Chapter 2
Training Oneself
44594: Advice to one who slanders his Muslim
brothers and accuses them without any proof
Question:
Our Shaykh, I love you for the sake of Allaah and I
hope that you can tell me how to silence those who slander
the scholars. There are people who accuse you of
being extreme in labeling others as kaafirs and of Qutbi (a
group that claims to base its ideas on the writings of
Sayyid Qutb) _ as they call it. What is your answer? Please
note that I am _ as Allaah knows _ one of those who love
you for the sake of Allaah.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
May Allaah love you, for Whose sake you love us,
and may He bring us together in His mercy on the
Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except
him who brings to Allaah a clean heart (cf. al-Shu'ara' 26:89).
With regard to what you have said in your question,
we advise you to keep away from everyone who speaks
about your Muslim brothers or slanders them, or accuses
them and casts aspersion on their intentions. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O you
who have spoken the words of faith but faith has not
entered your hearts! Do not backbite about the Muslims or
seek our their faults, for whoever seeks out their faults,
Allaah will seek out his faults even if he is his house."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 4880; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani.
It is also necessary for you to advise these people to
fear Allaah and refrain using such labels and names that
divide the Muslims. With regard to offering advice and
correcting mistakes, this should not be done by means of
exposing people's faults or casting aspersions on their
intentions etc.
With regard to the issue of takfeer (labeling people
as kaafirs), this is subject to further discussion.
Describing as a kaafir one who has been described as such by
Allaah or by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) is obligatory. Allaah has described some
groups as being kaafirs in His Book, as when He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, disbelievers are those who said: `Allaah is
the third of the three (in a Trinity)'"
[al-Maa'idah 5:73]
"Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allaah is
the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:17]
But it is haraam to label as a kaafir someone whom
Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not label as such.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: Just as it is not permissible to label a specific
person as a kaafir unless the conditions of labeling someone
as such have been met in his case, so too we should not
shy away from labeling as kaafirs those whom Allaah
and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) have labeled as such. But we must
differentiate between what is specific and what is general.
Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/281.
See also question no. 21576.
And Allaah knows best.
Moreover, everyone who levels an accusation
against another person must provide proof:
"Say (O Muhammad), Produce your proof if you
are truthful"
[al-Baqarah 2:111]
"Since they produce not witnesses, they are the liars
in the sight of Allaah"
[al-Noor 24:13]
This problem is widespread among some of those
who claim to be religiously-guided, may Allaah guide
them, for they make accusations against people on grounds
that are not regarded as something worthy of criticism
in sharee'ah or that do not undermine a person's
religious commitment.
Then they do not bring any proof of that, and they
follow their own whims and desires, because it is human
nature to appoint oneself as judge, praising and condemning
on a whim.
We must go against the whims and desires of our
own selves and measure people by the criteria set out in
Islam; we should make mention of their good points and
advise them with regard to their mistakes.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
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9082: The faith in his heart has wilted _ what should
he do?
Question:
We live in an Arab Muslim country, but we do not
feel the taste of faith. We have few good people who
remind us of Allaah. May Allaah reward you with good:
please give us some advice from which we may benefit.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1 _ I advise you to read the Qur'aan a great deal,
and listen to recitations of Qur'aan and ponder the
meanings of what you read and what you hear as much as you
can. Whatever you cannot understand, ask the people
of knowledge in your country or write to other scholars
of Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis).
If you read a tafseer (commentary) on what you read,
this will help you to ponder the meanings. One of the
best and most concise Tafseers is Tafseer
al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him).
2 _ You should remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr),
by reciting the dhikrs narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth
such as Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god but
Allaah), Subhaan Allaah wa'l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise
be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah, and Allaah is
great), and so on. See al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi and
similar books.
Remembering Allaah increases one's faith and
brings peace to the heart. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allaah —
Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in
the remembrance of Allaah verily, in the remembrance
of Allaah do hearts find rest" [al-Ra'd
13:28]
Observe regular prayer, fast and observe all the pillars
of Islam, whilst also hoping for the mercy of Allaah;
put your trust in Allaah in all your affairs. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The believers are only those who, when Allaah
is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His
Verses (this Qur'aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the
Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their
Lord (Alone);
3. Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamatas Salaah) and
spend out of that We have provided them.
4. It is they who are the believers in truth. For them
are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and
a generous provision (Paradise)" [al-Anfaal
8:2-4]
It should be noted that faith increases when one
obeys Allaah and decreases when one disobeys Him, so
continue to do that which Allaah has enjoined, such as
observing the five daily prayers in congregation in the mosque
and paying zakaah willingly, to purify yourself of sin, and
as an act of mercy towards the poor and needy.
Keep company with good and righteous people so
that they can help you to apply sharee'ah and guide
you towards that which will bring you happiness in this
world and in the Hereafter.
Keep away from the people of innovation and sin,
lest they tempt you and weaken your resolve.
Do a lot of naafil good deeds, and turn to Allaah and
ask Him for guidance.
If you do these things, Allaah will increase you in
faith and help you to catch up with what you have missed
of good deeds, and make you more steadfast in adhering
to Islam.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/187. (www.islam-qa.com)
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22090: How can the Muslim discipline himself
Question:
How can the Muslim discipline himself
Islamically, especially if he has shortcomings with regard to
his religious commitment, which Allaah knows best about?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Acknowledging your shortcomings is one of the first
steps in disciplining yourself.
Whoever acknowledges that he has shortcomings
has started on the path to self-discipline. This acknowledgement is one of the things that make
us discipline ourselves and be persistent in doing so.
This acknowledgement should not put you off
disciplining yourself. It is a sign of Allaah's care when a person
tries to change himself and develop, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a
people as long as they do not change their state themselves"
[al-Ra'd 13:11]
So whoever tries to change for the sake of Allaah,
Allaah will help him to change.
Each person is individually responsible for his own
self, and will be questioned individually, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is none in the heavens and the earth but
comes unto the Most Gracious (Allaah) as a slave.
Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted
them a full counting.
And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the
Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector
or defender)" [Maryam 19:93-95]
Man cannot benefit from what he has been told
about goodness unless he himself takes an interest in that.
Do you not know the story of the wife of Nooh and the
wife of Loot, who were members of the households of
two Prophets, one of whom was one of the Messengers
of strong will? Imagine how these Prophets strove to
guide their wives and how much guidance these wives
received, but there was no interest on their part, so it was said
to both of them:
"Enter the Fire along with those who enter!"
[al-Tahreem 66:10 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Whereas the wife of Pharaoh _ even though she was
a member of the household of one of the greatest
evildoers _ is presented by Allaah as an example to those
who believe because she disciplined herself.
The ways in which a Muslim can discipline himself
are as follows:
1- Worshipping Allaah, keeping in contact with Him
and submitting to Him. That is done by paying attention
to doing obligatory acts of worship well, and cleansing
your heart of any attachment to anything other than Allaah.
2- Reading Qur'aan a great deal, pondering its
meanings and seeking to understand it.
3- Reading useful religious books that describe the
ways of treating and cleansing the heart, such as
Mukhtasar Manhaaj al-Qaasideen, Tahdheeb Madaarij
al-Saalikeen and so on; reading the biographies of the salaf and
learning about their attitude and behaviour, such as
Sifat al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi and Ayna nahnu min Akhlaaq
al-Salaf by Baha' al-Deen `Aqeel and Naasir al-Jaleel.
