Iblees comes and says: ‘How much did you call upon Him and did not see any response?’

After repenting from sins
Source: Sayd ul-Khaatir; Chapter 249, p. 343
Asaheeha Translations

“I worship (Allaah) by making du’aa, and I am certain that the answer will come”

Shaykh Ibn aj-Jawzee (rahimahullaah) says:

“If you fall into a hardship that is hard to be free from, you can’t (do anything) but make du’aa and take refuge in Allaah, after repenting from sins, because sins necessitate punishment, so if they disappear by repentance from them, the reason (for punishment) is lifted. So if you repented and made du’aa, and did not see any trace of response, then look into your affair. Maybe the repentence was not sound, so correct it then make du’aa and don’t become tired of making du’aa. Maybe the good is in delaying the response, and maybe the good is not in responding, so you will be rewarded and responded by being referred to what benefits you, and it would be beneficial for you to not be given what you requested, but rather to be given other than it as a replacement.

So if iblees comes and says: ‘How much did you call upon Him and did not see any response?’ Then say: ‘I worship (Allaah) by making du’aa, and I am certain that the answer will come. But maybe its delay is due to some good, and even if it doesn’t happen, worship and humility takes place.’ So take care not to ask for something except by combining it with asking for that which is good, because the occurance of many a wish from the dunyaa was a cause for destruction.”

http://muslimfortress.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/iblees-comes-and-says-how-much-did-you-call-upon-him-and-did-not-see-any-response/

Personal 162

Subhanallah when I read different articles or blogs I find myself thinking a lot afterwards and ofcourse it hits me hard emotionally when it's about Islam. The reading that I've been doing lately has somewhat been revolving around wasting time and how that can effect your whole life, authobillah it's very true and sad how shaytan can beautify things that will never happen, materialistic items that will perish , make you believe you have your whole life to catch up etc when in reality you've wasted a big chunk of your time doing things that didn't benefit you when it came towards the outcome. How evil shaytan is, beautifying that which will distract you & give you a false hope all in the plot to divert you from the straight path towards Allah & goodness ! After wasting time usually comes with heavy shoulders but through repentance and stopping that activity/sin can you then begin a beautiful path towards becoming righteous and pious. Learning the hard way while we still have time or are young can shape our future, making us wiser adults that make better decisions in life in'sha'Allah. It's once we all accept our mistakes can we then progress and just always remember Your Mistakes Do Not Define You<3 because you have Allaah nothing is too impossible to achieve. We all just have to remember depending on yourself is in sync with relying on Allaah first! Alhamdulilah for Islam.

The Superority of Shyness

Bismillaah, walhamdulillaah, was salaatu was salaam 'alaa Rasoolillaah
Assalamu 'alaykunna wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatu,
 
 
Shyness is of two types:
 
1. What consists of character and disposition and cannot be acquired.  Shyness is the behavior Allah granted the servant. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam said " Shyness brings about nothing but good." It prohibits a person from committing despicable actions and displaying degrading behavior.
 
2.What is attainable through knowing Allah and knowing His greatness as well as His closeness to His servants.His overseeing them, and His knowledge of what deceives the eyes while being hidden in the chests.
 
Shyness from Allah may be caused by witnessing and reflecting over His blessings and the shortcomings associated with being thankful for them.
 
The praiseworthy shyness is the behavior that encourages the performing of commendable actions and abandoning the wretched.
 
Concerning the statement : " If you do not feel shy then do as you wish ." One meaning is that it does not command to do whatever you wish, but it conveys a meaning of blame and prohibition. One way of interpreting it is that it conveys a threat/warning. The second way to interpret it is that it is a way of conveying information. The thing that prohibits a person from doing bad actions is shyness.
 
An-Nawawee said , The Scholars said that the reality of shyness is the character that encourages the abandonment of despicable actions and prevents against negligence concerning the rights of the people who possess rights over others.
 
Aboo Al Qaasim al Junayd said Shyness is recognizing Allahs favors, meaning His blessings and the recognizing of ones own negligence in light of them both.
 
When shyness is lost, every type of evil is committed.
 
There are five signs of wretchedness :
 
1. The harshness in the hearts
2. The unflinching eye
3. The lack of shyness
4. The seeking of worldy pleasures.
5. Longevity in life
 
An example of shyness is Asmaa bint Aboo Bakr  in the hadeeth where she carried the date stones and was offered to ride behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam but was too shy.
 
