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Three Lasting Good Deeds

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “When a man dies, his

deeds come to an end except for three

things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless

charity); knowledge which is

beneficial; or a virtuous descendant

who prays for him (the deceased).”

[Sahih Muslim]

4

• “His deeds come to an end” means that

he/she is not able to perform any deeds

any more and therefore does not receive

reward for actions anymore. But there

are three categories of actions for which

he/she can receive reward even after

death.

5

• First, Sadaqah Jariyah: This is any good

deed done from which people continue

to benefit despite the demise of the

person who originated it. For example,

the establishment of a madrassa or

masjid from which people are rightly

guided will be sadaqah jariya for the

person who established it. Having a well

dug or a shade or fruit tree planted will

also accrue good deeds for a person, as

long as the well or tree benefits people.

6

• Second, “knowledge which is beneficial”

means knowledge imparted verbally or

by any other means through which

people become better Muslims. As long

as people benefit from this knowledge,

the teacher will receive reward for it.

• A third source of reward is having

virtuous descendants. Training of

children on the right lines and then

making dua for them to be among the

righteous is essential, so that after a

person's death they continue to pray for

him or her. The prayer of righteous

children in favor of parents is very

useful. 7

• Needless to say all such deeds have to

be done with sincerity (ikhlas) in

seeking the pleasure of Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala). Only when they are done to

earn Allah’s pleasure will they be

rewarded by Him. If they are done for

fame, monetary gain, or any other

worldly benefit, then the outcome one

achieves in this world is all that they will

get for it.

8

Laugh a Little

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “If you knew what I know

you would laugh a little and cry a

lot!”

9

• Once Hasan al-Basri passed by a man who

was laughing and asked him: “Oh my

nephew! Have you safely passed over the

Sirat (bridge over Hell)?” He replied, “No.”

Hasan al-Basri asked: “Have you received

news whether you will end up in Paradise

or Hell?” The man replied that he hadn’t. So

Hasan al-Basri asked, “Why do you laugh

then, may Allah save you, while the matter

ahead is horrifying?” That man was never

seen laughing until he died. (But he smiled

as this is a part of the Sunnah of the

Prophet.) [Al-Hasan Al-Basri p.89, quoted in

Silent Moments by Abdul-Malik Al-Qasim]

10

• The horror of Jahannum is such that one

look at it will have a man willing even to

throw his children, his wife, his brother,

his parents, and his entire clan into it if

by doing so he can escape himself. We

cannot imagine throwing our children

into any fire on earth to escape it

ourselves, yet this is what people will be

doing as a result of just a glance at

Jahannum. Fear will make us mindless!

11

• On the Day of Judgment Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) will ask a sinner whether he would

like to ransom himself from the Fire by

giving equivalent to the weight of the world

in gold. The sinner will readily agree to give

twice as much. Then Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) will say: Did I not ask you for

something much less than this in the world?

Only a few sujood, only to make your guest

feel welcome, only to say ‘La ilaha ilAllah’?

Unfortunately, the most ordinary and easy

task seems difficult to us because we don’t

see Jahannum before our eyes. But when we

do see it with our eyes it will be too late to

do anything.

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The Triple Filter Test

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Keep away from ill-

thinking/suspicions because ill-

thinking is the greatest falsehood.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

16

• During the Abbasid period one of the scholars

in Baghdad was greeted by an acquaintance

who said, "Do you know what I just heard

about your friend?"

Scholar: "Hold on a minute, before telling me

anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's

called the Triple Filter Test."

The Man: "Triple Filter Test?"

Scholar: "That's right, before you talk to me

about my friend it might be a good idea to take

a moment and filter what you're going to say.

That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first

filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure

that what you are about to tell me is true?"

The Man: "No, actually I just heard about it

and ..."

17

• Scholar: "All right, so you don't really know if

it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter,

the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to

tell me about my friend something good?"

The Man: "No, on the contrary..."

Scholar: "So, you want to tell me something

bad about him, but you're not certain it's true.

You may still pass the test though, because

there's one filter left: The filter of Usefulness. Is

what you want to tell me about my friend

going to be useful to me?"

The Man: "No, not really."

Scholar: "Well, if what you want to tell me is

neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell

it to me at all?"

18

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) asks us: "O

you who believe! Avoid much

suspicion, indeed some suspicions are

sins. And spy not, neither backbite

one another. Would one of you like to

eat the flesh (meat) of his dead

brother? You would hate it (so hate

backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily,

Allah is the One Who accepts

repentance, the Most Merciful."

[Quran 49:12]

19

• Let's pass our intended speech through

the triple filter test before we madly

utter our every thought. And lets subject

others to the triple filter test too before

we hear any number of damaging things

from them.

20

Our Aggression against Other Muslims

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

asked his Companions: “Do you know what

the worst aggression is?” They replied: “Allah

and His Messenger know better.” The

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

“Before Allah the worst aggression is to make

Halaal (permissible) for oneself the honor of

another Muslim.” Then he recited the

following Ayat of the Quran: “Those who have

caused pain to the Momin men and Momin

women without any fault of theirs, surely they

have earned the (consequences of) false

accusation and open sin.” [Surah Ahzaab] 21

• How easily we repeat things about

people! How little we think before

disrobing them! Those who play with

the honor of other Muslims will not be

easily let off!

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The Imam Should be Considerate

• Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased

with him) reported that the Messenger

of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"When any of you lead other people in

prayer, you should make it short, for

among you there are weak, sick and old

people. When you pray by yourself,

you can make it as long as you wish."

[Sahih Bukhari]

26

• Another version states that among the

people praying are, "those who have a

need to attend to."

27

• This hadith shows us how Messenger of

Allah (pbuh) was always considerate of

other people. He commanded the

fulfillment of religious obligations but did

not want to burden people with what was

not required of them. He encouraged

people to lengthen their prayers, but not

when they were leading others, as within

the jamaat (congregation) could be people

who had other needs to attend to or who

did not have the stamina of the Imam. The

Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came as a

mercy to the universe and did not want to

make things unnecessarily difficult for

others. 28

Reward Your Host

• “Abu Athhim bin Tahan (radi Allahu anhu)

once invited the Prophet (pbuh) and his

illustrious Companions (radi Allahu anhum)

to a meal. When the meal was over, the

Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Reward your brother.’

The Companions asked: ‘How can we reward

him, O Prophet of Allah (pbuh)?’ The

Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘When a man pays a

visit to his brother and eats and drinks there,

he can reward his brother by praying for

Allah’s favour and blessings upon his

brother.’” [Abu Dawud]

29

• When you eat at somebody’s house, say

a prayer at the end of the meal invoking

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to bless the

host with extensive means, grace,

favour, forgiveness and mercy.

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The Benefit of Conveying Religious Knowledge

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: "God, His angels and all

those in the Heavens and on Earth,

even ants in their ant-hills and fish in

the water, call down blessings on those

who instruct others in beneficial

knowledge." [Tirmidhi]

34

• The Sahabah, in their study groups,

would tell their students regarding each

and every ayah that they taught: "This

ayah is better than the world and all that it

contains." The most beneficial knowledge

is that which saves one from an eternity of

suffering and brings one to an eternity of

joy. Thus, the knowledge of greatest value

is revelation from Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala), for only that has the power to bring

us to eternal joy in a world of perfection

(Jannah). This knowledge is what we

should be most concerned about

conveying. 35

• When we convey beneficial knowledge

to others we cause all the angels and all

other creatures in the heavens and on

earth, including all the fish, birds, ants,

etc, to send blessings on us. The Prophet

(pbuh) told people to convey from him,

even if it was only a single ayah that

they knew.

36

Roaming Angels Take Salaams

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Allah has roaming angels

who come and inform me of the

blessings that my Ummah invoke on

me.” [Ahmad; al-Musnad]

37

• If you want the Prophet (peace be upon)

to know about you personally, ask Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) to bless him. It’s a

golden opportunity to have yourself

mentioned to Muhammad (peace be

upon him)!

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Thoughts – Your Currency

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “For those of my Ummah,

Allah overlooks the thoughts that come

to mind as long as they are not uttered

or acted upon.” [Sahih Bukhari]

42

• Researchers have discovered that the

average person thinks about 50,000 to

70,000 thoughts per day. Since the

majority of us are awake 16-18 hours a

day, we think a thought on average every

1.1 second. Most of the time we are not

consciously thinking; therefore, many are

the thoughts that are planted in our minds

from Shaitaan. As soon as such a thought

occurs to one of us, we should deliberately

reject it and put our mind to some other

task. So long as we do not entertain

Shaitaan’s thoughts, Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) will forgive their occurring to us. 43

• It is one thing to have the majority of

worthless thoughts forgiven. But with

so much thinking going on, why not tap

into this power of the mind? Your

thoughts lead to actions. Your actions

create habits. The habits of your life will

determine your ultimate destiny.

Everybody’s ultimate destiny is either

the Fire or the Garden. With a

purposeful goal, all this thought energy

could actually be utilized to achieve

something worthwhile. Why not focus

it on something meaningful?

