The Life of Deception

By Imaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H)

This worldly life is like an unchaste woman, who is not satisfied with one husband. So, be satisfied with whatever Allaah grants you from this worldly life.

Walking thereon is like walking in a land that is filled with beasts, and water that teams with crocodiles. That which causes delight, turns to be the source of grief. Pain is found in the midst of pleasures, and delights are derived from its sorrows. As a bird sees the wheat, so does one’s insight perceive polytheism, while vain desires render its holder blind.

Lusts were granted in abundance to humans, but those who believed in the unseen turned away from them, while those who follow their lusts were caused to regret.

The first category, are those, in which Allaah says:

“They are on (true) guidance form their Lord, and they are the successful.” [Al-Baqarah 2:5]

However, the other category, are those to whom Allaah says:

“(O you disbelievers!) Eat and enjoy yourselves (in this worldly life) for a little while. Verily, you are the mujrimoon (polytheists, disbelievers, sinners, criminals, etc.).” [Al-Mursalat 77:46]

The Sunnah the Better

Please click on the links below to listen to / download the audio files:

An Introduction to the Sunnah by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Importance of the Sunnah (Part 1) by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Importance of the Sunnah (Part 2) by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Dangers of Abandoning the Sunnah by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Sunnah of Calling to Tawheed by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Sunnah of Judging by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Sunnah & the Neighbour by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi
The Sunnah & the Ahlul-Bayt by Abu Usaamah at-Thahabi

Relying on the Mercy, Forgiveness & Generosity of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala)

By Imaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H)

Many ignorant people rely on the Mercy, Forgiveness and Generosity of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala), without following His Commands and Prohibitions, forgetting that He (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) is severe in punishment, and His Wrath will never be withheld from criminal (polytheist, sinning) people. So whoever relies on the Mercy of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala), whilst still insisting on committing sins is just stubborn.

Ma’ruf has said: “Hoping for mercy from the One (Allaah) Whom you do not obey is but foolishness.”

Al-Hasan: “Some people have been distracted by the hope of Allaah’s Grace, until they left this world without having made any repentance. One of them said: ‘Verily, I have a good opinion of my Lord’ He simply lied, because if he had had a good opinion of his Lord, he would have perfected his deeds.”

The Essence of True Love

By Dr. Suhaib Hasan

After a long and hectic day at work, how difficult it is for a tired person to stand on the prayer-mat and concentrate on his prayers to Allaah Almighty. Snuggled up in a warm and cosy bed, how difficult it is to get up at the call of the Mu’adhdhin: “Come to prayer! Come to success!” The famous doctor and philosopher Ibn Sina (Avicenna), recalls such a moment in his life. One cold and icy night, he and his slave were resting at an inn in a remote part of Khurasan. During the night, he felt thirsty, so he called to his slave to bring him some water. The slave had no desire to leave his warm bed, so he pretended not to hear Avicenna’s call. But finally, after repeated calls, he reluctantly got up and went to fetch the water. A little while later, the melodious sound of the Adhaan filled the air. Avicenna began to think about the person calling the people to prayer. My slave Abdullah, he mused, has always respected me and admired me. He seizes any opportunity to lavish praise and affection on me but tonight, he preferred his own comfort to my needs. On the other hand, look at this Persian slave of Allaah. He left his warm bed to go out into the chilly night, he made ablution in the icy water of the stream, and then he ascended the high minaret of the mosque to glorify Him Whom he truly serves:

The Blessings of Good Health

Written by Aboo Uthmaan

On Tuesday 19th February 2008 I broke my toe, only at the time I didn’t know that I had. It wasn’t until the next day when due to the pain that I was in I decided to visit the hospital, only to find out that my toe was indeed broken. They buddy tapped my broken toe (the big toe on my right foot) to the toe next to it, booked me in to see a specialist consultant the next day and then sent me on my way.