4- Attending educational programs such as classes
and lectures.
5- Making good use of your time and using it to do
things that will be of benefit in both worldly and spiritual terms
6- Not indulging too much in permissible things and
not paying too much attention to them.
7- Keeping company with righteous people and
looking for righteous companions, who can help you to do
good. Those who live alone will miss out on a lot of
the characteristics of a good brother such as preferring
others to oneself and being patient.
8- Trying to act on what you learn and put it into practice.
9- Checking closely on yourself.
10-Having confidence in yourself _ whilst relying
on Allaah _ because the one who has no confidence
cannot act.
11-Despising yourself for not doing enough for the
sake of Allaah. This does not contradict the things
mentioned above. Man has to strive hard whilst still thinking
that his efforts are not enough.
12-Practising withdrawal or isolation as prescribed
in sharee'ah. You should not mix with people all the
time, rather you must have some time which you spend
alone, in worship as prescribed in Islam.
We ask Allaah to help us and you to discipline
ourselves and submit to that which Allaah loves and is pleased
with. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
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27082: How can he punish himself so as to
encourage himself to do good?
Question:
I know that punishing oneself and depriving oneself
is effective in encouraging oneself to do good, but how
can I punish myself?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The believer who is keen to save himself will strive
to save himself from everything that may lead to his
doom, and he is kind to himself. Part of that kindness is
taking care of one's relationship with Allaah so that he will
be saved from the punishment of the Hereafter, and
striving to make himself do that which is enjoined upon him
and to avoid that which is forbidden to him, seeking
thereby the pleasure of Allaah. So he starts by repenting from
all sins, and urging himself to compete in doing
righteous deeds, and striving to reach high levels of faith,
by applying the appropriate means, such as learning
about the rewards for good deeds, the effects and causes of
sin, keeping away from those who discourage him and
are lacking in ambition, listening to stories of those who
strive in worship. Then if he weakens in doing righteous
deeds or commits sin, or finds that he is inclined towards it,
this is the time for punishment.
Punishment comes after learning the truth and
deviating from it. You should not start with punishment
because there is no punishment before knowledge and
knowledge leaves no excuse.
You should also note _ may Allaah bless you _
that punishment should not be sought as an end in and of
itself, rather it is a means of disciplining the self. This is
like cauterization for one who is sick, which is only used
as much as is necessary.
It is not good to punish yourself and burden yourself
with more than you can bear, or with things that cause
physical harm, such as burning yourself with fire or standing
in the sun, etc. Rather punishment should take the form
of obliging yourself to do more righteous deeds,
without causing too much hardship, or depriving yourself of
things that you like. However, you know yourself best and
you know what makes you more lazy and pushes you
towards sin, and you should avoid these things.
Al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If the believer checks himself and sees some
shortcoming or he commits some sin, he should not take the
matter lightly, for that may lead to him committing sin
regularly and then it will be difficult for him to give up that
sin. Rather he should punish himself in a permissible
manner just as he would discipline his wife and children. It
was narrated that `Umar went out to a garden he owned,
then he came back and the people had prayed `Asr, so he
said, "I went out to my garden and when I came back the
people had prayed `Asr; I give my garden in charity for the poor."
And it was narrated that Tameem al-Daari (may
Allaah be pleased with him) slept one night and did not get up
to pray Tahajjud until dawn came, so he prayed qiyaam
al-layl for a year and did not sleep in order to punish
himself for sleeping that night.
Hassaan ibn Sinaan passed by a room and said,
"When was this built?" Then he thought to himself and said,
"Are you asking about something that is not your concern?
I will punish myself by fasting for a year," and he
fasted that year.
But with regard to punishments that cause physical
harm or involve doing something reprehensible, they are
not permissible. It was narrated that a man looked at a
woman, then he put his eyes out, and that another disobeyed
Allaah with his hand, so he put his hand into the fire until
it became paralyzed. Such actions are not permissible,
and a man cannot treat himself in this way.
From Mukhtasar Manhaaj al-Qaasideen.
And Allaah knows best.
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22877: He feels that his faith is weak and that worship
is burdensome
Question:
I have been a religious person for several years, but for
a few months I have been feeling that my mind and
heart are devoid of faith and will power. This matter
is tormenting me and I said to myself that perhaps this is
a touch from the Shaytaan or something like that, and
it will go away when Ramadaan comes. But it has not
gone away and I find it very difficult to pray qiyaam al-layl.
I have tried to read more Qur'aan despite this
waswaas and the distress it is causing me. My situation has
started to affect me socially, at work, in the family and in
my religion. Now I am living in torment because of this
and I cannot find the faith which I feel has been taken
away from me. I feel that I will have a bad end and that
my faith will never return to me and that a seal has been
placed over my heart. When I go to the mosque to pray, which
I have not stopped doing, I feel that I am not like the
other worshippers and I envy them for their faith. I also feel
put off by religion and often I cannot listen to the Qur'aan
or hadeeth, or listen to tapes, except with great
difficulty. This is tormenting me because I do not want this, and
I want to be like I was, a believer who loves the
religion because it is the truth, but I feel that I cannot control
my mind or my feelings. I have started to think about my
sins which I believe are the cause of this, and I have started
to remember many sins which I had forgotten, as if they
are appearing before me one after the other. Until now I
am living with this torment, misery and distress. I do not
know what has happened to me and what the solution and
the remedy is. Will my faith come back to me or is this a
bad end and a punishment from Allaah? Finally, please
do not forget to make du'aa' for me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
My brother, have great hope in Allaah, and do not let
the Shaytaan cause you to despair of the vast mercy of
Allaah which He has guaranteed for His believing slaves.
What you are telling yourself about this being a sign that
you will die following something other than that which
Allaah wants is only insinuating whispers (waswaas) from
the Shaytaan and his deviant ideas by means of which
he wants to tempt the slaves of Allaah and lead them
away from their religion. So he comes to a righteous slave
and whispers to him that his good deeds are of no avail,
or that he is doing them not for the sake of Allaah but
to show off to people, so that they will think he is good.
All of these are the usual ways with which the Shaytaan
tries to trick the slaves of Allaah, especially those who
show signs of being righteous _ of whom I think that you
are one, although I do not praise anyone before Allah _
to hinder their efforts. We seek refuge with Allaah from him.
You need to increase your hope and trust in Allaah
Who forgives all sins, and who accepts the slave who
seeks His protection and refuge, for He is the Most
Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving and the Most Loving.
You should increase your good deeds, such as
reading Qur'aan, giving charity, remembering Allaah
(dhikr), upholding the ties of kinship, etc. The weakness
which you feel also happens to others, for it is something
natural. How many people were examples followed by others
and had a great deal of drive and ambition, then they lost
their drive and ambition for a long time, then it came back
to them by the grace of Allaah. Remember the words of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): "Everybody has his time of energy, and every time
of energy is followed by a time of lethargy. But if a
person tries to follow a moderate path, then I have hope for
him, but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the
street), then do not think anything of him."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1995).
