Truth Always Prevails

The People of the Cave

Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) The full story in the Quran:

{Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder? [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance." So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.

Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time. It is We who relate to you, [O Muhammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. And We bound [i.e., made firm] their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression. These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?"

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility." And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray – never will you find for him a protecting guide.

And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror. And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?"

They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this money of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you. Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And never would you succeed, then – ever."

And We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid (mosque)."

They [i.e., people] will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog – guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow," Except [when adding], "If Allah wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."

Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)

comments (0)

"If you had all relied on Allah (SWT) as you should rely on Him, then He would have provided for you as He provides for the birds, who wake up hungry in the morning and return with full stomachs at dusk."
[At-Tirmidhi]

Do you truly have full trust in Allah (SWT)? There are some of us who strive our utmost to prepare for things wherein no certainty exists, whilst others fail to prepare for certain things wherein lies no doubt.

And let us not forget those that believe their destiny is completely in their own hands, whilst their counterparts hold, in what can only be described as 'bravery', that they have full trust in Allah (SWT), thus granting themselves the ticket to do nothing at all.

Tawakkul is a light for our hearts and a means for us to seek nearness towards Allah (SWT) in a manner that absolutely nothing else can achieve. The essence of this quality of the heart is built upon two very important pillars: dependence upon Allah and trust in Allah.

We may often trust a person, without necessarily depending upon them, and likewise we may depend upon a person without fully trusting them. However when it comes to Our Lord (SWT), both exist simultaneously in perfection. So why are we so ready to trust others, but so quick to question Allah (SWT)?

I'm sure we can all recall at least one incident in our lives when we experienced the rahma of Allah (SWT) in disguise. What did we do? What did we say? When one of the innumerable blessings we failed to count and thank our Lord for was unexpectedly taken from us, what thoughts rushed to our minds? What regrettable words came from our mouths? Why has this happened? What did I do wrong? Why has my blessing been taken away from me? Such spur of the moment questions, tainted by our false comprehension that the blessings bestowed upon us belonged to us, in an instant, shakes our building of tawakkul, sometimes causing it to collapse, consequently opening up a door for our enemy -Shaytaan and closing a door for us to Our Beloved (SWT).

Sisters, why do we become so devastated at the onset of calamity? Why do we lose all hope? Why do we not simply trust in Allah (SWT)? For every goodness and blessing we own has only been by His Rahma (Mercy).

The amaanah (trusts) within our possessions are only ours for a temporary period of time; they belong to Allah and one day we'll have to return them to Him (SWT).

When something is taken away from us or we are faced with a calamity, always remember that Allah is testing our Eemaan (faith) and He (SWT) knows that we are strong enough to deal with it, otherwise it would never have come to us in the first place, for Allah (SWT) never burdens a soul with more than it can bear.

Have full Tawakkul (trust) in Allah (SWT) and never belittle that trust. For the trust we have in Allah is a path to success and a means to achieving victory. Never lose hope and always remember that the situation of a true believer is always one of goodness: For when they are granted a blessing from Allah (SWT) they praise Him and due to that they are rewarded and their blessings increase and when a calamity strikes they patiently persevere, and as a result of which they are rewarded and granted something better than what they lost.

...Put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those that trust [in Him]. [Surah al-Imran 3: 159]

Know that Allah (SWT) is pleased with those servants who persevere and He (SWT) loves those that trust in Him. Build a strong foundation of trust and allow for it to accompany you in all that you do. For it is a quality that will remain sufficient for you in the matters of this world, your deen (religion) and in the Aakhira (hereafter) insha'Allah.

A beautiful example that never fails to touch my heart is that of our mother: Umm Salamah (RA), when her husband Abu Salamah (RA) passed away and she remained steadfast, uttering the best statement at the time of any calamity: 'Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'oon -Surely to Allah we belong and surely to Him we will return'. And she received exactly as Allah (SWT) promises: blessings and mercy:

'And give good news to those who persevere, those who say, when a misfortune strikes them, Surely to Allah we belong, and surely to Him we will return, these are the ones on whom blessings from their Lord descend, and mercy, and these are the ones who are rightly guided'.
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 155-157]

For who could be better as a husband than Rasoolullah (SAW) -A gift to our mother, Umm Salamah (RA) for her tawakkul in Allah (SWT).

It may seem difficult to imagine, and I don't make out that it's always the easiest of things to do. However, with complete conviction, as I too have witnessed such a great blessing from Allah (SWT) after a calamity had befallen me, that if you truly trust in your Lord, with every atom's weight of your heart, Allah will provide for you in ways you could never have imagined.

Let us take a moment to ponder over one ayah in the Qur'an, yes, just one ayah. If I asked you to guess which ayah it is, what would you say? Would it even cross your mind that you read this ayah without fail in every single rakat (standing) of your salah?