44

• The most meaningful goal any one of us

could achieve is to get a guarantee of

being happy forever. We focus on

acquiring a certain level of education, or

certain degrees, in the expectation that

we will then be able to get certain jobs,

have a particular income, be able to

maintain a certain standard of living and

with it all - be happy. But it turns out

that neither the job is guaranteed, nor

riches, nor happiness. We might still go

bankrupt, we might still have a

miserable family life, we might still be

lonely and sad. 45

• Only Allah’s promise of Jannah is a

guarantee of happiness. This is happiness

that will never wane, only increase. This

is happiness that will never end. This is

happiness unblemished by worry or

cares. If we focus our thoughts on how to

get to Jannah, by reading and studying

and thinking over the Quran and ahadith,

our mind will be occupied with thoughts

of it. Our thoughts will become our

actions. Our actions to gain Allah’s

pleasure, will become our habits. And

such habits will insha’Allah, take us to

our ultimate destiny of The Garden. 46

• Thoughts become things and we get

whatever we focus upon. If your

thoughts are your currency for getting

what you want, then what is it that you

are spending your currency on?

47

Save This, Spend That

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Good tidings to him who avoids the

excess in his speech and spends the

excess of his money."

48

• In other words, we should save our

words that are unnecessary, but spend

our money (in sadaqah) which is in

excess of our needs. Withholding excess

words means to elaborate more than

necessary about matters which do not

concern one, or to ask about things

which are of no importance. One should

express oneself succintly and with

brevity. This was the way of our noble

Prophet (pbuh). Ali (radi Allahu anhu)

said, "The best discourse is expressive,

great, brief, and interesting." [al-Durar

al-mubaha] 49

• It has become common these days to

converse about what is useless or immoral,

for example to discuss acts of disobedience,

such as stories about drinking sessions and

fornicators. When there is no legitimate

purpose connected with the conversation,

this is unlawful, because it manifests one's

own disobedience or another's, and

encourages others to do the same by

desensitizing them to the sin. Ibn Mas'ud

(radi Allahu anhu) said, "The greatest in

sins on the Day of Judgment will be the one

most given to speaking about the useless

and immoral." [Ibn Abi Dunya]

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This, Too, Will Pass

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “O Allah! There is no life

worth living except the life of the

Hereafter, so (please) make righteous

the Ansaar and the emigrants.” [Sahih

Bukhari]

54

• This life, however it is, will pass. A drop

compared to the ocean is what this life is

like compared to the Hereafter. And the

ocean of the next existence will be

wonderful only for the righteous. That is

why the Prophet (peace be upon him)

prayed to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to

make his Companions righteous.

55

• A powerful king, ruler of many domains,

was in a position of such magnificence

that wise men were his mere employees.

And yet one day he felt himself confused

and called the sages to him.

He said: “I do not know the cause, but

something impels me to seek a certain

ring, one that will enable me to stabilize

my state. I must have such a ring. And this

ring must be one which, when I am

unhappy, will make me joyful. At the

same time, if I am happy and look upon it,

I must be made sad.”

56

• The wise men consulted one another,

and threw themselves into deep

contemplation. Finally, they came to a

decision as to the character of this ring

which would suit their king.

• The ring which they devised was one

upon which was inscribed the legend:

THIS, TOO, WILL PASS

57

Surah Aadiyat (100)

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Whoever recites Aadiyat, his reward

equals one half of the Qur'an."

[Hakim and Tirmidhi]

58

• The reward mentioned for reciting Surah

Adiyat is similar to that for reciting Surah

az-Zalzala. The recitation of either is equal

to the recitation of half of the entire Quran

in merit. The object of both surahs is to

remind us about the final accountability

before Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Surah

Adiyat points out how evil man becomes

when he denies the Hereafter, or becomes

heedless of it. It also warns us that in the

Hereafter not only our visible and

apparent deeds, but even the secrets

hidden in our hearts, will be subjected to

scrutiny.

59

• Heedless of life after death and accountability

before Allah (subhana wa ta'ala), man has

become ungrateful to his Lord and Sustainer.

He is using the powers and abilities given by

Allah for perpetrating tyranny and pillage;

blinded by the love of worldly wealth he tries

to obtain it by every means, however impure

and filthy, and his own state testifies to this.

He would never have behaved so, had he

known the time when the dead will be raised

from the graves, and when the intentions and

motives with which he had done all sorts of

deeds, will be exposed and brought out before

everyone to see. At that time the Lord and

Sustainer of men shall be well informed of

what one had done and what punishment or

reward one deserves. 60

• If any person has cultivated the fear of

the final accountability within

themselves then their reform is

guaranteed. This is why it is so

important to be reminded about the

Hereafter and the final Reckoning in it.

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The Only Thing that’s Yours for Keep

• Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon

him) said: “When carried to his grave,

a dead person is followed by three, two

of which return (after his burial) and

one remains with him. His relatives,

his property, and his deeds follow him;

his relatives and his property return

while his deeds remain with him.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

65

• How many are the sins we commit that

are either to please relatives or to make

money! Often the two are combined

together. Yet neither wealth nor family

will go in the grave with you. You will

be expeditiously buried, cried over, and

left alone to face your accountability in

the grave. Your relatives will not stop

eating and drinking - their lives will go

on. Your wealth will no longer be yours

but others’ property. Then why not focus

on your deeds when that is all that you

will take with you.

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Surah Ikhlas - Virtues of

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said, "Whoever recites (Qul Hu

Allahu Ahad) ten times, Allah will

build for him a house in Paradise."

68

• Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported the

Prophet (pbuh) as saying, “If anyone

recites two hundred times daily, Qul

huwallahu ahad, the sins of fifty years

will be wiped out, unless he is in debt.”

[Tirmidhi and Darami] The latter

version has ‘fifty times’ and he did not

mention ‘unless he is in debt.’

69

• Aisha (radi Allahu anha) reported that

when the Prophet (pbuh) went to bed

every night, he used to cup his hands

together and blow over it after reciting

Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat

An-Nas, and then rub his hands over

whatever parts of his body he was able

to rub, starting with his head, face and

front of his body. He used to do that

three times. [Sahih Bukhari]

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The Dipping

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “The biggest sins are: To

join others in worship with Allah; to

be undutiful to one’s parents; to kill

somebody unlawfully; and to take an

Al-Ghamus oath.” [Sahih Bukhari]

74

• Look at the things which have been put

together as the biggest sins: shirk,

neglecting parents, murder, and lying

through oaths. An al-Ghamus oath is the

false oath taken intentionally with which

one intends to mislead people. Such an oath

cannot be expiated, and the one who takes it

will be dipped into Hell-Fire. Hence comes

the term “Al-Ghamus,” meaning, “the

dipping.”

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “And make

not your oaths a means of deception

amongst yourselves, lest a foot may slip

after being firmly planted.” [The Quran

16:94] 75

Treading the Path to Knowledge

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Allah makes the way to the

Garden easy for whoever treads a path

in search of knowledge.” [Muslim]

76

• Traveling on the path to knowledge

refers both to walking along an actual

pathway, such as going on foot to the

assemblies of the Ulema, as well as to

following a metaphysical road, such as

studying and memorizing Quran,

Hadith, Fiqh, etc.

77

• This Hadith also alludes to the road

leading to the Garden on the Day of

Judgment, which is the straight path.

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Useless Treasure

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: "Knowledge from which no

benefit is derived is like a treasure out

of which nothing is spent in the cause

of Allah." [Tirmidhi]

82

• One reason that a miser is considered a

fool is that he or she does not benefit

from what they crave yet possess.

Similarly, a person who has been given a

lot of wealth but does not purchase

Paradise with it is also a fool. Whatever

comfort you can buy in the world with

your wealth, will nevertheless be taken

away from you at your death. If instead,

you use your wealth to purchase Jannah,

you will have bought the best of luxuries

that will never be taken away from you.

83

• By the same token, knowledge of Islam is a

treasure that can be utilized to purchase

Jannah by bringing one’s feelings and

actions in line with what one has learnt.

Only then is the knowledge of lasting

benefit to the person. A person who is not

able to earn Jannah from his/her knowledge

of Islam is but a loser. His/her case is

comparable to that of the person who has

treasure but does not use it to purchase

Jannah.

• Muhammad (peace be upon him) is

Rehmat-ul-lil-Alameen (mercy for all the

worlds) because he showed us how to

convert the brief pleasure that life on earth

can offer, into everlasting pleasure 84

Sitting on Graves

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: "If any one of you were to

sit on a live coal until it burns his

garment, that would be better for him

than to sit on a grave." [Jami at-

Tirmidhi - sahih hadith]

85

• If something is marked as a grave then we

should not sit on it. Exactly how this

damages us we have not been told, but the

analogy of the harm done makes it clear

that we should not do so: Sitting on

something that might set fire to your clothes

is preferable to sitting on graves.