What is meant by "Everybody has his time of energy"
is eagerness for a thing, energy and the desire to do good.
What is meant by "every time of energy is followed by
a time of lethargy" is tiredness, weakness and lack
of movement.
"But if a person tries to follow a moderate path"
means that the one who has energy does his deeds in
moderation and avoids going to extremes when he is feeling
energetic and avoids being negligent when he is feeling lethargic.
"Then I have hope for him" means, I have hope that
he will be successful, for he can continue following a
middle course, and the most beloved deeds to Allaah are
those which are continuous.
"but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the
street)" means, if he strives hard and goes to extremes in
doing good deeds so that he will become famous for his
worship and asceticism, and he becomes famous and people
point him out to one another,
"then do not think anything of him" means, do not
think that he is one of the righteous, because he is showing
off. He did not say, "do not have hope for him," as
an indication that he has already fallen, and he will not
be able to make up for what he has missed out on.
[From Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi]
Think about this hadeeth, and relate it to your
own situation and the situation of others: you will see a
clear similarity. This hadeeth clearly states that man
goes through a stage of incomparable eagerness and great
focus and ambition, then suddenly he becomes weak and
loses that focus and eagerness and ambition. When he
reaches this stage, he must strive even harder to do
obligatory duties and avoid haraam things. If he does that, then
there is the hope that he will succeed and progress, but if
he falls into haraam things and stops doing obligatory
things, he will be lost and doomed.
So you must turn to Allaah a great deal, seek
His forgiveness and ask Him to make you steadfast until
death. I also advise you to keep away from haraam things.
May Allaah forgive your sins and make things easier for you.
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26985: Tempted by permissive channels and internet sites
Question:
I am a young man who is, unfortunately, tempted
by satellite channels and internet sites to such a degree that
I have fallen far short in religious matters. I hope that
you can help me and pray for me to be guided. May
Allaah reward you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon
the Messenger of Allaah.
We ask Allaah to guide you, and to ward off evil
and immorality from you, and to make you one of
His sincerely-devoted slaves. For Allaah may delay but
He never forgets. How can you be sure that when Allaah
sees you committing this sin, He is not going to say, "By
My Glory and Majesty, I will not forgive you"?
Look at these physical faculties with which you
are committing sin. Do you not see that Allaah is able
to deprive you of their blessings and to cause you the
pain of losing them?
Then look at how Allaah has concealed you (your
sin) and has been patient and forbearing with you. You
know about His protective jealousy over His slaves, so
how can you be sure that He will not become angry with
you and expose your affairs, so that people will come to
know your secrets and you will suffer scandal in this
world before the Hereafter?
Will you get anything from haraam looks apart from
grief, misery and darkness in the heart?
Even if you feel some pleasure for a day or two, or for
a month or a year… what will come after that?
Death… then the grave… then the Reckoning…
then torment, when all pleasure will vanish and only
sorrow will remain.
If you feel ashamed to let your brother see you
committing this sin, then how can you think of Allaah as the
least important of those who watch you?
Do you not know that Allaah can see you, and that
His angels are recording your deeds, and that tomorrow
(i.e., on the Day of Resurrection) your own limbs will
speak of what used to happen?
Think about what will become of you after you sin:
worry and distress in the heart, alienation between you
and Allaah, loss of humility… you give up praying at
night (qiyaam al-layl)… you forsake fasting… Tell me, by
your Lord, what is this life worth?
Every time you look at these devilish screens, a
black spot appears on your heart, until it is covered with
layers of blackness, then by the raan (stain) which
overwhelms the heart, and deprives you of the pleasure of
obeying Allaah and of the sweetness of faith.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "When a slave commits a sin, a black spot
appears on his heart. But if he give it up, seeks forgiveness
and repents, his heart will be cleansed, but if he repeats
it, (the blackness) will increase until it overwhelms his
heart. This is the raan which Allaah mentions:
`Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil
deeds) which they used to earn'
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 _ interpretation of the
meaning]."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3257; Ibn Maajah, 4234;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn
Maajah, 3422).
So be among those who give up sin, seek forgiveness
and repent. Beseech Allaah frequently to purify your heart
and protect your chastity, and to grant you refuge from
the traps of the Shaytaan.
Avoid everything that may call you to haraam things
or remind you of them, if you are sincere and really want
to repent.
Hasten to get this dish out of your house, and cut
your connection to these bad sites on the internet. Note
that the best means of helping yourself give up the
haraam things that you have gotten used to is to nip it in the
bud, and ward off every thought of looking that crosses
your mind, before it becomes a desire, wish or intention,
and then an action.
Al-Ghazzaali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"If the first inward thought is not warded off, it will
generate a desire, then the desire will generate a wish, and the
wish will generate an intention, and the intention will
generate the action, and the action will result in ruin and
divine wrath. So evil must be cut off at its root, which is when
it is simply a thought that crosses the mind, from which
all the other things follow on." (Ihyaa' `Uloom
al-Deen, 6/17).
This is based on the words of Allaah (interpretation
of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of
Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of
Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily, he commands AlFahsha' [i.e.
to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)],
and AlMunkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil
and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do what is forbidden
in Islam)]"
[al-Noor 24:21]
If you can do without the Internet altogether, then go
ahead and do that, until you feel that your heart and your
faith are stronger.
Strive to find righteous friends, strive to perform all
the prayers on time, and do a lot of naafil acts of
worship. Avoid being alone and thinking about haraam things
as much as possible.
Sincerity in seeking treatment opens the door to
good, and closes the door to evil.
We ask Allaah to enable us and you to repent sincerely.
And Allaah knows best.
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26811: How to control urges through fasting
Question:
My question is about fasting. But it is not concerning
The Holy month Ramadan. I mean fasting when one wants
to marry but has not the ability to do this at the moment.
I know that in Islam it is prescribed for this purpose, but
I do not what is the right ruling on this. I would like
to learn the exact time for iftar and sahur, how many days
in month one should fast, exactly which day of the week
it supposed to be as well.Please provide me with as
much as you can details about that. And Allah knows best.
May the peace and blessings of Him be upon all you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. This pure monotheistic religion
came to teach people how to control urges so that the
Muslim individual who is distinguished by his character
and behaviour would not remain a prisoner to his desires
like an animal. Islam prescribes rulings, both obligatory
and mustahabb, to protect him against the bad effects of
being driven by his desires. Among these rulings is
the prescription of fasting for those who cannot find
the natural outlet for these desires in marriage, as
`Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
narrated, "We were young men with the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not
have anything (i.e., we could not afford to get married).
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said to us, `O young men, whoever
among you can afford to get married, then let him do so, for it
is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding
chastity. And whoever is not able to do that, then let him fast,
for that will be a shield for him.'" (al-Bukhaari,
5066; Muslim, 1400). Fasting reduces the effects that
desires have on young people.
Although this ruling is addressed to young men, it
may become more essential when there is more
temptation and the means and motives for committing evil
increase, especially for those who live in societies in which
there is a great deal of wanton display and promiscuity. So
they should be keen to do this act of worship in order to
protect their chastity and religious commitment. As well
as fasting, a person may seek help though praying to
Allaah to protect his religious commitment and honour, and
to make it easy for him to get married, as marriage
protects one's chastity. He may also help himself by
remembering the reward in Paradise that Allaah has prepared for
those who steadfastly obey His commands and guard
their chastity, namely al-hoor al-`iyn.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
21284: What can we do about the slaughter of Muslims
in Palestine and around the world?