'You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help'
[Surah al-Faatihah: 5] "The Opening"

This ayah clearly establishes the tawakkul of the believer. Some of the Salaf (early believers) have said, "Al-Faatihah is the secret of the Qur'an, while these words are the secret of Al-Faatihah." So how can we stand before Allah day in and day out, uttering such perfect words of tawakkul, and yet not sincerely mean them? For belief, undoubtedly, must be followed by action.

Our Lord (SWT) With His Hikmah, Love and Rahmah knows exactly what is good for us, so let us not be amongst the sinful servants of Allah (SWT) who suspect Him of wrongdoing. So the next time you stand before Allah (SWT) and consult Him in your affairs, don't think He'll give you what is good for you; know with certainty that He (SWT) will:

'Say: "Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Protector. In Allah let the believers put their trust." [Surah At-Tawbah: 51]

By: Umm Thameenah-Sisters Magazine

Take Advantage of Five Before Five

comments (1)

by Yasir Birjas

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has been blessed with jawaami' ul kalim, the most concise, or precise, speech. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I have been blessed with concise speech." Therefore, when we look at the precious pearls that came out of the Prophet’s mouth, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, we find that many of his ahadith are in fact treasure chests of wisdom. The words might be small, but the meanings behind them are great. The speech might be succinct, but the benefits and the blessings that can be derived from them are innumerable.

And of the ahadith that are jawaami', or comprehensive in nature, is the hadith of ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu reported in the mustadrak of Al-Haakim, musnad Imam Ahmad, and others, with an authentic chain of narration. In this hadith the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to a man while he was advising him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

The first word, ightanam comes from same root that signifies sheep - ghanam. Sheep, in Arabic, means ghanam, and ightanam is from the same root that also signifies sheep. What exactly is the meaning of ightanam? Ightanam is used to indicate any good that can be obtained without much effort. Just like sheep, they can easily be caught if they go astray. This is why the war booty that is found on the battlefield after the army has fled is called ghaneemah. It is easy to take, just like the sheep. You can grasp it without much effort. Ghaneemah, ightanam, and ghanam are all from the same root.

So it is as if the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is pointing out that these five matters are very easy to obtain. They are easy to prey on and catch, and very simple to benefit from. That is because they are treasures that everyone possesses but few people appreciate.

What are these five things?

#1: Take Advantage of Your Youth Before Your Old Age

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam started off and said shabbab or shab, a youth or young person. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Take advantage of your youth before your haram.” And the word haram means old age, maybe even senility. It is an age in which the person does not have the power or mental faculties that he had while he was a youth.

Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic, when he lays out the foundations for his future, and when he plans his life. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life.

Youth here does not mean the western concept of youth that youthfulness finishes when someone is eighteen or nineteen years old. In the Islamic Shari’ah, a man's life has been divided into a number of sectors or stages. Shabbab or shab, according to the strongest opinion, means before reaching the age of forty. This is because forty is the prime of life, when mental and physical capabilities have reached a peak, and after that they start to go down.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"Seven are the people that will be sheltered on the Day of Judgment, the day in which there is no shade except the shade of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.”

One of the seven people, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned was a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Remember, the youth is up to forty. So this young person, whether he is twenty or thirty or right before reaching the age of forty, he has grown up and has been raised or has raised himself busy in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Likewise, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said in an authentic hadith that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is pleased with and amazed at the youth who does not have any evil inclinations. This means he does not do evil. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala loves such a youth who is straight in the worship of Allah and does not turn left or right to the paths of Shaytaan. Allah loves this person and is amazed at him because in general it is the youth, due to their virility and strong desires, who swerve left and right away from the path of the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. So this is the first of the five: “your youth before your old age.”

#2: Take Advantage of Your Health, Before You Fall Sick

The second of the five matters is, "your health, before you fall sick." The fact that one lives a normal life and is not afflicted with diseases and plagues, represents a person’s health. Take advantage of this before diseases and plagues come because mankind, being mankind, will fall sick. Everyone falls sick. If we did not fall sick, we would not be humans, we would be divine.

There will come a time when we will fall sick. Some of those times the sicknesses will be more severe, and for certain people even more severe. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is reminding us that we do not know when we will have full possession of our faculties, of our strength, of our mental powers, before we will fall sick. Therefore, take advantage of it before that time comes.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"There are two blessings the majority of mankind have been deceived concerning." The majority of mankind do not appreciate these two blessings. They are "health," good health, "and free time."

Once a person came to Yunus ibn 'Ubayy, one of the scholars of the Salaf, and he complained of extreme poverty as he had not been blessed with much. Yunus ibn Ubayy asked him, "Would you be willing to give away your sight for a certain amount of money?" The man said, "No, of course not." Then he asked him, "Would you be willing to give your hands away?" He said, "No, of course not." He asked, "Your feet?" He said, "Of course not." When he finished he said "I see that you have hundreds of thousands of millions of blessings, yet you are complaining of poverty?"

We have our full faculties, we can see and hear. Look at someone who Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has tested with blindness. It is a very severe test, and that is why the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has said in an authentic hadith:

"There are two things if Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala takes them away from a person and he is patient, he is guaranteed Jannah. These two things are the two eyes."