• Our limited human capabilities are not able

to comprehend the world of the deceased to

the extent that this warning makes sense to

us. But the fact that Allah (subhana wa

ta'ala) revealed to the Messenger of Allah

(pbuh) to tell us not to do so is sufficient for

the believers.

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Utter Thoughtfully

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “A slave (of Allah) may

utter a word which pleases Allah,

without giving it much importance,

and because of that Allah will raise

him to degrees (of reward): a slave (of

Allah) may utter a word (carelessly)

which displeases Allah, without

thinking of its gravity, and because of

that he will be thrown into the Fire of

Hell.” [Saheeh Bukhaari] 90

• Perhaps one such good word is “Fain

Allah” in the context of the following

story…

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be

pleased with him) was once going out of

Madeena with his servants. It became

time to eat so the servants took the food

out and everyone sat down to eat. A

shepherd grazing some goats passed by

and greeted them with Salaam. Ibn

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

invited him to eat with them but he said,

“I’m fasting.”

91

• Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

wondered aloud, “In this intense heat of

summer with fiery hot winds blowing, you

are fasting in the wilderness?” The

shepherd replied: “I am preparing the days

of my past (Ayyaam-il-Khaaliya).” The

shepherd was referring to the Ayat in Surah

Al-Haaqqa in which Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) says about the people in Jannah: “(It

will be said to them) Eat and drink with

relish, in exchange for those deeds which

you did in days gone by (Ayyaam-il-

Khaaliya, i.e. life in the world).” [Surah Al-

Haaqqa: Ayat 24]

92

• This Ayat means that on the Day of

Resurrection it will be said to the

believers: “In the world you left your

desires for Allah, and you bore the

difficulties of hunger and thirst, so now

eat, drink and enjoy to your heart’s

content and no one will stop you.” The

shepherd meant that he was trying to

make the days of his life in the world

valuable to his Hereafter.

93

• To test him, Ibn Umar (may Allah be

pleased with him) said, “We want to buy

a goat. Tell us the price and take the

money. We will sacrifice the goat and

also give you some of the meat to open

your fast with.” The shepherd replied,

“These goats do not belong to me, I am a

slave. They belong to my master.” Ibn

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

insisted, “How will your master find

out? Tell him that a wolf ate it!”

94

• The shepherd pointed to the sky and

said: “Fain Allah (Then where is

Allah?)” What he meant was, “Where

will Allah go while I am doing this.

Allah is always watching! So how can I

deceive anyone?” Ibn Umar (may Allah

be pleased with him) with mixed

feelings of joy and amazement would

keep repeating, “A shepherd says,

‘Where is Allah! Where is Allah!’”

95

• Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be

pleased with him) returned to Madeena

and went to the master of this slave. He

bought from him the slave and the

goats, freed the slave, and gave the goats

to him as a gift. This was the condition

of the shepherds of that time, that even

in the middle of the jungle they worried

about Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)

watching them.

96

Salam to Angels

• Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that

the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “When

Allah created Aadam and breathed the spirit into

him he sneezed and said, ‘Alhamdu-lillah (Praise

be to Allah).’ So he praised Allah by His leave

and his Lord said to him, ‘Allah have mercy on

you, O Aadam. Go to those angels – the

company of them who are seated – and say As-

salamu alaykum (Peace be upon you).’ So he did

and the angels replied, ‘Wa alaykas salamu wa

rahmatullah (and peace be on you and the mercy

of Allah).’ He then returned to his Lord, and He

said, ‘This is your salutation and the greeting of

your offspring among them.’” [Tirmidhi] 97

• When Aadam (alaihis salam) sneezed

and thanked Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)

for it, Allah said to him, ‘O Aadam! May

Allah have mercy on you.’ He did not

say, ‘I will be merciful to you.’ He used

the former words in order to teach

Aadam (alaihis salam) the words of

response that a person should say when

a sneezer shows gratitude to Allah and

praises Him. Once Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) shows mercy to anyone then he is

assured of safety, honor and favor.

98

• This hadith teaches us to greet Muslims

with ‘As-salamu alaykum,’ to return the

Salam, to say ‘Alhamdu-lillah’ when we

sneeze, and to say ‘Yarhamak Allah’ if a

sneezer says ‘Alhamdu-lillah.’

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102

Understanding of the Deen

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “When Allah desires good

for someone, He gives him

understanding of the Deen.”

[Bukhaari]

103

• Understanding of the Deen (religion)

means understanding of the Quran and

hadith, religious injunctions, and

knowledge of the lawful and the

unlawful. True understanding

necessarily generates action that reflects

the understanding. For example, most

people have not personally experienced

the devastation caused by a nuclear

weapon, but do you have any doubt that

they will do all that is in their power not

to have one dropped on them?

104

• Knowledge (understanding of the Deen)

is the shortest path to Allah. Whoever

travels the road of knowledge reaches

Allah and the Garden by the shortest

route. Knowledge also clears the way

out of darkness, ignorance, doubt and

skepticism. It is why Allah called His

Book, “Light.”

105

• There are two kinds of knowledge:

knowledge of the tongue and knowledge of

the heart. The second kind is the beneficial

kind which raises people in rank; it is the

knowledge which is absorbed by the heart

and puts it right. The knowledge that is on

the tongue is taken lightly by people:

neither those who possess it, nor anyone

else, act upon it, and it is of no use on the

Day of Judgment.

• Thus, when understanding of the Deen

exists, it will result in righteous action and

bring one on to the path leading to Paradise.

This will ensure everlasting happiness for

that person, without a single blemish to mar

it. 106

• The blessing of understanding Islam,

such that one's belief and behavior

reflect it, is a sign of Allah's special favor

to that person. One has to make oneself

worthy of the honor.

• Understanding of the Deen is Allah’s gift

to the heart of that person whom He

loves.

107

Seven Years of Peace

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “The Dajjal will appear in

my Ummah, and will remain for forty.

Then Allah will send Eesa ibn

Maryam, who will resemble Urwah

ibn Masud. He will chase the Dajjal

and kill him. Then the people will live

for seven years during which there will

be no enmity between any two

persons.” [Muslim: Kitab al-Fitan wa

Ashrat al-Sa’ah] 108

• The period of Dajjal’s stay on earth is

forty days; but the duration of the first

three days is one year, one month, and

one week, respectively. The remaining

37 days are each as long as our regular

days are. After the earth is rid of the

Dajjal there will be a period of such

exemplary peace that there won’t be any

enmity between any two people on

earth. This period will last for seven

years.

109

• Some ahadith narrate events briefly,

highlighting the main points only; while

other ahadith fill in the details. This

hadith, for example, simply states the

period of Dajjal’s stay and then a period

of extraordinary peace, without

detailing the trials that Dajjal will put

the people through or the events to take

place during Eesa (alaihis salam’s)

second stay on earth, during which these

seven peaceful years will happen. All the

ahadith put together give the total,

detailed picture.

110

111

112

113

Valleys Full of Gold

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “If the son of Adam were

given a valley full of gold, he would

love to have a second one; and if he

were given the second one, he would

love to have a third; for nothing fills

the belly of Adam's son except dust.

And Allah forgives he who repents to

Him.” [Bukhari]

114

• Until our remains are mixed with dust

(i.e. we die) we continue to compete

with each other to amass the pleasures

of life. Our condition is that when one

desire gets satisfied, we immediately

have another lined up for fulfillment.

We remain occupied in eating, drinking

and trying to have a good time, greedy

to acquire more of everything.

115

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) cautions us

saying: “You are obsessed by greed for

more and more until you go down to

your graves. Nay, in time you will come

to understand! And once again: Nay, in

time you will come to understand! Nay,

if you could but understand (it) with an

understanding (born) of certainty, you

would indeed, most surely, behold the

blazing fire (of Hell)! In the end you will

indeed, most surely, behold it with

certainty of sight. And on that Day you

will most surely be called to account for

what you indulged in!” [The Quran:

Surah Takathur] 116

• The pleasures and comforts of this world

are nothing more than a test for those

who are granted them. Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) wishes to judge how desirous

a person is of Jannah, by seeing what

price they are willing to pay for it: Do

they spend their money, time and

resources in Allah’s causes or on their

own enjoyment?

117

• He (subhana wa ta’ala) advises those

of us whom He has tested by the

withholding of wealth: “Never stretch

your eyes towards the things We have

given to some groups of them to

enjoy, so that We put them to test

thereby, it being merely the glamour

of worldly life. And the bounty of

your Lord is much better and more

lasting.” [Surah Taha: Ayat 131]

118

Shoe-lace or Salt, Ask Allah

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Man should call upon Allah alone to

provide for all his needs, so much so

that even if a shoe-lace is broken, he

should pray to Allah to provide a shoe-

lace, and if he needs salt, he should

beseech Allah to send it to him.”

[Tirmidhi]

119

• Prayer is the essence of worship and

worship should be rendered to Allah

alone. Do not call upon anyone except

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to fulfill your

needs.

