How do I Know if I am Sincere?
Notes taken by Aboo Uthmaan [1]
How do I know if I am sincere? I asked this question way back in September 2004 to some of the students of knowledge, the late Shaykh, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh (rahimahullaah) and my good friend, Mu’tasim al-Hameedee.
I was not able to catch all the points of benefit that Shaykh Saleh as-Saleh mentioned, but I will try my best to paraphrase what I managed to take of notes:
He said that his Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said that: We should always be checking ourselves and asking: “Did I really do that for Allaah?” He said that we should make the du’aa where we ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) to protect us from falling into shirk (and of course doing an act for other than Allaah is shirk) and that we should seek forgiveness often. He continued by saying that shaytaan is always trying to corrupt our intention and trying to take away from its purity. He then went on to say that the Salaf used to say that they found nothing more intense then striving to be sincere. He closed by saying that when you find yourself having an inclination to read the Qur’aan and seek (beneficial) knowledge then this is a sign of there being sincerity in ones actions.
Br. Mu’tasim al-Hameedee said (to paraphrase):
Commonly Misunderstood Narrations Pertaining to Women
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
I recently received an email in my inbox in which the sender asked me what I thought about the contents that they had copied and pasted from an “Islamic” blog that has to its detriment in the last two years received over 130,000 hits. The contents amounted to the author essentially rejecting authentic narrations of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) based on nothing more than her emotions in that she was and is unable to believe that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said what he did.
On the Passing of Shaykh, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
Just before maghrib today (UK time) I received the very sad news that Shaykh, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh passed away shortly after the ‘asr prayer [correction (12/02/08): the Shaykh passed away after praying Salaatul-Jumu'ah] in the Prophet’s Masjid. Shaykh, Dr. Muhammad al-Jibaly wrote via his yahoo group:
“I did not believe the news at first, but just called his phone, and his wife confirmed it to me, and said he was too exhausted, and this was the main cause of his death (at the young age of about 50). She said his body is now in al-Ansar hospital, and will be buried tomorrow morning in al-Baqee’.
His passing on Jumu’ah, and in the Prophet’s Masjid while performing ‘ibaadah, are indeed very good indicators. May Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) forgive him, augment his good deeds tremendously, and admit him to Jannah in the company of the prophets and the most righteous.”
Like Dr. Muhammad al-Jibaly, many of us were in shock when we first head of Dr. Saleh as-Saleh’s passing, to the point that none of us wanted to believe it. This alone goes to show the high esteem in which many held him, the great love that they had for him and how sorely they will miss him.
Do we Believe like they Believed?
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
Almost every single Muslim individual and group claims to follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah, but what distinguishes fact from fiction is the understanding that they follow the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) upon. Is it that of a mystic, a modernist, a philosopher, a politician or is it that of those group of people who Allaah has ordered us to follow the understanding of?
Reflections on Death & the Purpose of Our Creation
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
Death, a subject that the majority of us turn away from, neglect, try to forget and turn a deaf ear to. However, death is a reality that each and every one of us will face, it is a guest that does not knock at the door and wait to enter, it does not wait for an invitation before it decides to visit us, it can come at any time, unannounced and without warning. The majority of us try to enjoy and live our lives away from the subject and thought of death; we try to get on with our lives by enjoying the life of this world and by indulging in its vanities, those of us who have succumbed have not been granted success in this life or in the Hereafter. This is because the intelligent one is not he whose heart has been imprisoned by the life of this world; rather, the intelligent one is as Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said (which means): “Those who remember death the most and those who are best prepared for what comes after it. These are the intelligent ones.” (Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah of al-Albaanee, Hasan)
“…We Worship them only that they May Bring us Near to Allaah…”
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says:
“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn’s and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).” (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
So why do we (when we were created to worship Allaah) see many Muslims worshiping other than Allaah and / or promoting the worship of other than Allaah?