In other words, if a person is blind, and we seek Allah's refuge from the physical and the spiritual blindness in this world and in the hereafter, then Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is testing him. And if he is patient, then Allah will reward him with Jannah.

How about one who has been blessed not just with eyesight, but with hearing, health, arms, limbs, energy, vitality, enthusiasm, and many other things. Should we not appreciate the blessing from Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala? Do we not realize how sweet health is? It can be used for the worship of Allah. When we are blessed with these bodies, why do we not use them in the worship of Allah?

The least we can do, brothers and sisters, is the faraa'id (obligatory actions) such as salah five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, and going for the Hajj. All of these require that we use our physical bodies. That is the least that we can do, the bare minimum. Of course, the more that one does, the better it is for him.

This is the second of the five matters: “your health before you fall sick.”

#3: Take Advantage of Your Richness Before Poverty

The third is, "your richness, before poverty." One day we might not have anything, and the next we might have much more than we need. One day, a person might have the best of jobs and the largest of salaries, yet, the next day, something happens and he does not have that job anymore and loses his source of income. So the wise person uses his richness before he becomes poor. He invests for his future.

As for the investments of this dunya, then the kafir and the Muslim are both the same; they both do that. Even the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would store staple food items even up to a year. Sometimes he would store barley and grain for a whole year for his family. So this is obviously something halaal as the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam himself did it, and we should do it too. We should make sure we have enough money for our family and our children and ourselves, so we are not poor and we are not beggars. There is no doubt that this is a part of our Shari’ah as well.

But while we are doing this, let us not forget that we also need to invest for the Akhirah. Should we not think about investing this money so we can pick it and pluck it in the Hereafter when we need it far more than we need it in this world? We need to invest for the real future, our real life after our death.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam once asked his companions, "Who amongst you loves his inheritors' money more than his own money?"

The meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is asking for example, does the father love the money of his son or does he love his own money? Of course, the father loves his own money. Likewise, every person will love his own money more than he loves the money of other people.

The Sahabah said, "Yaa RasulAllah, all of us love our own money more than we love the money of our inheritors. We all love our own money. We guard it and protect it more than the money of our inheritors.”

Then the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, the money that you spend in charity is your money, and the money that you leave behind is the money of your inheritors."

Ponder over that hadith for a while, how true it is. As for the father who loves his own money more than the money of his son, does he not realize that one day his son will take that very money of his and he will have nothing to do with it? All that is left of his money is what he spent during his life for the sake of Allah, if there was any such money. Any of it spent in charity for the sake of Allah, is money that will be yours permanently. The Arabic word for charity includes zakah, sadaqah, waqf, and any type of monetary good that you did. Everything besides this will go into the hands of your inheritors.

Remember that feeding your family is an ibaadah if you are doing it for the sake of Allah. If you are doing it for the sake of Allah, you will be rewarded. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said that, "A morsel of food," one morsel of food, one handful of food, "if you put it in your wife's mouth, this will be a reward for you on the Day of Judgment." Now everybody, Muslim or non-Muslim, feeds his family. But will everybody be rewarded for that? No. Because only the one who does it remembering Allah, thinking about Allah, and doing it for the sake of Allah will be rewarded.

Ask yourself if the last time you went shopping, Allah was in your mind? Did you think of doing this for Allah? When you picked up the milk and the bread, was your heart thinking, "Oh Allah, I am buying this food through halaal money, and this is halaal food, because I want to feed my family and this is an obligation that You have put upon me, therefore, I am doing it for your sake." Who amongst us has this in his mind?

When we say, "That is spent for the sake of Allah," we are not just talking about money, zakah, sadaqah, and charity. Of course, giving in charity is the best thing you can do with your money. But do not forget that the majority of income that we spend, and in fact for the mu'min, all of the income that he spends, can be for the sake of Allah as well. This means thinking of Allah, spending for the sake of Allah, and having the intention of pleasing Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

This is the third of the five things: “your richness, before poverty.”

#4: Take Advantage of Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

This is yet another great treasure that every single one of us possesses. Every single one of us must use our free time before we become busy. How much free time do we have and what do we waste it on? Think about it. Think about how much free time all of us have been blessed with. We have hours and hours every day and they go by. What do we waste it on? Primarily, in this country at least, television. It is also wasted on gossip and socialization of which there is no benefit whatsoever, in this world nor the hereafter.

Remember the hadith of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that we just quoted about the two blessings (health and free time) most people have been deceived by. In other words, they don't realize their blessings of health and free time. You may have to work eight hours a day, no problem. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has allowed this for you. He has obligated it upon you. When you come home, you have four or five hours, so spend them wisely for the sake of Allah.