120

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is rich while

man is poor and He (subhana wa ta’ala)

is bountiful and generous while man is

stingy. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) likes us

to ask Him for things, for He loves to

give us from the treasures with Him;

while people dislike being asked,

because they hate to part with what is

with them. So ask Allah for any and

every thing and refrain from asking

human beings. This will endear you to

Him and keep you honorable in the eyes

of men.

121

122

123

124

Visualize the Day of Resurrection

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Whoever wants to

visualize the Day of Resurrection, let

him recite, ‘When the sun is wound

round, loses its light and is

overthrown’ (Surah Takweer), ‘When

the heaven is cleft asunder’ (Surah

Infitaar), and ‘When the heaven is

split asunder’ (Surah Inshiqaaq).”

[Tirmidhi] 125

• These three Surahs deal specifically with

the Day of Resurrection. They describe

how the sky will be split and cleft

asunder, how the sun will be wound

round, how the stars and planets will

fall and be scattered, and other terrors

that will happen on that Day. People will

come forth from their graves to either

prisons (in Hell) or palaces (in Paradise),

after their records have been examined

and they have been taken by their right

or left hands, or seized from behind.

126

• “Say (O Muhammad): ‘Truly, those of

old, and those of later times, all will

surely be gathered together for an

appointed meeting of a known Day.’”

[Quran: Surah Waqiah, Ayaat 49-50]

127

The Right Attitude

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) went to visit a sick bedouin.

Whenever the Prophet went to a patient,

he used to say to him, "Don't worry, if

Allah will, it will be expiation (for your

sins)." The bedouin said, "You say

expiation? No, it is but a fever that is

boiling or harassing an old man and

will lead him to his grave without his

will." The Prophet (peace be upon him)

said, "Then, yes, it is so." [Sahih

Bukhari] 128

• This hadith conveys to us the

importance of having a positive attitude.

Since the man denied the comforting

news regarding his illness, conveyed by

the Prophet (peace be upon him), he

wasn't deserving that the good news

should apply to him.

129

• Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given us

glad tidings that no suffering of ours is

in vain. Whether it be physical pain,

financial difficulty or emotional stress,

each functions to purify us of the sins

that we habitually accumulate.

Following the Prophet's example, we

should also encourage patients to bear

their pain and suffering with hope of

reward from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala),

in compensation for their patience

through the trial that they are

undergoing.

130

131

132

133

Who to Please

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “He who displeased Allah for

seeking the pleasure of people, Allah is

displeased with him and those people are

also displeased, for pleasing whom he had

earned Allah’s displeasure. And he who

pleases Allah, although by it he displeased

people, Allah is pleased with him, and also

those people whom he had displeased for

pleasing Allah become pleased with him.

Allah makes him splendid and his speech

and acts in the eyes of others beautiful.”

[Tibrani] 134

• This is a wonderful hadith which simplifies

life immensely for us. It is impossible to

please everybody all the time. In fact, it is

even impossible to please one person all the

time. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us that

instead of constantly catering to one person

or another, we should direct all our efforts to

pleasing Allah, and He will take care of all

the rest. Many a times we shy away from

obeying Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), fearing

repercussions at the workplace or in our

relationships. This hadith warns us against

disobeying Allah for the sake of His

creatures. In the long run, none of those

people will be pleased with us for whom we

disobey Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). 135

• If a woman dresses to please a man

other than her husband, cooks to suit the

other man's taste rather than her

husband's, talks in a manner to please

the other man, what would most people

think of her? Yet we do the same

infidelity with Allah! We care about

pleasing everybody except the most

important Being with whom we have

the deepest and most lasting

relationship.

136

The Honest Gardener

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “A believer’s natural

disposition might comprise any trait

other than treachery and

untruthfulness.” [Ahmed]

137

• In the following story we have a beautiful

example of the character of a believer (Momin).

Ibraheem bin Adhem was the king of Balkh

before he exchanged his kingdom for the life of

an ascetic worshipper.

• One day Ibraheem bin Adhem was working as a

gardener when his master asked him to give

him some pomegranates. He brought several,

but they were all sour. His employer said, “You

have been in my employment for such a long

time, and yet you do not know which of the

pomegranates is sweet?” Ibraheem answered, “I

was employed to tend them, not to taste them;

then how can I know which ones are sweet?”

• Honesty and sincerity are the hallmarks of faith

(Eeman).

138

139

140

141

Whose Praise

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Whoever acts to be heard

and seen, God will cause his falsity to

be heard and seen.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

142

• If B works for C but then comes to you

demanding payment, wouldn't you say,

"Go and ask C for your wages, it is not

me that you worked for!" When you do

good deeds, you either do it for Allah

(subhana wa ta'ala), or for other than

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). This "other

than Allah" could be people's

appreciation, fame, money, power, or

anything else.

143

• In order for any action of yours to be

worthy of reward in the Hereafter, it must

have been done sincerely for Allah (subhana

wa ta'ala), and for Allah alone. The

reward/hasanaat for the deed will be

decreased in proportion to the extent that

other motives enter into the intention

behind the good deed. Furthermore, Allah

(subhana wa ta'ala) tells us in this hadith,

that He will make known to the people the

real reason that you are doing good deeds.

• Abu Umar explained ikhlas (sincerely doing

something only for Allah) in this way: “It is

present when one wishes to be praised for

something only by God.” 144

• According to Dhul-Nun, one of the ulema

explained the possession of ikhlas in this

manner: “Whenever a man does

something sincerely for God, he feels a

longing to be in a cave where he will not

be recognized.” This is because if only

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows what you

did for Him, your reward will not be

diminished by others' praise and your

taking pride in what you have done.

Always ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) to

purify your intentions and not let your

sins and shortcomings take away from

your good deeds. 145

Tafseer of the Quran

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Whoever speaks of the

Book of Allah from his own opinion is

in error.” [Abu Dawud]

146

• The correct method for explaining the

Quran is:

1. To explain the Quran from the Quran

itself. Sometimes a topic is mentioned

briefly in one place, but in more detail in

another place. All references to it from

the Quran should be put together to

understand the topic in the best way

possible.

147

2. To explain the Quran from the Sunnah.

Allah designated a Messenger so that he

could show us by his example and by his

explanations exactly what Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala)’s commands mean and how to

bring them into practice.

3. To explain by the understanding that the

Sahabah had of these commands. The

Quran was revealed in their presence, they

heardAllah’s Messenger (pbuh) explain it,

and they saw with their own eyes how it

was put into practice. They devoted their

whole lives to understanding and

preserving the Quran and Sunnah.

148

• It is possible that someone explain

something from the Quran without

referring to the Quran or Sunnah and

still be correct in their explanation.

Nevertheless, they will be sinful, which

is a state of being in error. This is

because they had no right to explain the

Quran based merely on their opinions. A

chemist who pretends to be a surgeon

and attempts a surgery will be taken to

court even if the patient comes out alive

from the surgery. This is because he did

not have the right to cut anyone up.

149

• To say, “This is what the Quran

means…” is to say “This is what Allah

means…!” Would we like to have people

put words in our mouths? Would we

like people who know nothing about

our opinions to speak authoritatively

about what we like or dislike? Then how

can we have the guts to do this with

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)?

150

151

152

153

What Percent Muslim are You?

• Narrated Abdullah bin Amr that the Prophet

(pbuh) said, "Whoever has the following four

(characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and

whoever has one of the following four

characteristics will have one characteristic of

hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. 1.

Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2.

Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3.

Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves

treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he

behaves in a very imprudent, evil and

insulting manner." [Sahih Bukhari] 154

• Whoever has all four of these

characteristics is a pure hypocrite.

Whoever has one of these characteristics

has one characteristic of hypocrisy, until

he gives it up. These traits define how a

hypocrite deals with other humans, with

the Prophet (peace be upon) and with

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

155

• The most significant covenant that each

of us is bound by is the oath we took on

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) when He

asked, “alasta bi rabbikum? (Am I not

your Lord?)” All our souls at that time

gave witness that Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) was our Creator and Lord. We

unconditionally bore witness that He

was the One worthy of worship and

obedience.

156

• When we come into our earthly

existence this covenant (ahd-e-alast) is in

our sub-conscience and it gives us the

ability to recognize the uncorrupted

religion that is from Allah. If we now

start obeying international, national, or

domestic, rules and orders that violate

Allah’s orders what should we be called?

We vowed to take only Allah as the

lawgiver, and to fear no one more than

Allah. Considering who we obey, what

then should we call ourselves, Muslim

or hypocrite?

157

• Consider these four characteristics and

rate yourself. Are you 0% hypocrite,

100% Muslim or are you (Allah Forbid!)

25%, 50%, 75% or 100% hypocrite?

158

Take the Blame

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Mankind will not perish

till they make excuses for their conduct

to themselves.” [Mishkat]

159

• Refusing to accept personal

responsibility, i.e. blaming others,

complaining, procrastinating… is a step

towards destruction. Stop it, right now!

160

161

162

163

What did You Say of Muhammad?