Question:
What is our stance concerning the slaughter of
Muslims in Palestine and other parts of the world that is
happening right now, where houses are being destroyed, farms
are being wrecked, children are being killed, the
wounded are being detained in the streets, houses are
being bombarded and people are being prevented by the
Jews and others, from buying the food and drink that they
need? What can I, as a Muslim, do?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1- You have to make du'aa', and recite du'a' al-qunoot
in your salaah (prayer).
2- Collect charity and send it through
trustworthy channels.
3- Support the weak and oppressed in all ways,
including the media and the internet.
4- Get scholars, daa'iyahs, khateebs and writers to
explain the oppression that is happening and the negligence
on the part of the ummah, and to mobilize the ummah
to defend the holy places.
5- Check on one's own intentions with regard to
fighting for the sake of Allaah, and see whether he is applying
the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him): "Whoever dies without having fought for
the sake of Allaah or having had the intention of doing
so, has died following one of the branches of
hypocrisy." (Saheeh Muslim, no. 3533)
6- Pursuing all the means of building up material
and moral strength, in preparation for meeting the enemy
(in battle).
7- Reminding oneself and others of the virtues
of martyrdom for the sake of Allaah and studying the
rulings on jihad, and not having an attachment to this world.
8- Doing as much damage as possible to the enemies
who are in a state of war with us, by boycotting their
products, attacking them verbally and in writing to humiliate
and annoy them, and to point out their kufr and shirk,
and their insults to Allaah, His Messenger and the
believers, publishing as much as possible in the audio-visual
and print media about this serious topic whilst also
connecting that to Islamic belief and the words of Allaah and
His Messenger,
We ask Allaah the Exalted and All-Powerful to
support His religion and cause His word to prevail.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
22860: How can I define my stance?
Question:
Sometimes the Muslims is faced with situation
concerning which he does not know what position he should
take, whether those matters are political, da'wah-related,
social or even personal. How can I find out the correct way
of dealing with a situation with which I am faced?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
I thank you for your question and ask Allaah to grant
us and you strength, steadfastness and wisdom, and to
show us what is true and help us to follow it, and to show
us what is false and help us to avoid it, and not to let it
confuse us and lead us astray… With regard to what you
asked about, my comments on it are as follows:
You should note that we are not obliged to define
our stance or opinion on every issue or event that
occurs, simply because much of what occurs does not
concern us. With regard to the things that do concern us and
on which we should form opinions, they are of
different types:
1 _ Matters which because of their depth and breadth
go beyond the limits of our knowledge and
understanding. Concerning these matters we must consult the
opinions of specialists, scholars, researchers or experts, as
much as possible.
2 _ Matters which are so clear that they have become
the talk of gatherings and the media. We can form an
opinion on such matters by reconciling between the views of
those whom we trust and some of the reports.
3 _ Matters within our own private circle. These
require us to look at all the alternatives and weigh up the
pros and cons of each, then compare them objectively.
This will enable us to form an initial idea, then we can
consult others and seek the opinions of people who have
prior experience in this field, or those whose opinions we
trust. Whoever consults people will benefit from
their experience and knowledge. As time goes by and we
make mistakes and benefit from our experience, we
will accumulate experience and more understanding, and
will develop the ability to evaluate things. In the light of
this experience we will be able to form our own opinions.
May Allaah help you and protect you, and make
you steadfast in adhering to the path of truth and goodness.
Ahmad al-Muqbil: Islam today (www.islam-qa.com)
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13308: The enmity of Shaytaan towards man
Question:
I want to know some details about the Shaytaan _
can you help me?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
When Iblees refused to prostrate to Adam, Allaah
expelled him from heaven and the curse of Allaah is upon
him until the Day of Resurrection. Allaah said to him:
"Then get out from here; for verily, you are outcast.
And verily, My Curse is on you till the Day
of Recompense"
[Saad 38:77-78 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Then he asked Allaah to grant him respite until
the Resurrection, and He granted him that:
"(Iblees) said: `Allow me respite till the Day they
are raised up (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).'
(Allaah) said: `You are of those respited'"
[al-A'raaf 7:14-15 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees felt safe from destruction, he rebelled
and transgressed:
"(Iblees) said: `Because You have sent me astray,
surely, I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on
Your straight path.
Then I will come to them from before them and
behind them, from their right and from their left, and You
will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will
not be dutiful to You)'"
[al-A'raaf 7:16-17 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees said that, Allaah said to him:
"(Allaah) said: `Go, and whosoever of them follows
you, surely, Hell will be the recompense of you (all) an
ample recompense.
And befool them gradually those whom you can
among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any
other call for Allaah's disobedience), make assaults on
them with your cavalry and your infantry, share with
them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money
by illegal ways usury, or by committing illegal
sexual intercourse), and make promises to them.' But
Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
`Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of
Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them.
And AllSufficient is your Lord as a Guardian'"
[al-Israa' 17:62-64 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Hence the Shaytaan declared his evil and his
enmity towards the children of Adam, so he started to make
sin attractive to them and to tempt them with haraam
and evil things, and to enjoin evil and immoral actions
upon them. Thus most of the people were deceived by him
and they fell into those sins and haraam things:
"And indeed Iblees (Satan) did prove true his
thought about them, and they followed him, all except a group
of true believers (in the Oneness of Allaah)"
[Saba' 34:20 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Everything that happens among the sons of Adam of
kufr, murder, enmity, hatred, the spread of immorality and
zina, the wanton display of women's beauty, drinking
alcohol, worshipping idols and other major sins, is all the work
of the Shaytaan, in order to prevent people from
following the way of Allaah and to corrupt mankind and drag
them to the Fire of Hell with him:
"O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of
alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and AlAnsaab (stone altars),
and AlAzlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are
an abomination of Shaytaan's (Satan's) handiwork. So
avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may
be successful.
Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and
hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks)
and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of
Allaah and from As Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not
then abstain?"
[al-Maa'idah 5:90-91 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah has warned us against following the Shaytaan
and walking in his footsteps, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of
Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of
Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily, he commands Al Fahshaa' [i.e.
to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and
Al Munkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil
and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do what is forbidden
in Islam)]
[al-Noor 24:21]
When a person turns away from Allaah, the Shaytaan
gains control over him and encourages him to commit sin
and transgression:
"See you not that We have sent the Shayaateen
(devils) against the disbelievers to push them to do evil
[Maryam 19:83 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Everyone who turns away from Allaah and follows
the Shaytaan is only destroying his own self and is a loser
in this world and in the Hereafter:
"And whoever takes Shaytaan (Satan) as a Wali
(protector or helper) instead of Allaah, has surely, suffered a
manifest loss
[al-Nisa' 4:119 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The Shaytaan uses strange ways to tempt people; he
has corrupted many of mankind and made their evil
deeds attractive to them, so he is the cause of their going
to Hell, what a terrible fate!
"He [Shaytaan (Satan)] makes promises to them,
and arouses in them false desires; and Shaytaan's
(Satan) promises are nothing but deceptions.