Spending time wisely does not necessarily mean purely religious deeds. But spending your time wisely and even be something in this world. Learn a trade. Learn something that can benefit you in this world and that can benefit other people as well. Islam is a complete way of life, a complete code. Do not forget that all of the acts a mu'min does can be transformed into acts of worship if, and only if, he does them for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Of course that there are religious deeds which are the best deeds to do. Every one of us should recite the Qur'an everyday, even if it's only for five or ten minutes. You should have some relationship with the Qur'an. Every one of us should pray some extra prayers as well, a few sunnahs or the nafls, if not the continual sunnahs that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray. This is the most important thing for us to do. But at the same time, do not forget that there can be many acts that can be rewarded if you change your niyyah and do them for the sake of Allah.

Do not waste your time. The greatest waster of time is the television. You turn it on, and an hour or two go by, and not only have you not gained anything for the Akhirah, you have not gained anything for this world. You have literally killed, murdered your time, and done absolutely nothing with it. And realize that you are lucky if you don't come away from those two hours without any sin. How many are the sins that are in television, with music, and the women, and other things. In my opinion, it is better for a mu'min not to even have this instrument in his house because of the evil that comes from it. Like Allah says about alcohol, the evil that comes from it is more than the good that is obtained from it.

When you have some free time, take advantage of it. The greatest thing that we can do in this free time is to worship Allah. And one of the greatest acts of worship is to seek knowledge. Take a book out to read, listen to some cassettes, or listen to some CD's. Do whatever you can do to increase your 'ilm. Attend some classes or even visit one another for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Visit your Muslim brother with the proper Islamic etiquette and adab. This is an act you can do that will pass your time away, and be worthwhile.

This is the fourth of the five matters: "take advantage of your free time before you become busy."

#5: Take Advantage of Your Life Before Your Death

This one phrase summarizes it all: "take advantage of your life before your death." Every one of us has a life. That is why we are here right now. Every one of us without a doubt will die. Allah says:

You are going to die and they too are going to die.

And it is as Allah said, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and so did the people that opposed him and believed in him. They all have passed away. And the turn came for those after them, and then those after them, until it is our turn.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam therefore reminded us, "Take advantage of your life before your death." This is the greatest of foresight. Hence the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam concluded the hadith with this phrase.

How are we going to use this life before death comes? As for the kafir, he will totally waste it because he will make this life his goal. He will live only to appease and satisfy every desire of his. Then on the Day of Judgment, he will beg Allah to send him back to this life. Allah describes this in the Quran:

When death comes to them, he will say, “O my Lord!”

All of a sudden, when his Lord comes to him he remembers Allah. Whereas throughout all of the years that he lived, Allah was nowhere near him; Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala was the furthest thing from his death. On the Day of Judgment when he is resurrected, he will say:

Oh my Lord! Allow me to go back so that I may do good in the time that I had left.

Allah obviously will say, "Kalla” – no. You have only been allowed one life and you will not be able to go back and change that life. For every good you do you will be rewarded, and for every evil you do you will be punished.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala also describes them in the Qur’an as saying on the Day of Judgment:

O our Lord, we have seen and we have heard. Let us go back to do good deeds; we are now believers.

They claim to believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment but Allah will not allow this to happen because everyone has only one life. That is what Allah has given and this is what we must make the best of in this world so that we are compensated accordingly in the Hereafter.

These are the five things that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told the man to do. He advised him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five others: your youth, before your old age; and your health before you fall sick; and your wealth before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death."

This hadith deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight, long-term planning, and good strategy. Every one of us has been blessed with these five blessings. There is no one amongst us who has not been blessed with these five things. So how do we utilize them? What do we utilize them for? Why do we utilize them?

The wise person is the one who strives to achieve the pleasure of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala and then expects the best from Allah. The wise one is one who tries to arrive at the goal and then has tawakkul in Allah. Tawakkul does not mean to sit back and say, "Oh, this will happen to me." Rather, you must strive for it. The fool is the one who follows his desires and then presumes that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala will reward him.

We ask that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala makes us amongst those who can ightallim, those who can seize these five things, who can take advantage of them before the five will come. These five matters will inevitably be taken away from us, and substituted by the others that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned.

Wa aakhiru da'waana 'anil hamdulillahi Rab al 'Alameen, wa subhanak Allahumma wa bihamdika wa ash hadu'an laa ilaaha illa ant nastaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.

Pasted from <http://www.khutbah.com/en/sunnah_seerah/five.php>

Why Should I Study?

comments (0)

By: Muhammad Al-Shareef

Many years ago in Uzbekistan, a baby boy was born blind. His Mother, the strong

Mu'minah that she was, did not lose sight of He who had the Power to cure him. She prayed

and prayed for her sons sight. And within a few years the boy regained his eyes.

She was widowed, the boy an orphan. She traveled with him to Makkah so that he could

receive an Islamic Education. She arranged that he attend the circles of the scholars, and in

those circles, he began excelling in the science of Hadeeth. He traveled to distant villages in

search of the most authentic sayings of Rasul Allah (pbuh). He would pray two raka'at

before accepting a Hadeeth. His mother named him: Muhammad ibn Isma'il. And many of

us know him today by the book he compiled, the book that stands after the Qur'an in

authenticity: Saheeh Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!