• The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When a servant is

laid in his grave and his friends have turned

from him and he hears the footfalls of their

sandals, two angels come to him, sit him

upright, and ask him, ‘What were you wont

to say of this man Muhammad (pbuh)?’ The

believer will answer, ‘I testify that he is the

slave of Allah and His Messenger,’ and it will

be said, ‘Look at your place in the Fire, Allah

has changed it for a place in the Garden

(Jannah),’ and the man will behold both of

them.” [Sahih Bukhari] 164

• Once a person’s grave is closed over

him, immediately two angels Munkar

and Nakeer come to question the man

about his beliefs; 1) who he worshipped,

2) who he took as the Messenger of

Allah and 3) what his religion was.

• The person who lived his life in

subservience to Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala), hopeful of Allah’s Mercy but

fearing Allah’s punishment, will be able

to answer the angels correctly and testify

that he took only Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) as his Creator, Sustainer and Law

Giver. 165

• He who took Muhammad (peace be

upon him) as his guide for life, who

looked towards his example when

conducting business, in matters of

marriage, in waking and sleeping, eating

and drinking, in affairs of state and

estate, in short for every issue of life,

only he will be able to correctly answer

the angels and say that he took

Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be

Allah’s chosen Messenger.

166

• He who looked towards the Kuffar in

conducting the affairs of his life; how to

entertain himself, what to strive to

achieve, what to celebrate, what to wear,

what to allow and what to disallow, will

not be able to lie to the angels. Thus, while

a Kafir will answer, “Alas, I don’t know”, a

Munafiq (hypocrite) will say, “I used to

say what the people would say.” The

Munafiq lacked conviction in the beliefs of

the Muslims and did not take Muhammad

(pbuh) as his teacher and role model for

life, so he will not be able to say, “I testify

that Muhammad is the slave and

Messenger of Allah.” 167

• He who lived his life on Islam, bound by its

restrictions, not trespassing the boundaries

set by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), will be able

to correctly answer that Islam was his

religion. The angels Munkar and Nakeer are

very scary to look at, but the Momin will

not be scared by them. He will calmly

answer them. Jannat – gardens of eternal

bliss are the reward for him who answers

these three questions correctly.

• Such a person will be shown the place that

he escaped in Jahannum and what his home

in Jannah looks like. Seeing the reward and

blessings that await his arrival will make

the Momin very happy. He is indeed a

fortunate man. 168

Tahajjud for Attractiveness

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “The best prayer, after the

obligatory prayers, is the night prayer

(Tahajjud).” [Muslim]

169

• Al-Hasan was once asked: “How is it

that those who stay up at night have the

most attractive faces?” He replied,

“Because they are on intimate terms

with the Merciful, and He robes them in

some of His light.” [The Purification of

the Soul]

• Draw near to Allah, get clothed in His

light and become among the most

attractive people on earth, by waking up

before Fajr and praying Tahajjud!

170

171

172

173

Worship Provides For World

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Allah says, ‘O son of

Adam, devote yourself to My worship,

and I will fill your heart with

contentment and take care of your

poverty; but if you do not do that, then

I will fill your heart with worldly

concerns and will not take care of your

poverty.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

174

• Each person is born helpless and

penniless. It is Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)

Who arranges for him/her to be fed,

clothed, and taken care of. Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) puts the love of that

child in the hearts of its parents. If those

feelings are missing from the hearts of

its parents, the newborn is incapable of

doing anything about it.

• In the same way that Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) took care of us when we were

born, He Alone is responsible for all the

good that comes to us throughout life.

He (subhana wa ta’ala) only channels it

through sources that have human form. 175

• This hadith reminds us that Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) Alone suffices for

everybody. We should not be negligent

in what He has commanded us to do

and He will not be negligent towards us.

Worship is total surrender and complete

obedience to all commands. If we fail to

worship Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) as is

His right to be worshipped, then we

should not be surprised if He leaves us

to fend for ourselves and afflicts us with

consuming worldly concerns.

• So, to be free of worldly wants, we must

focus on the obligations Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) has charged us with. 176

This Day Never to Return

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Whoever says, ‘Exalted is

Allah and His are the Blessings’, will

have a palm tree planted for him in the

Garden.” [at Tirmidhi]

177

• Consider how many palm trees a time

waster misses the opportunity of planting.

• A righteous man used to say to his guests

who stayed too long, “Don’t you want to

leave? The angel of the sun never tires of

pulling it.”

• Mujahid said: “Not a day passes which does

not say, ‘O son of Adam, I have come to you

today and I will never come again, so be

careful of what you do during my stay.’

When the day has passed, it is folded up

and sealed, never to be reopened by anyone

until Allah reopens it on the Day of

Judgement.

• The night and the day are like two treasure-

chests, so be careful of what you do in them. 178

179

180

181

Without Extravagance or Conceit

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Eat, drink, wear clothes and give

alms without extravagance and

without conceit.” [Sahih Bukhari]

• Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with

him) said: “Eat what you wish and

wear what you wish, if you can avoid

two things, extravagance and conceit.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

182

• Extravagance consists of two things: (1)

buying what you don’t need, (2)

spending more than necessary on the

things you need.

• Conceit means to feel that one is better

than others because of something that

one has.

183

• These two sins, i.e. extravagance and

conceit, must be avoided at all times but

three times in particular:

1. when we feed ourselves,

2. in how we dress,

3. when giving Sadaqah.

184

• If we have enough to give Sadaqah, this

too is a special favour of Allah’s on us.

We should always be grateful to Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) for His blessings and

use these blessings wisely, with humility

and with gratitude to Him (subhana wa

ta’ala).

• As we clean our houses yet they get

dirty again and so we are always

cleaning them: So also our hearts and

intentions get dirty and we need to keep

cleaning them and ask Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) to help us with the process.

185

True Repentance

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Feeling regret is a part of

repentance.” [Ahmad ibn Hanbal; al-

Musnad]

186

• Repentance is invalid without regret because if

there is no regret for having done something

wrong, then this implies that the wrongdoer

considers it acceptable, as well as alright to do

again.

• According to Al-Hasan al-Basri true repentance

is, “when the servant regrets what has

happened and resolves never to repeat it again.”

According to Al-Kalbi, “It is when the servant

asks for forgiveness with his tongue, feels regret

in his heart, and restrains his limbs.” [The

Purification of the Soul, Compiled from the

works of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn al-Qayyim

al-Jawziyya, and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali; Al-

Firdous Ltd, London]

187

188

189

190

Your Wishes Take Nothing Away From the Ocean

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah,

Most High said, ‘O My slaves! If the first of you

and the last of you, the living among you and the

dead among you, the fresh among you and the

dry among you were to gather together upon one

plateau, and each person among them were to ask

for his utmost desire, and I were to give each

what he asked for, that would not diminish from

My sovereignty, except as if one of you were to

pass by an ocean and dip a needle into it then

remove it. That is because I am the Most Liberal

without need, the Most Generous, doing as I will.

I give by My speech and I punish by My speech,

whenever I will something I only say, “Be” and it

shall be.’” [Jami at-Tirmidhi] 191

• This hadith informs us about the wealth

that is with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

Everything belongs to Him, and Him

alone. It is so much that if He were to

grant every wish of every person who

has ever lived or will live on earth, all at

the same time, all of that combined

would take nothing away from the

wealth that is with Him.

192

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) gives us the

example here of dipping a needle into an

ocean. When you take it out can you say

that the ocean has been diminished by

the dipping of the needle into it? No.

Similarly, what is with Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) is immensely more than we

can imagine and is not diminished by

what He bestows on His slaves.

193

• Therefore, we should not hesitate to ask

of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

• We should also know that nobody

besides Him has the power to grant

anybody anything. People only become

the channels. The Bestower is always

only Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). His

speech is enough to bring about all

events.

194

Must Not Freely Mix With

• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

him) said: “Keep yourselves away from

non-mahram women.” One

companion asked: “O Messenger of

Allah, tell me, can the husband's

brother mix freely with his sister-in-

law.” Prophet Muhammad (peace be

upon him) replied, “He is like death for

a woman.” [Sahih Bukhari]

195

• Allah in His Infinite Wisdom has

prohibited the free mixing of the sexes

to preserve the sanctity of the family

and the peace of family life. This hadith

tells us clearly that the husband's

brother or brother's wife definitely

count as non-mahrams and that the

rules of segregation between non-

mahrams apply between them more

than ever.

196

197

198

199

You Will See Allah

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Do you have any doubt

that you see the moon on the night when it is full and there

are no clouds in front of it?” The Sahabah said: “No, O

Messenger of Allah.” He (pbuh) said: “Then you will see Him

on the Day of Resurrection in the same way. Allah will gather

the people and will say, ‘Whoever used to worship anything,

let him follow it.’ So all those who used to worship the sun, or

the moon, or false gods, will follow (their gods). Then this

Ummah will be left, with its hypocrites among them. Then

Allah will come to them in a Form other than that which they

know, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘We

seek refuge with Allah from you. This is where we will stay

until our Lord comes to us. When our Lord comes to us, we

will know Him.’ Then Allah will come to them in the form

which they know, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will

say, ‘You are our Lord,’ and they will follow Him, and the

bridge will be set up over Hell.” [Bukhaari] 200

• On the Day of Resurrection people will

follow whatever they used to worship

besides Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and

will be flung into Hell along with their

false gods.