The dwelling of such (people) is Hell, and they will
find no way of escape from it
[al-Nisa' 4:120-121 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The enmity of the Shaytaan towards Adam and his descendents is ancient. Allaah caused Adam and his
wife to dwell in Paradise, then the Shaytaan came to
Adam and made sin attractive to him, so Adam obeyed
him, thinking that he was sincere. Thus Adam disobeyed
his Lord and was expelled from Paradise, then
Allaah accepted his repentance. Allaah warns us against
obeying the Shaytaan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan (Satan)
deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa'
(Eve)] out of Paradise
[al-A'raaf 7:27]
Because the enmity of Shaytaan towards mankind is
so clear and obvious, Allaah tells us to beware of him and
to declare war on him and to show enmity to him, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so
take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his
Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of
the blazing Fire
[Faatir 35:6]
Allaah has told us to seek refuge with Allaah from
the outcast Shaytaan every time we think of sinning. He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries
to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good),
then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the
All Knower
[Fussilat 41:36]
On the Day of Resurrection, the Day of truth and
justice, the Shaytaan will confess to his crimes and will
declare before all of creation that Allaah is the One Who tells
the truth and that he is a liar. He will say that there is
no blame on him; rather the blame is on those who
followed him. Then everyone who followed him will regret it,
but at that time regret will be of no avail:
"And Shaytaan (Satan) will say when the matter has
been decided: `Verily, Allaah promised you a promise of
truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had
no authority over you except that I called you, and
you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame
yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your
former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with
Allaah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is
a painful torment for the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers)'"
[Ibraaheem 14:22 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad
ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwaijri (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
10459: Protecting oneself from temptation in
permissive countries
Question:
How should the Muslim youth who have left the
Muslim countries to study in America protect themselves
from the temptations, besides the option of marriage.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. We have to note that marriage is
the natural solution, and when we think of alternatives
we think of them as being temporary. There are two
things which will help to combat the effects of desire:
1. Strengthening that which prevents us from giving
into it. This includes strengthening our faith, fearing
Allaah and His punishment, strengthening our resolve and
will-power, and understanding the consequences of
following our desires, in this world and the next.
2. Weakening the motives, which is achieved by
fasting and by keeping away from that which provokes
desire, foremost among which is looking at haraam things
and keeping bad company.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Duwaysh
Doing all kinds of acts of worship prescribed in
sharee'ah and keeping yourself busy with that is the greatest help
in protecting oneself from forbidden temptations.
These young people should keep themselves busy in
reciting Qur'aan, remembering Allaah, making du'aa', fasting
and calling others to Allaah, and establishing for
themselves their own community where they can worship Allaah
and come together to do good. Each of them should
devote himself to worshipping Allaah during his free time
and keep remembering Allaah when he is busy, even in
the library and classroom, so that his heart will be with
his Lord even when his body is with the kuffaar. This will
be one of the greatest means of keeping safe. And Allaah
is the Source of strength. Islam Q&A.Sheikh
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
11498: Warding off thoughts of zinaa
Question:
what should u do if u find urself thinking abt zina
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Thinking about zinaa may mean one of two things.
(1) It may be merely thoughts that cross the mind,
without becoming a firm resolve. A person cannot be blamed
for this, but it is better to rid oneself of these thoughts so
that they do not lead to anything else.
(2) It may be an established thought accompanied
by resolve and intention. In this case, the person must
hasten to deal with it in a number of ways, including
the following:
1- Seriously thinking of getting married, because this
is the shar'i and natural protection for the Muslim man
and woman.
2- Fasting if one cannot get married.
3- Muslim men and women should strive to
strengthen their eemaan (faith) by reading Qur'aan, praying
naafil prayers and doing other kinds of acts of worship.
4- Taking care to choose righteous friends.
5- Keeping away from everything that might
provoke desire; one of the most obvious of these is looking at
things which are haraam.
6- Remembering the punishment for zinaa in this
world and in the Hereafter, and that its evil affects far
outweigh the immediate pleasure that a person may experience.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Duwaysh (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
8197: He feels that his faith decreases when he is
apart from righteous brothers
Question:
I started to adhere to the religion of Allaah about a
month ago, praise be to Allaah. I feel strong when I am
with some of the righteous brothers, but when I am away
from them because I am busy or because of work, I feel
that my faith is decreasing. What advice can you give me?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We advise you to stick to good companions, and if
you have to leave them because of some work, then fear
Allaah and remember that He is always watching you, and He
is greater than them. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Surely, Allaah is Ever an All Watcher over you"
[al-Nisaa' 4:1]
"Who sees you (O Muhammad) when you stand up
(alone at night for Tahajjud prayers).
And your movements among those who fall prostrate
(to Allaah in the five compulsory congregational prayers
[al-Shu'araa' 26:218-219]
"Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us"
[al-Tawbah 9:40]
Allaah is always watching you, so fear Allaah.
Remember that you are in front of Him and that He can see you
when you obey Him and when you disobey Him. So fear
the punishment of Allaah and beware lest you do
anything that earns His wrath. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And Allaah warns you against Himself
(His punishment)" [Aal `Imraan 3:30]
"and fear none but Me" [al-Baqarah 2:40]
You have to be sincere towards Allaah and adhere
firmly to the religion of Allaah when you are alone and
when you are with your friends. Wherever you are, Allaah
can hear what you are saying and can see what you are
doing, so you have to feel more shy of Allaah than you do
of your family and other people.
From Fataawa wa Maqaalaat mutanawwi'ah li
Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn
`Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 9, p.
39 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
6882: He feels that he is falling short and the Shaytaan
is discouraging him from trying to improve himself
Question:
Hamdulliah, I am a muslim...but I feel I am not
a moumin..I always feel uncomfortable with the way I
am living..from time to time I get this feeling of
uncomfort, that " Where is my place in hereafter..? I don't feel
happy about anything good in my life because of my this
feeling.. I always regret when I miss my prayers ...I feel to do
lot of good things as Allah wants me to do, so that I will
get in to paradise with Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h)..but I
end up doing nothing.. I want to learn islam for myself
and dedicate my life for it.. What I request you is steps
to start...
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
These feelings that you mention in your question
stem from good motives, in sha Allaah, and result from
your feelings that you are falling short and want to
purify yourself and raise your level spiritually. But it is
important not to let them lead you to despair; they should
motivate you to improve yourself. Make the most of these
feelings of shortcoming to push you to strive; don't let them
make you sink to a lower level or be content with the status
quo and not try to change.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to seek refuge with Allaah in his du'aa's from
feeling helpless and laziness, and he taught us to strive to
do things which will benefit us in this world and in
the Hereafter. He told us: "Strive to do that which will
benefit you, and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel
helpless." (Narrated by Muslim, no. 4816). Always be conscious
of Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah (by doing all that
He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He
has forbidden) as He should be feared. (Obey Him, be
thankful to Him, and remember Him always,) and die not
except in a state of Islam [as Muslims (with complete
submission to Allaah)]." [Aal `Imraan 3:102]
Remember His promise and warning, for He has
promised His righteous close friends forgiveness and a great reward:
"Allaah has promised those who believe (in the
Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism) and do deeds
of righteousness, that for them there is forgiveness and
a great reward (i.e. Paradise)" [al-Maa'idah 5:9
_ interpretation of the meaning]
And He has issued a warning to those who stray from
the straight path and who disobey His commands:
"Allaah has promised the hypocrites — men and
women — and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell" [al-Tawbah
9:68 _ interpretation of the meaning].