In another land, in another time, chilly Baghdad winds would wake up another boy. Much

before Fajr, his mother would bundle him in warm shawls and escort him through the

darkness, making sure he reached the Masjid safely. After Fajr, she would wait for him as he

read Hadeeth to the biggest scholars of the land. Then, long after the sun had come up, she

would meet him outside and together they would walk home. She was a strong mother

indeed, for her son grew up to become an Imam of the Muslim Ummah, an Imam by the

name of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. (Manaaqib Ahmad, by Ibn Al-Jowzee)

Imam Suyuti authored his first book, Tafseer Bismillaah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheeem, when he

was in grade 2!

Dear brothers and sisters, why should we try to follow in the footsteps of these many other

stars of Islam? The information that we shall in sha' Allah learn is not like anything else.

This knowledge is the law of Allah and the inheritance of the Prophets. It is our duty to

preserve and protect the estate of Rasul Allah (pbuh), something that cannot happen

without there being serious and sincere brothers and sisters spending long days and nights

reading, reflecting, and teaching others.

Every Islamic revival that takes place is built on something. Some revivals are built on

emotions, others on politics. Do you know which shall remain firm when the wind of woe

blows? It shall be the one that was built on sound knowledge of the words of Allah and the

Sunnah of Rasul Allah.

A sincere man once stood on the beach shore watching, to his dismay, the waves thrashing a

fish up and down, left and right. The man concluded that he must save the fish. He thrashed

into the water and grabbed the fish by the tail. He then thrashed back to shore and threw

the fish on the beach, satisfied that he had saved it from the water!

Dear brothers and sisters, when we work for the sake of Allah without knowledge of what

the path of Allah is, many times we do as that young man did.

We are living in an age of information. We have lights in every corner of the house when

only yesterday our ancestors read by the light of the moon. We have publishing houses

when only yesterday our ancestors wrote the books they owned with their own hands. We

have CD's to search the Hadeeth archives when our scholars spent days upon days

searching for proof and evidence in their libraries. Shouldn't the knowledge increase with

all this ease? It should. But it has not.

Dear brothers and sisters, we know that when a prize is great, the responsibility, and the

work required for that prize shall also be great. And because of this, we see the enormous

reward promised to those scholars and students of Islam due to the heavy work required.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever seeks out a path to acquire knowledge (of the deen),

Allah makes easy a path for them to Jannah!" - Muslim

Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa'dee said, "Thus any path a person takes, whether physical or

otherwise, something that will help them in acquiring knowledge of the Deen, they enter in

the words of the Prophet, "Whoever seeks out a path to acquire knowledge (of the deen),

Allah makes easy a path for them to Jannah." "

Rasul Allah told us that when a person seeks out a path to learn about Islam, this is a sign

that Allah loves them and that He wants good for them in this life and the next.

From Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever Allah wishes good

for, he grants them Fiqh (understading) of the Deen."

And Rasul Allah told us that the sincere scholars have a place with Allah that no one else

can reach, and that they are the inheritors of the Prophet's estate in passing it on to the

world.

Rasul Allah said, "The virtue of the scholar to a worshipper (Aabid) is similar to the virtue

of the moon when it is full to the rest of the stars. And verily the scholars are the inheritors

of the Prophets. Verily the Prophets did not leave behind dirhams and deenars, but rather

they left behind knowledge. Thus whoever takes it, takes it as a bountiful share." -

Authentic, narrated by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and IbnMajah.

The position of the people of Islamic knowledge reached such a level that Allah (Jalla

Thanaa'uhu wa taqaddasat Asmaa'uhu) and the Angels pray for them!

From Abu Umaamah: Rasul Allah said, "Verily Allah and His angels, even the ant in its

hole and the fish in the sea, verily (they all) pray for he who teaches people good." -

authentic, narrated by Tabraanee.

Rasul Allah prayed for them also. He said, as narrated by Zayd ibn Thabit, "May Allah

grant light (and happiness and beauty in the face) of someone who hears a hadith from us

and memorizes it until he passes it on to others!" - authentic, narrated by Tirmidhi.

One of the Hadeeth scholars that Imam Bukhari took from, Hisham ibn Ammar narrates a

story that happened to him when he was 8 years old. He says, "My father sold a house of his

for 20 Deenaars so that I could go for Hajj (and study Islam). When I arrived in Madinah, I

went to the circle of Imam Maalik. He was sitting amongst his students like a king. People

would ask him questions and he would answer. When I entered the crowd and my turn

came up I said, 'Haddithnee (recite to me)!' He said, 'Rather you read.' I said, 'No, you

haddithnee!' Imam Maalik said, 'No you read!' When I talked back and argued, he got angry

and said to another student, go with this boy outside and smack him 15 times!' That student

took me outside and smacked me 15 times with a stick and then brought me back to Imam

Maalik. I said, 'You have Dhulm (wronged) me! My father sold his house so that I could

come to you and be honored by listening to your teaching and seek knowledge from you.

