Ibn Al-Qayyim - 10 Useless Matters

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Ibn al-Qayyim: 10 Useless Matters

May 2, 2011Dar al-Nicosia / Leave a commentGo to commentsKITAB AL-FAWAID

IMAM IBN AL-QAYYIM AL-JAWZIYYAH:

ON 10 USELESS MATTERS

10 Useless Matters

The Hafiz of Damascus Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah says in his wonderful book on

wisdom and exhortationKitab al-Fawaid:[1]

:1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

6. 7.

8. 9. .

01. .

: .

.English:
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There are ten useless matters that benefits no-one:

1. Knowledge that is not acted on.2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is it based on following the righteous examples

of others.

3. Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains anyreward for it in the Hereafter.4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah, and of seeking closeness to

Him.

5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah.6. Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure.7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good.8. A mind that thinks about useless matters.9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life.10.Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand; while he

cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, nor death, nor life; nor can he resurrect

himself.

However two matters are the severest and they both are the source of all things useless: [1]

wasting the heart and [2] wasting time.

Wasting the heart is when one prefers this worldly life over the Hereafter, and wasting time is

done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following ones desires and having

incessant hope, while all goodness is found in following the right path and preparing oneself

to meet Allah.

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of

Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling

ones desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never

feel the significance or impact of his sins.

Notes:

1. 1. Knowledge with which one does not act:1. The da`wah carrier of all people must be far from failing to act on what he/she knows.

How can we know the obligation of re-establishing the khilafahbut not move our limbs to

work for it?

2. How can there be incongruence between our knowledge and actions? This is weakness in

faith (iman).[2]

3. How can we have general knowledge of our individual and collective duties yet see no

reason to fulfill them?

4. What worth is knowledge if they merely reside in the mind as information or hoarded in

our computers, books and libraries?

5. We of all people must strive and hasten to implement theshari`ah rulings that we knowand learn.[3]
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2. Actions that have no sincerity in them nor are they modelled on righteous conduct:

1. Sincerity (ikhlas) is a duty (wajib) on all Muslimsand must be the staple attribute

especially of the da`wah carrier.[4]

2. This means abandoning any form of ostentatious worship (riya), i.e. to avoid impressingother people.[5]

3.Ikhlas is an interior action of the heart (a`mal al-qulub) that only Allah and the servant

know.[6]

4. Ones insincerity can be obscure (khafy) until it is brought into sharp focus through

scrutinizing and accounting/introspection of the ego-self (muhasabat al-nafs).[7]

5. The motive of the da`wah carrier in acts of worship (ìbadat) must be Allah and His

pleasure and nothing else.

6. Position in the community, status, public perception and profile are not the primary or

secondary objectives of the da`wah carrier. They must not underpin the reason why he/she

does an action.[8]

7. How can we as da`wah carriers demonstrate and follow the best model of conduct and

behavior if we do not understand or know the best example for mankindour beloved

Prophet (saw)?

8. How can we influence and change others if we ourselves exhibit no qualities that will

transform hearts and minds?

9. How can we be people who fail and neglect to read the lives of the best generation, e.g.

that of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), and then the tabiì, the atibba`

al-tabiìn as well as the lives of thesalihin, awliyaand ùlama?

3. Hoarding wealth that helps no-one in either the dunyaor the akhirah:

1. The da`wah carrier must remember that he/she is not the real or true owner ofwealth but is

merely a trustee of it.

2. Allah alone is Owner.

3. In the service of the struggle for the din, we mayno we will have tosacrificedear and

cherished things (objects, items, possessions, etc) and will have to spendit in the way of this

service[9]knowing that Allah will multiply it manifold.

4. The da`wah carrier is never a hoarder of wealth and this should not be one ofhis/her

attributes.

4. & 6. A heart that is separated from the love, desire and intimacy with Allah:

1. How is it possible for the da`wah carrier to be empty of love for Allah (swt)?
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2. How can a sign (`alamah) of love of Allah be to avoid following his commands? A sign of

love is obedience.[10]

3. He/she must be constantly infused and invigorated by the love of Allahprepared to offer

his/her life for Him.[11]

4. His/her heart must be developed and nourished by remembering[12]and contemplating on

the attributes and extreme love, mercy and benevolence[13]Allah has for His creatures and

how He helps and intervenes in protecting those struggling in His path.