Last Monday, almost twelve weeks since I broke my toe, did I start to pray without the aid of a chair, but it is not the purpose of this post to make mention of the issues surrounding my broken toe, mostly because my injury is not that serious and it pales into significance when compared to the injuries of others (as we shall see later on in this post), however, it was and is enough to have reminded me and to continue to remind me of the hadeeth in which Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing righteous deeds.” (Reported by al-Bukhaaree)

Repentance

By Imaam Muhammad ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H)

Al-Muzni who is Aboo lbraaheem Ismaa’eel ibn Yahya said:

“I entered upon ash-Shaafi’ee during his illness which resulted in his death, so I said to him: ‘What is your condition?’

He replied: ‘I am journeying from this world, and departing from my brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and upon Allaah - Exalted is His remembrance - arriving. And no! By Allaah, I do not know if my soul is travelling towards Paradise or the Fire!’ Then he started to weep, and he said:

5 Ways in Which the Qur’aan is Rejected

By Imaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H)

Forms of rejecting the Qur’aan:

One: to refuse to listen to it, have faith in it and pay attention to it.
Two: to refuse to act according to it, abide by its lawful and unlawful commandments, even if the person reads it and has faith in it.
Three: to reject its arbitration and litigation according to its principles and branches of the religion and to believe that its words are not meant to be indisputable, and that its proofs are verbal and do not reach the level of real knowledge.
Four: to reject careful consideration of it, and fail to understand it and learn that which the Speaker intended.
Five: to reject seeking medication with it concerning all the diseases of the heart, by seeking the cure of such diseases from other than it.

All these are included in the following Qur’aanic verse (which means):

The Path to Paradise

By Shaykh ‘Alee bin Hasan al-Halabee

Explaining the path to paradise for the righteous [1]:

That is Paradise, whose landmarks are clear, a sure thing detailed and this is the path to it, smooth and easy. It has signs and above it are lights. We are at the beginning of the path, so let us travel hastily to the end of it where the doors of Paradise are pen for the travellers. The path which has been described by the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with his comprehensive words:

“Paradise is surrounded by hardship and the Hellfire is surrounded by wishes and desires.” [2]

“All my people will enter Paradise except those who refuse to. Whosoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whosoever disobeys me, then he has refused.” [3]

“Verily I have left you on a clear path, its night is like its day, nobody deviates from it except that he is doomed.” [4]

The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has explained in these ahaadeeth the path, and described it clearly, for anyone who has an understanding, so let us travel together as loving brothers and co-operating friends.

From a Man’s Perfecting His Religion is Leaving Alone that Which does not Concern Him

By Shaykh Husayn al-‘Awaayishah

It is imperative for us to build levels of knowledge and action upon a firm, strong foundation, and that is the saying of the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), “From a man’s perfecting his religion is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” [1]

In Fayd-ul-Qadeer the author writes: “It is understood from this that from a man’s deficiency in his religion is his indulging in that which does not concern him. This includes everything of secondary importance, whichever form it may take. What should concern him is all that relates to the essentials of his livelihood, that which fulfils his need for sustenance, clothing, keeping himself chaste thereby, and the like thereof from the necessities of life, excluding those things relating to his own personal pleasures. He should be concerned with all that relates to his salvation in the Hereafter, that being Islam, Eemaan and ihsaan. In this way he stays safe from ruin, all forms of evil and argumentation. This is part of perfecting his religion, firm establishment of his piety and keeping away from following his desires. Whereas striving to accomplish other than this is loss of irreplaceable valuable time, in doing what he was not created for. So whoever worships his Lord, with realisation of his closeness to his Lord and of his Lord’s closeness to him, has perfected his religion, as has preceded.”

An Explanation of the Parable Concerning the Tree of Faith

By Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sa’dee (d.1376H)

Allaah, the Exalted, propounds a metaphor for faith, saying:

“Do you not see how Allaah sets forth a metaphor of a good word: a good tree whose roots are firm and whose branches are in the sky? It bears fruit all the time by its Lord’s permission. Allaah sets forth metaphors for people so that hopefully they will pay heed.” [Ibrahim 14:24-25]

Allaah, Glorious and Exalted is He, has likened a good word to a good tree because just as a good tree produces beneficial and delicious fruits, so too does the good word produce righteous actions. This metaphor then corresponds with the exegesis of the majority who said, “The good word is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.” [1] This is because this testification sprouts all inward and outward righteous actions; hence every single righteous action one could perform, which pleases Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, results as a fruit of this statement.