And you smacked me 15 times without any crime on my part, I shall not forgive you!' Imam

Maalik then said, 'What is the expiation for this Dhulm (wronging)?' I said, 'You have to

recite 15 Ahadeeth to me, that is the expiation.' So Imam Maalik began reciting the

Ahadeeth to me until he completed 15. When he ended I told him, 'Beat me more and read

more Hadeeth to me." Imam Maalik laughed and said, 'be off.' - From the book Ma'rifat Al-

Qurraa' al-Kibaar by Imam Adh-Dhahabi.

From the beginning of time, there has been a race between the doers of good and the doers

of evil. Adam and Iblees, Musa and Fir'own, Muhammad and Abu Jahl. Today that race has

not ended. Think: How hard are the doers of evil working and how hard are we?

Umar once said, "I seek Allah's protection from Jalad (the strength and enthusiasm) of the

sinner, and the laziness of the God-fearer." Subhaan Allah, it is as if he is contemplating the

time that we are now living in.

How can one of us be too lazy to pray 2 raka'at at night, when the people of the Dunya

spend the entire night watching movies, some of which they have to read the translation on

the bottom of the screen? How can we be too lazy to read for 2 hours, when the people of

the Dunya - those who just want more money to continue their sin - spend days upon days

of all-nighters studying for their exams? Why do we cringe at paying 6 dollars for an Islamic

book, when the people of the Dunya spend hundreds, rather thousands in pursuit of their

sin?

What's wrong? What has happened to us?

Listen to those who came before us. Some Fuqahaa' said, "For years I desired to eat

Hareesah (a sweet dish) and I wasn't able to because it was only sold during class time."

Imam Su'bah said, "If I ever saw someone running in the streets of the village I would only

think one of two things: He was either crazy or a student of Hadeeth!"

And Ibn Al-Jowzee said, "I haven't seen a flaw more sad in the community than those who

stop working even though they have the ability to continue."

How do we correct the situation dear brothers and sisters? Let us reflect on the following:

Firstly: We must be sincere in our desire to learn Islam. We are learning this Deen to rid

ourselves, firstly, of ignorance and then to help others to rid themselves of ignorance.

Do you know the first Hadeeth in Sahih Bukhari, and in many many other Hadith books? It

is not a coincidence that the first Hadeeth is:

"Verily Actions are (judged) by their

intentions." The scholars are reminding us from the very beginning of our path to learning,

from page one, that it must be for the sake of Allah.

Allah ordered us to be sincere to Him in what we do:

"And they have been commanded

no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true

(in faith)." Al Bayyinah, 5

Rasul Allah said, "Whoever studies that which is meant for the sake of Allah, desiring only

a piece of the Dunya, he shall not smell the frangrance of Jannah on the Day of

Judgement." - authentic, narrated by Ahmad, and Tirmidhi.

Ibn Abbas said, "Verily a man shall be protected (by Allah) in proportion to his niyyah

(intention for doing what it is he is doing)."

And this issue of intention is not an easy matter. Sufyan ath-Thowree said, "I have never

nursed something more rebellious than my intentions." - from the book, Al-Ja'mi' li akhlaaq

al-Raawee, by Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi.

Listen to the advice of Imam Ibn Jamaa'ah if you want to know what it takes to correct your

intention, "A proper and sincere intention when studying Islam is to intend to win the

pleasure of Allah by what you are doing. You should intend to practice what you learn, to

resurrect the Shariah, hoping that this knowledge will shine light on your heart, cleanse

your soul, and bring you closer to Allah on the day of Judgement. Your intention for

studying Islam should not be to win any worldly commodity, like leadership or fame or

riches. It should not be learnt so that you can show off to your colleagues or so that people

will revere you and sit you in a chief position in their gatherings, and so on." - from Imam

Ibn Jamaa'ah's book, Tadhkirat as-Saami' wal Mutakallim.

Secondly: We should understand that we are in a continuous war with Shaytaan, and he

does not want us to succeed in this studying. Allah ta'aala says, "When thou does read the

Qur'an, seek Allah's protection from Satan the Rejected One." An-Nahl, 98

The Shaytaan shall sit in the face of every good thing that you try to do. Rasul Allah told us,

"The Shaytaan sits in the path (of every goodness) that the son of Aadam (may try to

take). He sat in front of him when he took the path to Islam and told him, 'how could you

leave the religion of your fathers and your fore-fathers?' But he disobeyed him and

became Muslim. Then Shaytaan sat in front of him in his path to Hijrah and said, 'How

could you leave your land and your sky?' But he disobeyed him and migrated (from

Makkah). Then he sat in front of him in his path of Jihaad and said, 'Why should you do

Jihad? It will only exhaust your wealth and body. You'll be killed, your wife will marry

someone else, and your wealth will be divided (to others).' But he disobeyed him and went

for Jihad." Rasul Allah then said, "Whoever does this, it is a duty upon Allah that He shall

enter him into Jannah!"