201

• Eesa (alaihis salam), his pious mother Maryam,

Uzair (alaihis salam) and other such

monotheistic, noble people will of course not be

held responsible for the willful misguidance

that people indulged in, in worshipping them.

No soul carries the burden of another. Instead of

these pious people, the Qareen (devil-

companion) of these people, or angels in the

form of these people will appear, whom their

worshippers will follow. The made-up gods

who will be thrown into Hell along with their

worshippers will be those who allowed

themselves and desired themselves to be

worshipped.

202

• This willingness to be made gods of can

be witnessed in the leaders of several

sects and cults as they have their

followers prostrate to them and pictures

of them. Prostration is a very visible

form of worship. In addition to this, the

leaders of sects make laws for their

followers, trying to usurp Allah’s right to

legislate (Tawheed Hakimiyyah).

203

• When only the monotheistic

worshippers of Allah are left, along with

the hypocrites who pretended to be so,

they will follow Allah. They will be

given light but then the light of the

hypocrites will be extinguished. They

will cry out for light but they will not be

given any light. They will all go towards

the Siraat which will be set up over Hell.

The hypocrites will lag behind and be

separated from the believers. The

hypocrites will be unable to successfully

cross the Bridge and will fall into Hell.

204

Two and Two

• Allah's Messenger (peace be upon

him) said, "Do you know the thing

which most commonly brings people

into Paradise? It is fear of Allah and

good character. Do you know what

most commonly brings people into

Hell? It is the two hollow things: the

mouth and the private parts."

[Tirmidhi]

205

• This hadith is a strong warning to us to

guard against the most common causes

of eternal punishment.

• One is misuse of the tongue; lying, back

biting, tale bearing, slander, indulging in

lewd or obscene talk and speaking

against Allah, His Prophets, Islam, and

Muslims.

• The other most common cause of

punishment in Hellfire is misuse of the

private parts; i.e. adultery, fornication,

sodomy, homosexuality, etc.

206

207

208

209

210

Your Heart On A Tray

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Indeed, there is a piece of

flesh in the body of the children of

Adam such that, if it is sound, then the

whole body is sound and if it is

corrupted then the whole body will be

corrupted. Know that it is the heart.”

[Saheeh Bukhaari]

211

• The Prophets were sent to the world to

purify men’s hearts. They worked

hardest on cleaning the hearts of men

from wrong concepts about Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) and from misplaced

love, trust, hope and fear. Allah has

commanded us to love Him and His

Messenger, to love the righteous people,

to love that which Allah loves and to

hate all which Allah hates. They taught

us to place our love, trust, hope and fear

in Allah, and only Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala).

212

• When a person’s heart becomes pure the

person becomes pure, when a person’s

heart changes, the person changes, his

life changes, the purpose of his life

changes, his perspective changes, his

criteria for loving and hating change, the

aims and goals of hard work and trade

change, households change, society

changes, times change, history changes,

personalities and manners of dealing

with people change, days change, nights

change, the producers of satisfaction

change.

213

• The condition of the heart should be such

that if you were to empty its contents onto

an uncovered tray and take it around the

market there should not be a single thing in

it which by exposing in this way you are

embarrassed, or any one can point a finger

to.

• When your concept of Allah changes and

becomes purified of erroneous beliefs,

negativity in life and about other people

will also vanish. Correct your concepts

about Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to clean

your heart of old grudges, jealousy, envy,

malice, haughtiness, arrogance, deception…

They are like dead lizards and cockroaches

rotting away that we store in our hearts.

Make sure none of them end up on the tray.

214

Un-muddle Your Heart

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said: “When any one of you sleeps, Shaytaan

ties three knots at the back of your head. On

each knot he repeats and exhales the

following words, ‘The night is long, so stay

asleep.’ If you wake up and remember Allah,

one knot is undone; and if you do Wudhu,

the second knot is undone; and if you pray,

the third knot is undone, and you get up in

the morning full of energy and with a clear

heart. Otherwise, you get up feeling lazy,

and with a muddled heart.” [Bukhari; Kitab

at-Tahajjud] 215

• To wake up with a clear mind and heart,

feeling revitalized, fresh and alert, pray

Tahajjud at night! Try it, experience it,

and you will know that nothing can

replace it!

216

217

218

219

Zaqqoom, The Food of Jahannum

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“If one drop from Az-Zaqqoom were to

land on this world, the people of earth

and all their means of sustenance

would be destroyed. So how must it be

for the one who must eat it?”

[Tirmidhi]

220

• In this hadith the Prophet (pbuh)

portrayed for us the terrifying nature

of Zaqqoom. Zaqqoom and Daree are

the foods of the people of Jahannum.

However, these foods will be of no

benefit whatsoever to the people who

eat them, and they will not enjoy them

in the least. This is one of the forms of

punishment that they will suffer. Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) says: “Verily, the

tree of Zaqqoom will be the food of

the sinful, like molten brass, it will

boil in their insides, like the boiling

of scalding water.” [Quran 44:43-46]

221

• Another description of the tree of

Zaqqoom is in the following Ayaat of the

Quran: “Is that (Jannah) the better

entertainment or the tree of Zaqqoom?

For We have truly made it a trial for

the wrongdoers. For it is a tree that

springs out of the bottom of Hellfire.

The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like

the heads of devils; truly, they will eat

thereof and fill their bellies therewith.

Then on top of that they will be given

to drink a mixture made of boiling

water. Then, shall their return be to the

blazing Fire of Hell.” [Quran 37:62-68] 222

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) had

complete conviction in the Hereafter and

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) had filled his

heart with love for us, so he tried his

utmost to save us from Jahannum. The

descriptions of Zaqqoom show us why

he (peace be upon him) undertook every

hardship so that people may change

their course and not betray their oath to

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

223

Who Wants To Be Poor But Make Others Rich

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Three things follow the

bier of a dead man. Two of them come

back and one is left with him. The

members of his family and his wealth

come back and his deeds alone are left

with him.” [Muslim]

224

• Once the Prophet (pbuh) asked if there were

anybody who would like to make his inheritors

wealthy and remain poor himself. This is not

something anybody would desire. Then the

Prophet (pbuh) explained that by accumulating

wealth (and not spending it to gain Allah’s

pleasure) we are simply leaving it behind for

the people who will inherit it when we die,

because our wealth does not follow us into our

graves. While it is commendable to not leave

our inheritors in want, yet nobody desires to be

left needy while enriching others either.

Therefore, since the only thing that can enrich

us after our deaths are our good deeds, we must

try to earn as much of them as possible by

putting to good use the wealth that Allah has

given us.

225

226

227

228

Zakah, Fasting, Prayer, all Go to Others

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Do you know

who is the one who is bankrupt?” The Sahabah said:

“The bankrupt is the one who has no money and no

possessions.” He (pbuh) said: “Among my Ummah,

the one who is bankrupt is the one who will come on

the Day of Resurrection with prayer and fasting and

Zakah (to his credit), but he will come having

insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the

wealth of this one and shed the blood of that one, and

beaten that one. So they will all be given some of his

Hasanaat, and when his Hasanaat run out, before

judgment is passed, some of their sins will be taken

and cast onto him. Then he will be cast into the

Fire.” [Muslim]

229

• This hadith should really shake us up!

• It warns us that even Muslims who pray,

fast and disburse Zakat, can go to

Jahannum.

• Control yourself and be careful about

others’ rights. In fact, forget about your

own rights, you will surely get them on

the Day of Judgment if not sooner, and

start worrying about your

responsibilities towards others.

• May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) save us

from bankruptcy on the Day of

Judgment!

230

What Allah Looks At

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Allah does not look at your

appearance or property, but only at

your hearts and works."

231

• Appearance and wealth are the criteria by

which Shaytaan misguides people to

judge one another. Allah (subhana wa

ta'ala) has altogether another set of

criteria. Since Allah is the Bestower of

looks and He is the one who determines

the rizq/wealth of a person, these mean

nothing to Him. What the person has

done to endear himself to his or her Lord

is what they will be judged on. What

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) appreciates

about them is their application to

improving their beliefs, their hearts, their

characters and their deeds.

232

• Some people master the religious

sciences but neglect to examine their

outward habits and practices, not

keeping their external self from sin or

making it faithful in obedience. They are

deluded by their learning and feel sure

that they rate high with Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala). Whereas, the whole point of

knowing about religious practice is to

apply it. Without works, it is useless.