5. Allah desires a reciprocal intimacy with His servants and a da`wah carrier must burn with

desire for this.

6. Should our hearts be buried in the love of things (cars, clothes, gadgets), objects, wealth,

the benefits of the dunya, etc. or should it be enveloped in the love and longing of Allah and

His Messenger (saw)?

7. Should love of the dunya eclipse our love for Allah?

5. A body that does not worship Allah (swt):

1. The da`wah carrier must remember that our limbs are one of the greatest blessings Allah

has bestowed.[14]

2. They are a trust from the Creator to fulfil the duties of worshipping Him properly.[15]

3. How is it that the da`wah carrier uses it for other than the service of his/her Lord?

4. How is that through it we neglect the halaland perform the haram? Engage in theshubhat

and avoid any pietistic restraint (wara`)?

5. The da`wah carrier hastens to the good, however little and avoids the bad, however little

and thanks Allah for enabling him to fulfill his/her duties.

7. & 8. Wasting time in actions and thoughts:

1. A da`wah carrier must be using his/her every moment to plan, prepare and aid the da`wah

due to the urgency of the re-establishment of the khilafah.

2. How can it be that his/her thoughts are filled with the contents of useless things like

unlawful music, television programmes and other matters?

3. Should not the desire and yearning for Allah andJannah alone loom large in the focus of

the da`wah carrier?

4. Should not time be spent expiating the many sins as well as performing the good

deeds?[16]

9. & 10. Wasting time in serving others and being afraid of creation:
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1. The work of the da`wah carrier is perilous but the noblest. He/she must remember that

tawakkul,[17]sabr,[18]rida[19]and steadfastnessas essentialswill be always be

required.

2. Fear of any creation over Allah is inverted belief and is irrational.

3. The da`wah carrier must remind him/her self that only Allah alone can bring about harm

and benefit; no ruler, king, president, MP, etc. has any might or power over Allah.

4. The dunya is not permanent but the abode ofjannah is permanent. For the da`wah carrier

the choice ought to be easy.

Allah knows best.

s.z.c

[1]Arabic text ofKitab al-Fawaid(Dar al-Turath, 2004), p.145 and the English translation

entitled TheBenefits:A Collection of Wise Sayings(Umm al-Qura, 2004), pp.179-180.

[2]See the great mujaddidand Sufi of his time Imam Àbd Àllah b. Àlawi al-Haddad al-

Hadrami al-Shafiì,Risalat al-Mudhakarah, pp.30-32.

[3]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, pp.7-14 (English) and pp.11-16 (Arabic).

[4]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, p.90 (English) and p.70 (Arabic). Cf. also the account by thegreat wali of Baghdad Imam Àbd al-Qadir al-Jilani al-Hanbali (ra) in his masterpiece al-

Ghunya li-Talibi, 3:330-336 (= Muhtar Holland trans.) and al-Haddad,Risalat al-

Mudhakarah, pp.37-38 and his al-Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.403-406

[5]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, p.90 (English) and p.70 (Arabic); al-Jilani, al-Ghunya li-Talibi,

3:337-350 and al-

Haddad,Risalat al-Mudhakirah, pp.38-40 and al-Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.365-367.

[6]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, p.90 (English) and p.70 (Arabic).


[8]See al-Haddad, al-Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.370-382.

[9]For thefadlofjihad, see al-Haddad, al-Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.259-272.


[11]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, p.29 (English) and pp.22-27 (Arabic).

[12]On remembrance (dhikr), see al-Haddad, al-Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.223-234 and cf.Kitab al- Nafsiyyah, pp.58-63 (English) and pp.46-48 (Arabic).
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[13]See al-Jilani, al-Ghunya li-Talibi, 2:72-85 and 90-93 and 101-102.




[17]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, pp.87-93 (English) and pp.67-71 (Arabic); al-Haddad, al-

Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.398-401 andRisalat al-Mudhakirah, pp.177-181.

[18]SeeKitab al-Nafsiyyah, pp.68-79 (English) and pp.53-60 (Arabic); al-Haddad, al-

Nasaih al-Diniyyah, pp.391-393 andRisalat al-Mudhakirah, pp.163-169.

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Ibn Al-Qayyim - 10 Useless Matters