How will the Shaytaan sit in your face:

He will tell you to study tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, study tomorrow.

Procrastination is from the Shaytaan!

Shaytaan will tell you that you are busy now and that later in your life you shall take the

time out to study Islam. After marriage, after graduation, after you get a job. Life shall pass

and the 'after' shall live forever.

Shaytaan will tell you that the situation of the Ummah is lost and that you studying will not

help anything, so don't waste your time. Combat this with what you've seen from the Jihad

of knowledge and teaching that Rasul Allah and those that came before us did.

Shaytaan will tell you that there are enough scholars, they don't need you. Combat this with

the fact that scholars shall die, and if the knowledge is not passed on to the next generation,

it shall die in the community. There are 1.4 billion Muslims and the problem that always

comes up is that there are not enough teachers and scholars. Everyone is a shepherd and

everyone shall be responsible for his or her flock!

Thirdly: We should never forget to pray to Allah to bless us with His Mercy in succeeding in

our intentions to learn Islam for His sake.

Allah ta'aala says "When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close

(to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me."

Surah Al-Baqarah, 186

Let us pray to Allah now to make this effort we are doing to learn His Deen, to learn His

Shariah, sincere for His sake. And that He blesses us by His Mercy to succeed in what we

intend. Verily, he has the Power to do anything.

Ameen.

Between Prophet Yusuf and Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed

comments (0)

By Dr. Ali Al-Halawani
Deputy Editor in Chief — English IslamOnline.net

`Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The reward of deeds depends upon intentions, and every person will get his reward according to what he has intended. So, [for] whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration was for Allah and His Messenger. And [as for] whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he had emigrated for" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

I have read the above hadith several times before, and each time I read it, many things come across my mind concerning my own intention when I carry out several duties — be they related to my profession or my social or academic life. However, in the last time I was reading this hadith, Prophet Yusuf (Joseph —peace be upon him) and Prophet Muhammad's Companion Khalid ibn Al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) were present in both my heart and mind. I remembered them, along with two deeds they had performed.

I tried to understand these two deeds in light of this hadith.Before addressing these two deeds, which stirred something in my bosom, let's first take a look at the general meaning of the hadith, as well as the connotations and interpretations of the majority of Muslim scholars regarding it.

Interpretation of the HadithBased on this hadith,

Muslim scholars are of the unanimous opinion that the real basis of a deed is the intention of the doer, and that everyone will eventually be rewarded or punished according to his or her intention. Truly, the intention is founded in the heart, which means that people have to first make up their mind before they proceed to make a deed.

The bottom line in this hadith is that sincerity is a must for every deed. In other words, with every righteous deed, a believer should seek only the pleasure of Almighty Allah. If a deed is intended for any other purpose besides the pleasure of Allah, the whole of that deed will definitely be rejected by the Almighty Creator.

Indeed, Allah is the One and Only God, with Whom no partner should ever be associated.The heart of a real Muslim should be purged of the lust for all worldly things, which destroy the righteous deeds. Among these are hypocrisy, lying, ostentation, and greed, all of which are ignoble attributes that should be avoided.

Along with sincerity in doing a deed, there is another condition that should be met in order for a deed to be accepted by Almighty Allah: righteousness. This means that a deed should be done sincerely for Allah's sake and according to what He has legislated and prescribed. In the Noble Qur'an, Almighty Allah says:
(And [for] whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord.) (Al-Kahf 18:110)

From the foregoing, one concludes that deeds derive their worth from the sincere intention lying in the doer's heart and from their compliance with the Shari`ah. Such deeds shall be accepted and rewarded by Almighty Allah, either in this present life, in the hereafter, or in both — in the way He, the Almighty, wills.

Let's learn from Prophet Yusuf and from Khalid how to exert ourselves in doing what is good. Let's learn when to step forward for leadership when the need arises.

However, if a deed is intended for some of the perishable vanities of this world, it will eventually prove worthless and thus be rejected by the Almighty Creator, Who may punish its perpetrator in this life, as well as in the hereafter.It is also worth mentioning that if deeds are done without one harboring a specific intention or purpose in one's heart, they will go in vain and be nothing but a waste of effort, time, and money.

Deeds Based on Sincerity

Given the above, one should also note that there are some deeds that may appear to be devoid of sincerity while they are actually not. For example, a person may declare him- or herself qualified for a particular duty or leading position. People may view such a person as one who seeks power and prestige, whereas he or she may be asking for the responsibility only because there is no one else who can properly afford to perform the task or shoulder its burden. The following two examples can help clarify this point.

Prophet Yusuf

The first example is about Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him). After his innocence had been declared and he had been released from prison, the king of Egypt ordered that he should be brought to him, intending to make him one of his close aides. When the king spoke to Yusuf and further recognized his virtues, great ability, brilliance, good conduct, and perfect manners, he said to him [Verily, this day, you are with us high in rank and fully trusted] (Yusuf 12:54). Thereupon, Prophet Yusuf said, [Set me over the storehouses of the land; I am a skilled custodian] (Yusuf 12:55).