Allah Most High says, "He who purifies

it (the soul) has succeeded" [Al-Quran

91:9], not "He who knows how to purify

it has succeeded." 233

• Some people master religious learning

and its outward performance, but do not

examine their hearts to eliminate the

blameworthy traits therein such as pride,

envy, ostentation, and seeking exaltation

or fame. They have made their exterior

seemly while neglecting their interior,

forgetting this hadith of the Prophet

(pbuh). Such people apply themselves to

works but do not apply themselves to

hearts, though the heart is the real

foundation, since no one is saved "except

he who comes to Allah with a pure

heart." [Al-Quran 26:89]

234

235

236

237

Zulm will be Zulumaat

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Beware of oppression

(zulm), for oppression will be darkness

(zulumaat) on the Day of

Resurrection.” [Muslim]

238

• On the Day of Judgement the

Munaafiqeen (hypocrites) and Kafireen

(non-Muslims) will be begging the

believers (true Muslims) for light. But

they will not be given any light. They

will be stranded in pitch black darkness

while the believers will have light

running in front of them with which

they will quickly cross the Bridge over

Hell and enter Paradise.

239

• “On the Day when you will see the believing

men and the believing women, their light

proceeding in front of them and to their right

hands, (it will be said to them,) ‘Good news

for you today! Gardens beneath which rivers

flow, to live therein forever!’ That is the

great achievement. The Day when the

hypocrite men and hypocrite women will

say to those who believe, ‘Wait for us, so

that we may have a share from your light.’

It will be said (to them), ‘Go back to your

rear, and search for light.’ Then a wall will

be placed between them, which will have a

gate. In its inner side, there will be divine

mercy, while towards its outer side, there

will be divine punishment.” [Quran: Surah

Hadeed, Ayaat 12-13] 240

What's your IQ

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said, "The most intelligent

person is the one who remembers death

often."

241

• If a person is thought to be very intelligent,

yet fails exam after exam, soon all those

around him/her will begin to think that he/she

is not really very intelligent after all. To get

through life with your faith intact, with good

deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure as your

greatest goal, is the biggest exam you will

ever face.

• If you fail the exam of life you cannot call

yourself intelligent, regardless of what else

your “intelligence” allowed you to

accumulate of education, wealth, fame or

pleasure. These will all go to waste with your

death, while you will still have to stand before

your Lord and face the consequences for

eternity. 242

• Your intelligence would have failed you if it

didn’t give you the sense to properly

attempt the biggest exam of your life. Such

intelligence is cursed! In an examination

hall if you start watching a movie, or

discussing the score of a game, or pull out a

lavish meal to eat, would you be considered

sensible? No matter what your I.Q., you’d

be considered mad.

• This life is one big exam. Are you busy

answering the questions of what to believe

and what to do or are you busy entertaining

yourself? The time for enjoyment is later.

Those who prepare and do well in the exam

of life will be considered the intelligent ones

for eternity. 243

• The people in Hell will say about themselves,

"Had we but listened or used our intelligence,

we should not (now) be among the Companions

of the Blazing Fire!" [Al-Quran 67:10]

• We are so engrossed in our various pursuits that

the reality of death does not occur to us.

Constant remembrance of death would keep us

from getting easily distracted by the glittery

entertainment beckoning from all directions,

preventing us from seriously attempting the

exam of life. Keeping death in mind would help

us abstain from sin and motivate us to do good

deeds without delay.

• The most intelligent person is the one who gives

the exam of life his/her full attention, since there

are no re-takes.

244

245

246

247

Zikr Weighed

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Two words which are light

on the tongue but will weigh heavily

in the Balance, and they are beloved to

the Most Merciful: ‘Subhaan Allahi

wa bi hamdihi, Subhaan Allah-il-

Azeem’ (Allah is glorious and pure of

all defects and all praise belongs to

Him alone, Allah is glorious and pure

of all defects and He is the Almighty).”

[Bukhaari] 248

• Deeds will be weighed in the Scales on

the Day of Judgement. They will take on

physical shapes and will be placed in the

Balance. The remembrance of Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) in whatever form it

took place (words, feelings of the heart,

thoughts about Him, deeds in His

obedience, or restraining oneself from

His disobedience) all will take physical

shapes and be weighed.

249

• Say “Subhaan Allah” with conviction to

feel its magic on your heart and in your

life. “Subhaan Allah” means that Allah is

free of any and all defects and wonderful

beyond all imagination. If you believe it

then words questioning Allah’s Will

should never escape from your lips. For

example, what does the phrase “untimely

death” imply? It implies that Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) didn’t choose the right

and best time in which to lift the person

from this world! Behind this phrase is

doubt in Allah’s wisdom and disbelief in

His love for His creation being more than

the love that human beings have for each

other. 250

• Scrutinize the words that you utter, and

analyze the beliefs behind the words. Be

sure not to say anything that negates

your “Subhaan Allah”.

251

Who’s Generous

• Aisha (radi Allahu anha), the wife of the

Prophet (pbuh) narrated: “A lady, along

with her two daughters, came to me asking

me (for some alms), but she found nothing

with me except one date which I gave to her

and she divided it between her two

daughters, and then she got up and went

away. Then the Prophet (pbuh) came in

and I informed him about this story. He

said, “Whoever is in charge of these

daughters and treats them generously, then

they will act as a shield for him from the

Fire.” [Sahih Bukhari] 252

• There are several lessons to be learnt from

this hadith:

1. Look at the house of the Prophet

(pbuh). The person who has the best and

highest place in Jannah, has a house in

this world which has nothing that can be

given away except a single date! When the

most beloved to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)

died, there was not enough money to buy

oil for a lamp. Aisha (radi Allahu anha)

mortgaged his battle shield to buy oil.

There was nothing of value in the house

save the shield and nine swords that hung

on the wall of his house.

253

• Our houses are chock full of possessions.

Cupboards full of clothes, shoes, and

cosmetics. Expensive curtains, carpets

and sofa sets. Decorative frames on the

walls. Kitchens with multiple dinner

sets, stuffed pantries and fridges. If we

are asked to give in the name of Allah,

how much do we give? If we are asked

to defend someone in the name of Allah

can we defend them?

254

2. Since Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves

His creation intensely, He loves those

who treat them kindly; especially those

who are weak and unable to fend for

themselves. Thus, he promises

mountains of reward to those who take

care of His loved ones.

255

3. Since Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has

saved women from having to fend for

themselves, making it obligatory on

their male relatives to provide for them,

He promises those who are generous in

discharging this responsibility with

safety from the worst Fire.

256

4. We see that a person’s generosity and

sacrifice is judged by what they give

compared to what they have. We see the

generosity of Aisha (radi Allahu anha) in

this hadith who gave all she had. This

would be equivalent to a billionaire

giving all of his wealth in the path of

Allah. We have the example of

billionaire Sahabah such as Abdur

Rahman bin Auf (radi Allahu anhu)

donating in this manner.

257

• We also see the generosity of the mother

in this hadith. All she was given was a

date. But she didn’t eat it herself. She

could have thought that since she was an

adult her metabolic needs were greater,

so she deserved the date more than her

daughters. But, instead, she divided it in

half and gave each of her daughters one

half.

258

259

260

261

Zikr is to Us Like Water is to Fish

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “The difference between the

one who remembers his Lord and the

one who does not is like the difference

between the living and the dead.”

[Bukhari]

262

• Ibn Taimiyya wrote: “Remembrance of

Allah is to the heart what water is to

fish. What happens to a fish when it is

taken out of water?”

• Makhul said: “Remembrance of Allah is

(a sign of) health, while remembrance of

people is like a disease.”

263

Who is Better?

• “A man was mentioned in the presence

of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for

his worship and his striving in it, and

another man was mentioned for his

cautious piety. So the Prophet (peace

be upon him) said: ‘Nothing is equal to

cautious piety.’” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

264

• Who is better?

On one hand is a man who works hard

on his supererogatory acts of worship,

performing Sunnah, Nafl, and Tahajjud

prayers, reciting the Quran, doing much

Dhikr, but not staying clear of Haraam

or doubtful matters. On the other hand

is a man who performs the Fard acts of

worship and not much of the

supererogatory, but is careful not to

approach the limits set by Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala), and stays clear of

Haraam, Makruh and doubtful matters.

265

• This hadith tells us that the person who

is careful in refraining from things

displeasing to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)

is far better than the one who exerts

himself in acts of worship but also

indulges in matters of questionable

lawfulness.

266

267

268

269

You Might Try Exchanging Yourself with Your Children

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “The Kaafir will be brought

forth on the Day of Resurrection and it

will be said to him, ‘Do you think that

if you had an earthful of gold you

would ransom yourself with it?’ He

will say, ‘Yes.’ It will be said to him, ‘I

used to ask you for less than that.’”

[Sahih Bukhari]

270

• What Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) asks us

to do to save ourselves from Jahannum

and claim our palaces in Jannah, is much

less than giving an earthful of gold.

271

• Today we cannot imagine sacrificing our

children to save ourselves. On the Day of

Judgement though things will be so bad

for the sinner that he will wish that he

could send the most beloved of people to

him to the Fire, in order to save himself:

“The Mujrim (criminal, sinner,

disbeliever) will desire to ransom himself

from the punishment of that Day by his

children. And his wife and his brother,

and his kindred who sheltered him, and

all that are in the earth, so that it might

save him. By no means! Verily, it will be

the fire of Hell.” [Quran: Surah Maarij,

Ayaat 11-15] 272

• Brothers and Sisters! Let’s prepare for

that Day when our relations and wealth

will mean nothing to us. Let’s prepare by

not letting these things come between us

and Allah’s commands today.