 
My Advice to the Women
Umm Abdillah al-Waadi'iyyah
pgs 253-259

Manipulative Riyaa

Al-Imaam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said when explaining the tribulations of this worldly life:

“…At this juncture; there is a decisive point which is that a person may dispraise himself in the midst of the people, while he intends by that to display that he is humble in his inner self, whereas by that he can become raised in their opinion, so they begin to praise him for it. This is from the hidden branches of riyaa’ (showing off) and the Salaf as-Saalih have warned against it.
Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin Shikheer, said:

“How sufficient it is for a person to be ascribed to al-It’raa (excessively praising oneself) by way of dispraising oneself in the public, as the reason you dispraise yourself is to actually beautify it and that (in reality) is considered to be an act

of foolishness in the sight of Allaah”

Ref: Majmoo’u Rasaa’il of Ibn Rajab ,page 77, print ‘Daarul Faaruq…’
http://dawahfromyemen.info

Recitation behind the Imaam in the Loud Prayers

The Abrogation of Recitation behind the Imaam in the Loud Prayers

He has given permission for those being led by the Imaam to recite Soorah al-Fatihah in the loud prayers when once:

"he was praying Fajr and the recitation became difficult for him. When he finished he said: Perhaps you recite behind your Imaam . We said: "Yes, quickly, O Messenger of Allaah." He said: Do not do so, except for [each of you reciting] the opening chapter of the Book, for the prayer is not valid of the one who does not recite it.(1)

Later , he forbade them from reciting in the loud prayers at all when:

"He finished a prayer in which he was reciting loudly (in one narration: it was dawn prayer) and said: Were any of you reciting with me just now?! A man said : "Yes, I was, O Messenger of Allaah." He said: I say, why am I contended with ? [ Abu Hurayrah said:] So the people stopped reciting with the Messenger of Allaah ( sallahu alayki wasallam) when he was reciting loudly after hearing that from him [but they recited to themselves quietly when the Imaam was not reciting loudly.]" (2)

He also made silence during the imams recitation part of the completeness of following the Imaam , saying: The Imaam is there to be followed, so when he says takbeer, say takbeer, and when he recites, be silent(3), just as he made listening to the imaam's recitation enough to not have to recite behind him, saying: He who has an Imaam, then the recitation of the Imaam is recitation for him(4).  -  this applying in the loud prayers.

Source: the prophets prayers described  by Shaykh Albani (rahimullah) page 23

____________________________
1 Bukhaari in his pamphlet, Abu Daawood& Ahmed. Tirmidhi & Daaraqutni declared it hasan.

2 Maalik, Humaidi, Bukhaari in his pamphlet, Abu Daawood& Mahaamali (6/139/1). Tirmidhi declared it hasan; Abu Haatim ar-Raazi, Ibn Hibbaan& Ibn Qayyim declared it saheeh.

3 Ibn Abi Shaibah (1/97/1), Abu Daawood, Muslim, Abu 'Awaanah & Ruwayaani in his musnad (24/119/1). It is given in Irwaa' (332,394)

4 Ibn Abi Shaibah (1/97/1), Daaraqutni, Ibn Maajah, Tahaawi & Ahmed from numerous routes musnad and mursal. Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah declared it strong, as in al-furoo' of Ibn 'Abdul Haadi (48/2). Boosayri declared some of its isnaads saheeh. I have discussed it in detail and investigated its routes of narration in the manuscript version and then in Irwaa' al-Ghaleel (no. 500)

Alhamdulilah Alaa Kulli Haal, Life is a beauty that's interesting. . .

Personal 161

Alhamdulilah alaa kulli haal! I am now very excited for the summer because alhamdulilah I'll be leaving for 2 months and I can't wait! I'll be heading to Egypt to enjoy my well needed vacation in'sha'Allah, please keep me in your duas xo. I'm glad I can change my environment, seeing and meeting new people ; all of it I can't wait. This is also a perfect time for me to be alone and get a lot of thinking done bithnillah and renew my intentions on some matters in my life. May Allah make it easy for me, Ameen ! Sometimes change is good and it's for the better alhamdulilah and Allah will always substitute something better for his slave so there is nothing to worry about in'sha'Allah but for some reason I really don't want to come back I want to stay there for a long time and the only thing I would be missing is my family& friends but you never know what the power dua can do for you when your serious #smiles well who knows wallahu alam for now tho I'm happy and content ! In'sha'Allah you all are enjoying the summer weather where ever you are! & always remember that we plan but Allah plans better for us #winningalways

Love is a Mirror

Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah rahimahullah in Rawdat al-Muhibbeen, 66-74:

Compatibility between souls is one of the strongest causes of love. Every person is attracted towards that which is compatible with him, and this compatibility is of two types: original compatibility which is ingrained in the essence and that which comes later because of because of living together or having something in common.