Commentators on the Qur'an say that Prophet Yusuf praised himself. They maintain that this is allowed when one's abilities are unknown and when there is a need to do so. He said that he was an honest guardian who had both wisdom and deep knowledge about the task he had asked to be entrusted with.

In modern terminology, Prophet Yusuf asked the king to appoint him as minister of finance so that he would be responsible for the harvest storehouses, in which the Egyptians would collect produce for the years of drought that, he told them, would come. He wanted to be the guard, so that he could dispense the harvest in the wisest, best, and most beneficial way. The king accepted Yusuf's application for the job, for he was eager to draw Yusuf close to him, to honor him, and to benefit from his outstanding skills and integrity.

Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed

The second example is derived from the experience of Khalid ibn Al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) during the Battle of Yarmouk. The Muslim army was then geographically divided into four groups: one under `Amr ibn Al-`Aas in Palestine, one under Shurahbil ibn Hasnah in Jordan, one under Yazeed ibn Abu Sufyan in the Damascus-Caesarea region, and the last one under Abu `Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarrah at Emesa (modern-day Hims or Homs, Syria). Exploiting the situation, Emperor Heraclius, leader of the Byzantines, intended to attack. He wanted to avoid a single pitched battle with a united Muslim army.

Meanwhile, Khalid, who was then in Iraq, was sent as reinforcement to the Muslim army. He caught up with the Muslim army in five days. Having seen the whole situation, he addressed the leaders of the four Muslim armies, commanding them to unite. He cautioned them against the consequences of breaking up and keeping the status quo. Consequently, the separate groups of the army united and rearranged their ranks in the face of their enemy.

In his very impressive speech to the united Muslim army, Khalid — after praising Allah — said:
Indeed, this is one of Allah's days in which neither boasting nor aggression will be acceptable. Devote your struggle to Allah and seek only His pleasure with your effort. Definitely, this day will have consequences: If we force them [the enemy] to retreat to their headquarters, we will eventually win the day. But, were it the other way round, we would never defeat them in the future. Therefore, let's lead the army by turns. Let one of us be the leader for today, another for tomorrow, and a third for the day after, and so on, until the turn befalls all of us. Let me be your leader for today.

The whole army accepted the scheme and appointed Khalid as their leader on that very day! The focus here is on a certain point in this speech: It is Khalid's calling upon the Muslim army to accept him as their leader on the first day. Usually, when someone formulates a plan in which he is going to play a role in terms of alternate leadership, they — as a sign of modesty — propose that they come last after all the others have taken their turns.

However, what happened here was the opposite. Certainly, there was a valid reason behind this: It is the fact that everyone knew about the exceptional military skills of Khalid, known as the Unsheathed Sword of Allah.

Throughout his whole military life, he had never been defeated, even in a single battle.

ConclusionProphet Yusuf and Khalid ibn Al-Waleed asked for authority and wanted to shoulder a responsibility. However, they did so only to improve a situation and ward off harm, at a time when there was no one else who could afford this in an appropriate manner.

In Hollywood terms, they tried to save the world, and they actually saved it. Prophet Yusuf saved Egypt from a devastating famine. Khalid saved the Muslim army from a massive defeat at the hands of the Byzantines. Their request for authority was by no means an indication of bad intention or something that casts doubt on their sincerity.

Let's learn from Prophet Yusuf and from Khalid how to exert ourselves in doing what is good. Let's learn when to step forward for leadership when the need arises, while maintaining our sincerity. Let each one of us try to be a Yusuf in civil work and a Khalid in action!

__________________________________________________
Dr. Ali Al-Halawani is managing editor of the Living Shari`ah section and deputy editor in chief of English IslamOnline.net. He holds a PhD in computational linguistics and translation of the meanings of the Qur'an. Over the last 15 years, he has been researching and translating Islamic texts from Arabic into English. He writes on a variety of issues: corpus linguistics, translation of the meanings of the Qur'an, heart softening, and biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), among many others. You can reach him at ali.halawani@iolteam.com.

Read more: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1264249844807&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout#ixzz0nmHXdoVI

Truth Always Prevails

(They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower," Aal-e-Imran [3:8]

The People of the Cave

Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)

Take Advantage of Five Before Five

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

#1: Take Advantage of Your Youth Before Your Old Age

#2: Take Advantage of Your Health, Before You Fall Sick

#3: Take Advantage of Your Richness Before Poverty

#4: Take Advantage of Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

#5: Take Advantage of Your Life Before Your Death

Why Should I Study?

Between Prophet Yusuf and Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed

Flag counter

visitors

About this blog

Blog Archive

Labels

Search This Blog

Relieve Your Heart! Think Well of Others!

Blogroll

My Blog List

Popular Posts

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

اللهممقلبالقلوبثبّتقلبيعلىدينك

sayyidul istighfar

Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 52 :: Hadith 41

`Ali ibn `Abu Talib.

Muhammed (PBUH)

99 Names Of Allah

Total Pageviews