This is so that people will always remain in a state
between fear and hope, and so that they will know that the
promise of Allaah is true and they will not get carried away
with this life, but will prepare themselves for the Meeting
with Him.
"O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allaah is true. So
let not this present life deceive you, and let not the
chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allaah" [Faatir
35:5 _ interpretation of the meaning]
Remember Allaah much, for this will bring peace of
mind and grant rest to the heart.
"Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allaah —
Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in
the remembrance of Allaah verily, in the remembrance
of Allaah do hearts find rest" [al-Ra'd 13:28 _
interpretation of the meaning]
You must seek forgiveness for the commandments
of Allaah that you have failed to obey, for Allaah has
made the gate of repentance open to every sinner.
Muslim narrated in al-Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah spreads out His
hand at night to accept the repentance of those who have
sinned during the day, and He spreads out His hand during
the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at
night, (and this will continue) until the sun rises from the
west." (Saheeh Muslim, 4954)
It was also reported that he (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah says, `O son of Adam, so
long as you call on Me and put your hope in Me, I will
forgive whatever you have done, and I will not mind. O son
of Adam, even if your sins were to reach the clouds of
the sky, then you were to seek My forgiveness, I would
forgive you and I will not mind. O son of Adam, if you were
to come to me with an earthful of sins, and you were
to meet Me not associating anything in worship with Me,
I will come to you with an earthful of
forgiveness.'" (narrated by al-Tirmidhi with a hasan isnaad.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 3463). If a Muslim strives to obey
Allaah, Allaah will make for him a way out from every
difficulty. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to
Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from
every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources)
he never could imagine" [al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
Always adhere to the obligatory duties and keep
away from haraam things, then turn your attention to
things that are mustahabb and strive to do more of them,
little by little, so that you will not feel put off or bored.
Finally, beware of procrastination, for it will prevent
you from doing good deeds. If you start to do something,
then hasten to do it and do not slow down or neglect
it. Hastening to do such things is a praiseworthy action:
"And march forth in the way (which leads to)
forgiveness from your Lord…" [Aal `Imraan 3:133 _
interpretation of the meaning]. If you start to do something, then
stick to it, even if it is only a little, for the most beloved
of deeds to Allaah are those that are continuous, even if
they are little. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
6578: How can a person deal with the temptation to
show off?
Question:
This is an important issue which i want to know
about, what happens is that whenever i do something good,
i look for people to appreciate it, in other words to
show off, i know it is not allowed in Islam to show off, but
how can we get rid of this feeling, i try to but eventually i
get into it.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who wants to stop himself showing off has to
do the following things to rid himself of this problem:
He should remember that Allaah is always watching
His slave.
This is the status of "ihsaan" which Jibreel (peace be
upon him) mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), which is that "you should
worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and even though you
cannot see Him, He can see you." (Narrated by Muslim, 97).
When a person feels that Allaah is always watching
him, what other people think will become insignificant,
and this will make him respect and fear only Allaah.
Seeking the help of Allaah to rid himself of the habit
of showing off.
Allaah says that the believers should say
(interpretation of the meaning): "You (Alone) we worship, and
You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)"
[al-Faatihah 1:5].
One of the things that will be of benefit in this matter
is seeking the help of Allaah and calling upon Him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O people, beware of this shirk, for it is more subtle
than the footsteps of an ant. The one whom Allaah
willed should speak said to him, "How can we beware of it
when it is more subtle than the footsteps of an ant, O
Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Say, Allaahumma innaa
na'oodhu bika min an nushrika bika shay'an na'lamuhu
wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na'lam (O Allaah, we seek
refuge with You from knowingly associating anything with
You, and we seek Your forgiveness for that which we
do unknowingly)."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 4/403; classed as saheeh by
Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3731).
Knowing the effects of showing off and how it will
be judged in the Hereafter.
Not knowing this leads to one falling into this sin
or persisting in it. One should realize that showing
off destroys all one's actions (i.e., cancels out the
reward), and that it brings the wrath of Allaah. The wise
person does not waste his energy in doing things that do not
bring any reward, let alone deeds that bring the wrath and
anger of Allaah.
One of the greatest ahaadeeth concerning the
punishment in the Hereafter of those who show off is the
following, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:
"When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allaah, may
He be blessed and exalted, will come down to judge
between His slaves, and every nation will be kneeling. The
first ones to be called forth will be a man who learned
the Qur'aan by heart, a man who fought for the sake of
Allaah, and a man who had a lot of wealth. Allaah will say to
the Qur'aan-reader, `Did I not teach you that which I
revealed to My Messenger?' He will say, `Yes, O Lord.' He
will say, `What did you do with that which I taught you?'
He will say, `I used to read it night and day.' Allaah will
say to him, `You have lied,' and the angels will say to
him, `You have lied.' Allaah will say, `Rather you wanted it
to be said that So and so is a reader of Qur'aan, and that
is what was said.' Then the wealthy man will be
brought forth, and Allaah will say to him, `Did I not give
you ample provision so that I did not leave you in need
of anybody?' He will say, `Yes, O Lord.' He will say,
`What did you do with that which I gave you?' He will say,
`I used to uphold the ties of kinship and give in
charity.' Allaah will say to him, `You have lied,' and the
angels will say to him, `You have lied.' Allaah will say,
`Rather you wanted it to be said that So and so is generous,
and that is what was said.' Then the one who was killed
for the sake of Allaah will be brought forth and Allaah
will say to him, `Why were you killed?' He will say, `I
was commanded to fight in Jihaad for Your sake, so I
fought until I was killed.' Allaah will say to him, `You have
lied,' and the angels will say to him, `You have lied.'
Allaah will say, `You wanted it to be said that So and so
was courageous, and that is what was said.'" Then
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) struck my knee and said, "O Abu
Hurayrah, these three are the first of the creation of Allaah who
will be dragged into the Fire on the Day of Resurrection."
(Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi,
2382; classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan, 408, and
Ibn Khuzaymah, 2482).
Thinking about the punishment in this world for
showing off
Just as there will be a punishment in the Hereafter
for showing off, so too there is a punishment for it in
this world, which is that Allaah will expose him and make
his bad intentions known to others. This is one of
the interpretations of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"Whoever shows off, Allaah will expose him."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6134; Muslim; 2986).
Ibn Hajar said: al-Khattaabi said, this means:
whoever does something that is not sincerely for the sake of
Allaah, merely wanting people to see him and hear him, will
be punished for that _ Allaah will expose him and
make known what he is concealing.
It was said that whoever does something with the
intention of gaining status and prestige among people, and
does not seek the Face of Allaah by doing it, Allaah will
make him the subject of bad speech among the people in
whose eyes he wanted to gain status, and he will have no
reward for it in the Hereafter.
