read & Write, A Bad Thing?
There exists a tremendously corrupt ideology that women should not be taught how to read or write, except for the recitation of the Holy Qur’aan — but even then, they should not be permitted the ability to comprehend it. These individuals foolishly attempt to define and develop their argument by using a fabricated hadeeth that states: “Do not accommodate them (i.e. the woman), do not teach them how to write, but teach them how to spin the spindle and Suurat an-Nuur.” They also draped their conclusions with an ignorant rationale that “educating women leads to corrupting their manners. The woman who can neither read nor write are free from taking the evil paths of the human devils.”
In response to this, Shaykh Muhammad Taqiyyu ad-Deen Al-Hilaalee beautifully says:
“…Learning how to read and write will neither corrupt the woman nor make her pious.
If she is pious already, then learning how to read and write will be an
extra weapon for her. But, if her nurturing is already corrupted, then learning how to read and write will only increase her in corruption. This is because having the knowledge of reading and writing is a tool that can be used for good and for evil at the same time.
As for learning Suurat An-Nuur,
it is one of the greatest things by which Allaah the Almighty
disciplines the believing women. It is a great treasure, and a huge
provision. It is upon the woman not to desert the whole Qur’aan and study just Suurat An-Nuur. The way of learning this Qur’aan
is by learning how to read, and reading will not be beneficial except
with the understanding of the meaning, and the meaning cannot be
understood, except by learning the grammar, the conjugation and the
language.
…We also agree with your saying that if
a woman in this era of ours learns how to read, she will be acquainted
with all kinds of evil by reading pornographic literature and immoral
magazines. But, this evil reaches the ignorant woman, as well, by her
going to the cinema, even if she is to sneak and go in the absence of
her guardian. It also reaches her by means of radio, by her visitors
and those she chats with. If the society is corrupted, the isolation of the isolator will not benefit him.
Were you to annul your methodology of teaching women, reform it and
exchange it with a complete methodology which guarantees for a woman an
authentic education that would have been better than your total
dismissal of their education.”
- Abridged from: Educating the Women & Nurturing them, by Shaykh Muhammad Taqiyyu ad-Deen Al-Hilaalee
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Ruling on Picture Parts
Praise be to Allaah.
It
is clear that image-making is one of the blameworthy actions of the
jaahiliyyah which Islam came to oppose. It is well established from
clear, saheeh mutawaatir ahaadeeth that it is not allowed, and that the
one who does this is cursed and is warned of torment in Hell, as in the
hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas which is attributed to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Every image maker will be in Hell,
and a soul will be given to every image which he made so that it might
torment him in Hell.” (Narrated by Muslim).
This
applies to all images of animate created beings, humans and others.
There is no difference between three-dimensional and other images,
whether they were taken with cameras or produced by painting, engraving
or other methods, because of the general meaning of the ahaadeeth.
Whoever
claims that photographs are not included in the general prohibition or
that the prohibition applies only to three-dimensional images and those
that cast a shadow is making a false claim, because the ahaadeeth
concerning that are general in meaning. There is no differentiation
between one kind of image and another. The scholars have clearly stated
that the prohibition applies to photographs and other kinds of
pictures, such as Imaam al-Nawawi, al-Haafiz ibn Hajar and others. The
hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah concerning the story of the curtain is clear, and
what it indicates is that an image which is on a curtain is not three
dimensional, rather it is a kind of drawing on cloth, but despite that
the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) counted it as
trying to match the creation of Allaah.
But
if the image is originally incomplete, such as a head-and-shoulders
picture, etc., and there is removed from the picture that without which
is could not live, then it may be understood from the comments of many
of the fuqahaa’ that this is permissible, especially if there is a need
for such partial pictures. Whatever the case, one has to fear Allaah as
much as one can, and avoid that which Allaah and His Messenger have
forbidden.
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3 – interpretation of the meaning]
Min Fataawa Samaahat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him)
via http://qalbalikhlas.blogspot.com/2011/09/ruling-on-pictures-of-parts.html
Students of Sunnah Present: in The Footsteps of our Mother
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Hadith : Cleanliness is half of faith
Narrated Abû Mâlik Al-Hârith bin Âsim Al-Ash’ari: Allah’s Messenger
said, “Cleanliness is half of Faith; the utterance of Allah (Al-hamdu
lillah – all praise belongs to Allah) fills the scales of good actions;
the utterance of Allah (Glory be to Allah and all praise belongs to
Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth, and Salât
(prayer) is light; and charity is the proof of Faith; and endurance is
a light, and the Qur’ân is a plea in your favour or against you. Every
person begins the morning ready to strike a deal with his soul as a
stake; he either ransoms it or puts it into perdition.” (Muslim)
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