If your aims match his aims, there will be harmony between your soul and his, but if the aims are different, then harmony will no longer exist.

As for original compatibility, it is a kind of similarity in attitude and similarity of souls. Each soul longs for other souls that are similar to it, because what is similar to something is naturally attracted to it, so the two souls may be similar in original creation, thus there will be a natural attraction to one another.

This is what made some people say that love is not only caused by physical beauty, and the lack of physical beauty does not mean that there can be no love; rather it is similarity between souls and similarity in their characteristics which are created in them that matter.

The reality of love is that it is like a mirror in which the lover sees his characteristics and kindness in the image of the one he loves, so in reality he loves nothing but himself and his characteristics and the one who has similar characteristics.

Hence noble, pure and sublime souls love the characteristics of perfection in particular, so the dearest things to them are knowledge, bravery, dignity, generosity, kindness, patience and steadfastness, because these characteristics are compatible with the essence of these souls, unlike base and mean souls, which are far away from loving these characteristics. Many people are motivated to be generous and kind because of their extreme love for these characteristics and the pleasure they find in doing these things, to such an extent that al-Ma'moon said: Forgiveness was made so dear to me that I am afraid that I will not be rewarded for it. And it was said to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him): Did you acquire this knowledge for the sake of Allaah? He said: To do something for the sake of Allaah is very rare, but it was something made dear to me, so I did it. Someone else said: I rejoice in giving and enjoy it far more than the one who takes from me rejoices in what he takes.

With regard to the lovers of knowledge, their love for knowledge is greater than the love of anyone else or anything else. Many of them will not be distracted from it by the most beautiful of human images.

Our Shaykh - meaning Ibn Taymiyyah - told me: I felt sick and the doctor said to me: Your reading and discussing issues of knowledge is making your sickness worse. I said to him: I cannot stay away from that, and I shall discuss the issue on the basis of your (medical) knowledge. Is it not the case that when the soul feels joy, this gives strength to the body and wards off disease? He said yes. I said: Then my soul feels happy with knowledge and thus my body becomes stronger and this helps me to recover. He said: This is not part of our treatment, or words to that effect.

If the love relationship is based on similarity and harmony, then it will be reinforced and become stronger, and nothing could remove it except something stronger than the cause of it, and if it is not based on similarity and harmony, then it is no more than love for a reason, which will disappear when the reason disappears.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated in his Musnad the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): A woman used to go to Quraysh and make them laugh. She came to Madeenah and stayed with a woman who also made people laugh. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: With whom is So and so staying? She said: With So and so, who makes people laugh. He said: "Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with." The original version of this hadeeth is in al-Saheeh.

If you look at creation, you will hardly find any two people who love one another except that there is some similarity between them or they have something in common with regard to deeds, characteristics or goals. If the goals, characteristics, deeds or ways differ, there can only be aversion and distance between their hearts. It is sufficient to note the saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him): ""The believers, in their mutual mercy, love and compassion, are like a (single) body; if one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body will join it in staying awake and suffering fever."
_____________________________

El-Masreya !

Egypt is simply breath-taking ! Ma'sha'Allah

Allah's Blessings

Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “From Allaah’s Blessings on a servant is that he be granted contentment, whether that be regarding his residence, his clothes, his means of transport, or his children.

For when a person is content with what Allaah has given him, he will remain rich.”

Bulughul-Maraam, vol. 6, p. 272.

taken from :http://giftsofknowledge.wordpress.com/

Rumors That Abu Bakr As-Sadeeq Did Not Finish The Quran - CLEARED

Response to the Statements that Abu Bakr As-Sadeeq, May Allah be Pleased with Him, did not Finish Memorizing the Quraan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most gracious

Often times, statements circulate around the Muslim world, some in which are true, others in which are not. From these statements is that Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Uthmaan As-Sadeeq, from the first of the elder men to accept Islaam, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “If I were to take a close friend, for I would take Abu Bakr, as Allah has taken Ibraheem as a close friend” (Reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhari), did not entirely memorize the Quraan. The following below statements should clarify this, insha Allah:

Shaykh Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, had mentioned that there is a consensus of the Ummah that Abu Bakr As-Sadeeq, may Allah be pleased with him, is the most knowledgeable of this Ummah and this is the belief of Ahul Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah. (Al-Fataawaa, volume 13, page 127, also refer back to the book “The biography of Abu Bakr As Sadeeq” from the author Salaabee page 123)

Also the author of the book “The history of the Quraan” mentioned Abu Bakr As Sadeeq is from those who have memorized the Quraan. This has also been reported by the Imaam As-Suutee and others.