(Fath al-Baari, 11/336)
Concealing worship and not making a display of it
The further away a person gets from places where
his worship can be seen, the safer he is from showing
off. Whoever looks for places where people gather,
the Shaytaan makes him keen to show off his worship so
that they will praise him for it.
The acts of worship which should be hidden are
those which are not obligatory or those in which it is not
the Sunnah to do them openly, such as Qiyaam al-Layl,
and giving charity, and the like. This does not apply to
giving the Adhaan, praying in congregation and other
things which cannot and should not _ according to sharee'ah
_ be hidden.
We ask Allaah to make our words and deeds sincere,
and to forgive us for what we commit of showing off.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
4094: What should a person do if he thinks there is evil
in him or that the evil outweighs the good?
Question:
What should one do if he sees that he has inherent evil
in him; such that, the evil outweighs the good?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Man is a weak being, who feels inclinations towards
both good and evil. He may be weak and be tempted to
follow the path of immorality and deviation, and evil may
push him to the way of wrongdoing and transgression.
The Shaytaan may make evil deeds attractive to him,
and justify every deviant action to him.
But the element of good may stir his conscience,
make him feel regret and push him to come back to the
truth and respond to the call of reason.
People vary with regard to their capability,
willpower, purity of soul and spirituality. Some of them
train themselves to follow the way of virtue, noble deeds
and right attitudes, so they resist their desires and
deviant inclinations, and make themselves adhere to the
straight and right way. These people can confront evil and
bear all kinds of hardship for that purpose. They never
lose hope that good will prevail and evil will be defeated.
Others follow their desires and cannot adhere to what
is right. They ignore many of the commands of Allaah
and His Messenger, and are too weak to confront evil. So
they have no hope that good will prevail. It all depends
on whether or not a person is striving against his desires
and his own self that bids him to do evil, so that he will
receive guidance from Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We
will surely guide them to Our paths" [al-`Ankaboot 29:69]
There follow some beautiful expressions of this
striving, as uttered by Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy
on him:
"O feet of patience, keep going, for what remains is
only a little. Remember the sweetness of worship, then
the bitterness of striving will become easier for you."
(al-Fawaa'id)
"Go out to the field of struggle and strive to sow
seeds. Irrigate the tree of regret with the water of tears…"
(Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id, 3/742)
"It was said: Love is sincerity in striving to obey
the commands of Allaah and pure sincerity in following
the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)." (Tareeq
al-Hijratayn, 1/460)
"Whoever gives up striving completely, his
religious motives will become weak and his motive to follow
his desires will become strong, but when he trains himself
to go against his desires, he can defeat them whenever
he wants." (`Uddat al-Saabireen, 1/46)
The believer who is striving knows that goodness
will remain and will prevail, no matter how intense
the darkness, how great the calamity, how prevalent
and widespread the evil and how many limits are
transgressed. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (180 pages)
3749: Ways to help oneself pray Qiyaam al-Layl
Question:
What are some ways that help to pray Qiyam Allayl or
tahajjud??
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many things that one can do to help
oneself pray qiyaam al-layl, among which are the following:
1 _ Being sincere towards Allaah, as He has
commanded us to be sincere towards Him and none other in our
deeds. He tells us (interpretation of the meaning):
"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah,
and worship none but Him Alone…" [al-Bayyinah
98:5]. The more sincere a person is towards Allaah, the more he
will be guided and helped to obey Allaah and draw closer
to Him. Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Give glad tidings to this ummah
of splendour, religion, high rank, victory and prevalence
on earth. Whoever does the deeds of the Hereafter to
gain some worldly benefit, will have no share of the
Hereafter." (Reported by Ahmad. Saheeh
al-Jaami', 2825). Mutarraf ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn al-Shakheer said: "The goodness
of a deed is related to the goodness of the heart, and
the goodness of the heart is related to the goodness of
the intention." Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: "The degree to which a person is helped
and aided by Allaah depends on the degree of his
intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allaah comes to
people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and
fears, and failure comes to them in like manner."
Therefore the salaf were very keen to conceal their
acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked
Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him),
`How do you pray at night?' He got very angry and said,
`By Allaah, one rak'ah that I pray in secret in the small
hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the
whole night long and then telling people about it.' Ayyoob
al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer,
then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and
lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice
as if he had just woken up.
2 _ The person who wants to pray qiyaam al-layl
should realize that Allaah is calling him to qiyaam. When
the slave realizes that his Master, Who has no need of
people's worship, is calling him to do this, he will respond.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you wrapped
in your garments (i.e., Prophet Muhammad)! Stand (to
pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less
than that, or a little more; and recite the Qur'aan (aloud) in
a slow, (pleasant tone and) style."
[al-Muzzammil 73:1-4].
Sa'd ibn Hishaam ibn `Aamir said to `Aa'ishah
(may Allaah be pleased with her): "Tell me about how
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) prayed qiyaam." She said: "Have you not
read "Yaa ayyuha'l-muzzammil (O you wrapped in
your garments!)?" He said, "Of course." She said:
"Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified, made qiyaam
obligatory at the beginning of this soorah, so the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his
companions prayed qiyaam for a year, and Allaah withheld the end
of this soorah for twelve months, until He
revealed something at the end of this soorah to make things
easier, so qiyaam al-layl became voluntary after it had
been obligatory." (Reported by Muslim).
3 _ Knowing the virtues of qiyaam al-layl.
Whoever knows the virtues of this act of worship will be keen
to talk to Allaah, may He be exalted, and to stand
before Him at that time. Among the reports that describe
the virtues of this act of worship is the hadeeth of
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The best of prayers after the prescribed prayers is
prayer in the depths of the night, and the best of fasting after
the month of Ramadaan is fasting the month of
Allaah, Muharram."
(reported by Muslim).
`Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr (may Allaah be pleased with
them both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The most beloved of
prayer to Allaah is the prayer of Dawood, and the most
beloved of fasts to Allaah is the fast of Dawood. He used to
sleep for half of the night, then get up and pray for a third of
the night, then sleep for a sixth of the night, and he used
to fast every other day." (Agreed upon).
`Amr ibn `Absah reported that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The closest
that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night,
so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at
that time, then do so."
(Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i).
According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas'ood
(may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Our Lord
admires two men: a man who leaves his mattress and cover,
and slips away from his wife and lover, to go and pray.
Allaah says, `O My angels, look at My slave. He has left
his mattress and cover and slipped away from his lover
and wife to pray, our of hope for what is with Me and out
of fear of what is with Me."
(Reported by Ahmad. It is a hasan report. Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 258).
Qiyaam al-Layl expels forgetfulness from the heart, as
is stated in the hadeeth narrated by `Abd-Allaah ibn
`Amr ibn al-`Aas (may Allaah be pleased with them both),
in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever recites ten aayaat in qiyaam
will not be recorded as one of the forgetful. Whoever recites
a hundred aayaat in qiyaam will be recorded as one of
the devout [???], and whoever prays a thousand aayaat
in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the
muqantareen (those who pile up good deeds)."
(Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report.
Saheeh al-Targheeb, 635).
Yahyaa ibn Mu'aadh said: "The medicine of the heart
is five things: reading Qur'aan and pondering the
meaning, having an empty stomach, praying at night (qiyaam
al-layl), beseeching Allaah at the time of suhoor, and
keeping company with righteous people."