273

They would Draw Lots for It

• “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon

him) used to invoke the mercy of Allah

three times upon those who formed the

first line, and only once upon those

who were in the second line.” [Nasai]

274

• Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) said:

“People do not know the high degree of

reward and blessings reserved for the

people who form the first line of prayer. If

they knew it, they would start drawing

lots for the privilege of joining the first

line.” [Bukhari]

• People sit all night outside the embassies

of countries they want to immigrate to, so

that they can be first in line for the visa

when the embassy opens in the morning.

Isn’t Jannah the land every Muslim should

want to migrate to? Why don’t we have

the same concern to join the first line of

prayer for it? 275

276

277

278

Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Father

• Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased

with him) reported that a person came

to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and

asked: “Who among people is the most

deserving of my fine treatment?” He

(pbuh) replied: “Your mother.” He

then asked, “Who next?” The Prophet

(pbuh) replied: “Your mother.” He

asked again: “Who next?” He (pbuh)

said again, “Your mother.” He again

asked, “Then who?” He (pbuh) said:

“Your father.” [Sahih Bukhari] 279

• Once a man came to the Prophet (pbuh)

and said that his mother was very ill-

tempered. The Prophet (pbuh) did not

exempt the man from giving good

companionship to his mother and treating

her well. In fact, he (pbuh) got angry at

the man and asked whether his mother

had also been bad-tempered when she

had been carrying him, when she was

suffering labour pains to give birth to him

and when she had been nursing him. In

other words, because of the troubles she

had borne for his sake, treating her kindly

was now incumbent on him, regardless of

whether he enjoyed serving her or not. 280

• We must remember that Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) is As-Sami (the All-Hearing). We say

“Sami Allahu li man hamida” at least seventeen

times a day, if we pray only the Fardh salat. This

is to remind us that Allah hears everything.

Nothing escapes him. We treat our parents well

in obedience to Allah’s commands and He is

aware of every word we speak to them, every

single thing we do for them and every sacrifice

we make for them -- even when the parents are

not aware of it. Thus, to earn His pleasure and

the Jannat that He (subhana wa ta’ala) has

prepared for His dutiful servants, we will worry

about our duties and responsibilities towards

others and not our rights. Allah (subhana wa

ta’ala) is sufficient to take care of our rights.

281

What’s Awaiting

• It is related on the authority of Anas

(radi Allahu anhu) that Allah’s

Messenger (peace be upon him) said:

“If you knew what I know you would

laugh little and weep much.” [Sahih

Bukhari]

282

• If you had gone out somewhere but received

news that a fire might have destroyed your

home, would you be able to enjoy yourself until

you returned home and checked that your

house and family were intact? Would it be

possible for you to think, “Well there’s a 50%

chance everything will be alright, so I’ll worry

about what I’ll find when I get home. What’s the

use of worrying about it now?” No! The worry

about what you might find on your return

would not allow you to laugh, giggle and joke

with this uncertainty looming over you.

• Then when one is unaware, whether the grave

awaiting them is a pit of fire or garden of

Paradise, how can they be so indulgent in the

pleasures of this world?

283

• Once when Maimun bin Mihran and Umar bin

Abdul Aziz (considered the fifth rightly guided

khalifa) were visiting the graveyard together,

the latter began to cry, and turning towards the

former, he said, “O Abu Ayyub (i.e. Maimun),

these are the graves of my fathers from Banu

Umayyah. When I see their graves now, it seems

as if they never participated with the dwellers of

the world in their pleasures and (enjoyment-

filled) lives. Do you not see how they are

inextricably beset by trials? The insects are

feeding off of their bodies..,” Umar then began

to weep until he fainted. When he regained

consciousness, he said, “Let us go, for by Allah,

I do not know of anyone who is more blessed

than he who comes to these graves, yet is saved

from the punishment of Allah!” 284

285

286

287

We Deal with Hearts

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him) said: “Should I tell you about

those whom the Hellfire is forbidden to

touch? It is forbidden to touch every

approachable, easygoing, soft-spoken

and gentle person.” [Tirmidhi]

288

• What was the Prophet (peace be upon

him) like? When anybody would enter

his gathering he would move a little to

make space for them, even if there was

already space, so that the newcomer

would feel welcome. It showed the

newcomer that he (peace be upon him)

valued him and they would love him.

289

• When the Prophet (peace be upon him)

would shake someone’s hand he

wouldn’t withdraw his hand until the

other person withdrew his hand first.

• If a person were to speak to him, he

would completely turn towards him,

meaning that he would turn his face and

body towards him, in order to listen

with full attention.

290

• If you are listening but have your face

turned away, you are silently telling the

other person that they are not important

enough for you to give them your

undivided attention even for a few

moments. This was not the way of Allah’s

Messenger (pbuh). That is why Allah

(subhana wa ta’ala) said about him (pbuh):

“And you are surely on an excellent

standard of character.” [Quran: Surah

al-Qalam, Ayat 4]

• When we deal with people, we deal with

hearts not bodies. When you show

people your concern and care for them,

you capture their hearts and become

dear to them.

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Wish for Everybody in Prayer

• “A bedouin entered the masjid of the

Prophet (peace be upon him), offered

his prayers and then said: ‘O Allah!

Grant Your favor to me and to

Muhammad (peace be upon him), and

to none else besides us.’ On hearing

this, the Prophet (peace be upon him)

observed: ‘You have narrowed the vast

limits of Allah’s blessings.’” [Bukhari]

293

• Avoid prejudice and selfishness in

prayer. Ask for others what you would

like others to ask for you.

• Do not fall into the error of considering

the vast blessings with Allah (subhana

wa ta’ala) as limited. Don’t pray for the

granting of His bounty to you alone

since He has much more than that to

give. To ask only for yourself is akin to

refusing the river and begging only for a

drop.

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Vain Despite Apparently Good (I)

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said: “The first of the people on whom

judgment will be passed on the Day of

Resurrection will be a man who was martyred.

He will be brought forth and reminded of the

blessing that he was given, and he will

acknowledge it. (Allah) will say, ‘What did

you do with it?’ He will say, ‘I fought for Your

sake until I was martyred.’ (Allah) will say,

‘You are lying. You fought so that it might be

said, he is brave, and it was said.’ Then the

command will be given, and he will be dragged

on his face and thrown into Hell.” [Muslim] 298

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) warns us in the Quran

of the fate of those who fight for the medals of

this world; but while we recite do we give

thought to what we are reading, or do we stop

to examine the intentions behind our efforts?

• “Whosoever desires the life of the world

and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full

(the wages of) their deeds therein, and they

will have no diminution therein. They are

those for whom there is nothing in the

Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds

they did therein. And of no effect is that

which they used to do.” [Quran: Surah

Hood, Ayaat 15-16]

299

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said: “Then there will be a man who acquired

knowledge and taught it, and recited the

Quran. He will be brought forth and reminded

of the blessing that he was given, and he will

acknowledge it. (Allah) will say, ‘What did

you do with it?’ He will say, ‘I acquired

knowledge and taught it, and recited the

Quran for Your sake.’ (Allah) will say, ‘You

are lying. You acquired knowledge so that it

might be said, he is a knowledgeable man, and

it was said.’ Then the command will be given,

and he will be dragged on his face and thrown

into Hell.” [Muslim] 300

Vain Despite Apparently Good (II)

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) warns us in the Quran

of the fate of those who acquire religious

knowledge in order to show it off; but while we

recite do we give thought to what we are

reading, and do we stop to examine ourselves?

• “Whosoever desires the life of the world

and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full

(the wages of) their deeds therein, and they

will have no diminution therein. They are

those for whom there is nothing in the

Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds

they did therein. And of no effect is that

which they used to do.” [Quran: Surah

Hood, Ayaat 15-16]

301

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

said: “Then there will be a man to whom Allah

gave in abundance all kinds of wealth. He will

be brought forth and reminded of the blessing

that he was given, and he will acknowledge it.

(Allah) will say, ‘What did you do with it?’

He will say, ‘I did not leave any way in which

You love charity to be given, but I spent for

Your sake in that way.’ (Allah) will say, ‘You

are lying. You did that so that it might be said,

he is generous, and it was said.’ Then the

command will be given, and he will be dragged

on his face and thrown into Hell.” [Muslim] 302

Vain Despite Apparently Good (III)

• Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) warns us in the Quran

of the fate of those who spend in order to be

acknowledged by men; but while we recite the

Quran do we give thought to what we are

reading, and do we stop to scrutinize our own

motives?

• “Whosoever desires the life of the world

and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full

(the wages of) their deeds therein, and they

will have no diminution therein. They are

those for whom there is nothing in the

Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds

they did therein. And of no effect is that

which they used to do.” [Quran: Surah

Hood, Ayaat 15-16]

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