This matter is not a matter of difference of opinion from the scholars of the past, rather Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was not chosen by The Prophet, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, to lead the prayer except that he out learned the rest of the Sahaabas in the memorization of the Quraan.

Also, Shaykh Ibn Utheimen mentioned that Abu Bakr memorized more hadith than Abu Huraira, but he became preoccupied with the khilaafah from spreading his narrations, for indeed he was from those whom use to stay up in the night with The Prophet, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him. (Hilyahtu Talibil ilm, page 46 -47)

I have asked some of the mashaayikh of Yemen regarding the statement that Abu Bakr didn’t memorize the Quran, they each replied, indeed he has memorized the Quraan, may Allah be pleased with him.

Similarly, rumors have also spread that Shaykh Al-Albaani didn’t memorize the Quraan. He himself said in a tape that I have heard that he finished the Quraan under his own father.

Complied by Abu Fajr Abdulfattah Alkanadi

Source: aloloom.net/vb

Purified through Afflictions

Ibn al-Qayyim:

The soul will never become pious and purified except through undergoing afflictions. It is the same as gold that can never be pure except after removing all the base metals in it.

al-Fawaa`id, p365

The Causes of Failure

Ibn al-Qayyim says:

The cause behind failure is unsuitability of place, inconvenience, and lacking the ability to accept the blessing; if he was granted the blessing, he would say: this is mine and I got it because I deserve it as Allaah says:

«He said: “This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.» [28:78]

That is to say, because of the knowledge that Allaah gave me and according to which I deserve this blessing and so it is my right. Al-Farraa` said: I got it, and I deserve it according to the favors I possess.

`Abdullaah bin al-Haarith bin Nawfal mentioned the blessings and ownership that Sulaymaan bin Daawood possessed, then he recited that Allaah says:

«This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!» [27:40]

He did not say: this is because of my honor. Then he mentioned Qaaroon and recited,

«He said: “This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.» [28:78]

He meant that Sulaymaan realized that whatever he gained is from his Lord and his Favor, and that he is afflicted with it and Qaaroon thought that he deserved the blessings he received. Allaah also says:

«And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from us, after some adversity (severe poverty or disease, etc.) has touched him, he is sure to say: “This is for me (due to my merit)» [41:50]

That is to say, I deserve it and it is mine: I own it.

The believer realizes that all blessings belong to Allaah and His favor and that Allaah grants him blessings without him deserving it. It is continual charity from Him to His servants, and He has the right to deprive anyone from this as He wills. If Allaah prevents people from receiving blessings, He never prevents them from what they deserve. If the servant fails to realize that, he might think that he deserves it and would become conceited thinking that he deserves this blessing and that he is better than others. As Allaah says:

«And if We give man a taste of Mercy from Us, and then withdraw it from him, verily! He is despairing, ungrateful. But if We let him taste good (favour) after evil (poverty and harm) has touched him, he is sure to say: “Ills have departed from me.” Surely, he is exultant, and boastful (ungrateful to Allaah).» [11:9-10]

Allaah dispraises such a man because of his despair and being ungrateful during times of afflictions and because he is happy and proud when the affliction is removed. He failed to praise Allaah, thank, and glorify Him when He removed the afflictions but Allaah says that he said: «Ills have departed from me.» If he had just said: Allaah removes ills away from me by His mercy, Allaah would never dispraise him, but the servant forgets Who bestowed this blessing on him by ascribing it to himself and through feeling proud.

If Allaah, the Exalted, sees such a heart in His servant, this is one of the greatest causes of failure and letting him down. His place is not suitable to receive such perfect and complete blessings, as Allaah says:

«Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allaah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers). Had Allaah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen, and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse (to the truth).» [8:22-23]

Allaah said that their place is not suitable to receive His blessings. Besides this there is another obstacle that prevents blessings from reaching them, which is their denial and neglect of what they know and perceive.

The causes of failure are based on the state of the soul and its adherence to its nature; the origin of creation. The causes of success are according to Allaah, Who enables the servant to accept His blessings. The causes of success are from Him and from His favor, and He created both this and that as He created all parts of the earth; one part accepts plant life and the other does not. He created trees; one grows fruit and the other does not. He created the bee and enabled it to produce honey with different colors as well as the hornet, which cannot do that. He created good souls that are able to remember, praise, thank, glorify, and advise His servants, and also created evil souls who are not able to do that. He is the All-Wise and the All-Knowing.

al-Fawaa`id

Allaah’s Blessings

“We do not know which to be most grateful for

the best of our actions, which He enabled us to do,

or the ugliest of our wrong actions

which He has veiled for us.”