4 _ Studying how the salaf and righteous people
practised qiyaam al-layl and adhered to it. The salaf used to
enjoy qiyaam al-layl and rejoice greatly in doing it.
`Abd-Allaah ibn Wahb said: "Every type of pleasure is enjoyed
only once, except for acts of worship, which are enjoyed
three times: when you do it, when you remember it, and
when you are given the reward for it."
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: "There is nothing
left of the joys of this life except three: qiyaam al-layl,
meeting one's brothers in faith, and praying in congregation."
Thaabit al-Banaani said: "There is nothing I enjoy
more than qiyaam al-layl."
Yazeed al-Riqaashi said: "A lot of tahajjud brings
delight to the worshippers, and a lot of thirst (i.e., fasting),
brings joy when they meet Allaah."
Mukhallad ibn Husayn said: "I never woke up at
night except I saw Ibraaheem ibn Adham remembering
Allaah and praying, and this made me depressed, so I
consoled myself with this aayah (interpretation of the
meaning): `…That is the Grace of Allaahm which He bestows
on whom He pleases. And Allaah is the Owner of
Great Bounty' [al-Hadeed 54:21]."
Abu `Aasim al-Nabeel said: "Abu Haneefah used to
be called al-Watad (pole or pillar) because he prayed
so much."
Al-Qaasim ibn Ma'een said: "Abu Haneefah spent
an entire night in qiyaam reciting this aayah
(interpretation of the meaning): `Nay, but the Hour is their
appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will
be more grievous and more bitter' [al-Qamar
54:46], repeating it and weeping, beseeching Allaah until
morning came."
Ibraaheem ibn Shammaas said: "I used to see Ahmad
ibn Hanbal staying up at night to pray when he was a
young man."
Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: "I was with Imaam
Ahmad for nearly four months in the army, and he never
stopped praying qiyaam at night or reading Qur'aan during
the day, and I never knew when he completed the
Qur'aan, because he kept that secret."
Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and tahajjud
at night until the time of suhoor, and he would read
between a half and a third of the Qur'aan, and complete it at
suhoor every third night.
Al-`Allaamah Ibn `Abd al-Haadi said, describing
the qiyaam of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah: "At night
he would keep away from people, and spend that time
only with his Lord, beseeching Him continually and
reciting Qur'aan, repeating different kinds of acts of worship
by night and by day. When he began to pray, his body
would start to tremble, leaning to the left and right."
Ibn Rajab said concerning his shaykh Imaam Ibn
al-Qayyim: "He was a man of worship, tahajjud and
lengthy prayers. I have never seen his equal in worship
and knowledge of the Qur'aan, hadeeth and principles
of faith."
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his shaykh
al-Haafiz al-`Iraaqi: "I stayed with him, and I never saw him
forsake qiyaam al-layl: it was like a habit for him."
5 _ Sleeping on one's right side. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his ummah
to sleep on their right sides, as is reported in the hadeeth
of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him),
who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "When any one of you goes to bed,
let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for
he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let
him lie down on his right side, then let him say,
`Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uhu. In amsakta
nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu
bihi `ibaadaka al-saaliheen (In Your Name, my Lord, I
lay myself down and I get up again. If You take my soul,
then have mercy on it, and if You send it back to me,
then protect it with that with which You protect Your
righteous slaves).'" (Agreed upon).
Al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "When you want to go to bed,
do wudoo' as for prayer, then lie down on your right
side." (Agreed upon)
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
"When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) went to bed, he would put his right hand under his
right cheek." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, Saheeh
al-Jaami', 4523).
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: "There is a reason for his lying on his right
side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a
person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because
the heart's position will be too comfortable, but if he
sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he
won't sleep deeply."
6 _ Sleeping in a state of tahaarah (purity). We
have already quoted the hadeeth of al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib
(may Allaah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "When
you go to bed, do wudoo' as if for prayer." (Agreed upon).
Mu'aad ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no Muslim who goes to
sleep remembering Allaah and in a state of purity, and when
he turns over he asks Allaah for good in this world and
the next, but it will be given to him." (Reported by
Abu Dawood and Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami', 5754).
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them
both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Purify these bodies and Allaah
will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in
a state of purity but an angel spends the night with
him, and every time he turns over, [the angel] says, `O
Allaah, forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of
purity.'" (Reported by al-Tabaraani. Al-Mundhiri said, its
isnaad is jaayid. Saheeh al-Jaami', 3831).
7 _ Going to sleep early. Sleeping straight after `Ishaa'
is the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and a good and healthy habit. One of
the ahaadeeth that describe its virtues was narrated by
Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allaah be pleased with him)
who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to prefer to delay `Ishaa', and he did
not like to sleep before it or talk after it. (Reported by
al-Bukhaari).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar reported that al-Qaadi `Ayaad
said, concerning the phrase "He did not like to sleep
before it": "Because that could lead to one praying it too late,
or delaying it until after the preferred time, and talking
after it could lead to one sleeping before Fajr and missing
it, or missing qiyaam al-layl."
Ibn Raafi' said: " `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah
be pleased with him) used to wave his stick at the
people when darkness fell, and would say, `Get up and go,
may Allaah help you to pray qiyaam at night!'"
Another matter that has to do with sleep is choosing
a suitable bed, not one that is excessively luxurious or
soft, because that makes a person sleep too much and
become negligent, and causes laziness and carelessness.
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The pillow of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
on which he slept at night was made of leather stuffed
with palm fibres." (Reported by Abu Dawood and
Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami', 4714).
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab entered upon the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) when he was lying on a mat of palm fibres that had
left marks on his side. `Umar said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, why do you not get something more comfortable
than this?" He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "What do I have to do with this world?
My relationship with this world is like that of a traveller on
a hot summer's day, who seeks shade under a tree for
an hour, then moves on."
(Reported by Ahmad and al-Haakim. Saheeh
al-Jaami', 5545).
`Ali ibn Bakkaar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
used to have a slave-woman who would spread out his bed
for him, and he would touch it with his hand and say:
"By Allaah, you are good, and by Allaah you are cool, but
by Allaah I will not rest on you tonight." Then he would
get up and pray qiyaam until Fajr.
Also, one should not sleep too much or too
deeply. Ibraaheem ibn Adham said: "If you are sleeping at
night, and running about during the day, and always
committing sin, how can you earn the pleasure of the One Who
is directing your affairs?"
8 _ Having the habit of reciting adhkaar prescribed
by sharee'ah before going to sleep, because these
adhkaar are like a fortress which protects a person from
the Shaytaan, by the permission of Allaah, and helps him
to get up for qiyaam. Among these adhkaar is that
mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When any one of you
goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his
garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it.
Then let him lie down on his right side, then let him
say, `Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uhu.
In amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa
fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu bihi `ibaadaka
al-saaliheen (In Your Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up again. If
You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You send
it back to me, then protect it with that with which You
protect Your righteous slaves).'"
(Agreed upon).
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported
that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) went to bed each night, he would put his
palms together, blow in them, and recite Qul huwa Allaahu
ahad, Qul a'oodhu bi Rabbi'l-Falaq and
Qul a'oodhu bi Rabbi'l-Naas, then he | 