Substitute

"And verily for everything that a slave (of Allah) loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him."

 -Ibn Qayyim (rahimullah

What can be weaker ?

“And man was created weak.”

(4):28

In regard to this verse, someone asked Imaam Sufyaan Ath-Thauree (rahimahullaah), ‘How is man weak?’ He said, “A woman walks by a man, and he cannot prevent himself from looking at her, although she does not benefit him at all. What can be weaker than that?“

The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree (rahimahullaah)

True Love

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) says:

And the cure for this deadly illness (i.e. love before marriage) is for the person that is afflicted to realize that this love is only due to his/her own delusions and ignorance. So upon such a person is to first and foremost strengthen their Tawheed and reliance upon Allaah, and secondly to increase in worship and busy themselves with it, so much so that they do not have any spare time letting their minds wander and think about their beloved.

And they should call upon Allaah to protect them and save them from this evil, just as Prophet Yoosuf (`alayhi ssalaam) called upon Allaah and he was saved. And they should do as he did, be as he was, in terms of ikhlaas (sincerity) and remembering Allaah in abundance. This is because if the heart is filled with ikhlaas for the sake of Allaah, there will be no space left for any unlawful love to be present, rather this only happens to a heart that is empty and has no ikhlaas whatsoever.

And let such people remind themselves that whatever Allaah has decreed for them is only for their own best interests, and when Allaah commands something it is never to cause harm or misery to His slaves.

And let them also remind themselves that their unlawful love does not benefit them, neither in this world or the Hereafter! As for this world then they will be so preoccupied with their love that it will cripple them and will cause them to live in a fantasy world. And as for the hereafter, then it will cause them to be preoccupied with the love of the creation instead of love for the Creator. These people need to be reminded that the one who is emerged in something will never see its ill effects, neither will the person who has never experienced such things. The only people who will be able to relate to them are those who have experienced the same thing, but have been saved.

Such people can look back and realize how evil it is.

~

ad-Daa`wa ad-Dawaa, p300

source: http://daragharbi.org/category/transcriptions/marriage-family/

O Stranger Stand Firm!

Asalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabaraktu, please take some time to listen to this beneficial reminder by Abu 'Abdis Salaam Siddiq Al Juyaanee, hafidullah !

The Hotel

Bismillaah, walhamdulillaah, was-salaatu was-salaam `alaa rasoolillaah,

 Not long ago, three friends came to the New York city. They decided to stay in a hotel during the visit. It so happened that their room ended up being on the 60th floor. The policy of the hotel was that every night after 12:00AM the elevators are shut down for security reasons. So on the next day, the three friends rented a car and went out to explore the city. They enjoyed movies, concerts and other things throughout the whole day. At one point they remembered that they have to get back to the hotel before 12.00AM.

When they arrived, it was beyound 12.00AM at night. The elevators were shut down. There was no other way to get back to their room but to take the stairs all the way to the 60th floor. All of a sudden, one friend got an idea. He said, "For the first 20 floors, I will tell jokes to keep us going. Then another one of us could say wisdow stories for the next 20 floors. Then we will cover the other 20 floors with sad stories."

So one of the friends started with the jokes. With laughs and joy, they reached the 20th floor. Now another friend started saying stories of wisdom. So they learned alot whilst reaching the 40th floor. Now it was time for the sad stories. So the thrid friend started thus, "My first sad story is that I have left the key for the room in the car."

Now, what is the point of this story? This story resembles our life cycle. For the first 20 years of our life, we spend time in joking and enjoying whatever is out there. Then after we reach 20, we go into the work force, get married, have kids and this is the time when we use our wisdom. Then IF we reach 40 we finally see the white hairs and begin to think that my life is coming to an end.

It is better that we start our life in the very beginning by remembering death rather than preparing for it at the end of our lives, when very few of us have the energy to obey ALLAH completely.

May ALLAH make us carry this KEY (ISLAM) with us at all times, so it will enable us to open the doors to Jannah. Aameen

Personal 160

Subhanallah it's truly been a very long time since I've last blogged ad walahi it feels amazing to do it again alhamdulilah. I really don't know where the time went between school and now working full time I haven't been able to find time but inshaAllah I'm definitely going to continue being more frequent in my posting, and I am sorry I don't have a laptop lol (it broke sigh ...)! May Allah bless all of you who come to benefit from my blog and increase you in benefitical knowledge ! Ameen