Almost everyday
Everyone: Omg, it’s so hot!
Me: Really? It’s actually not that hot, for me at least. :)
Everyone: …are you serious?
Hasten to do good deeds before you are Overtaken!
Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: “The Messenger of Allaah, may Allaah bless him and raise his rank, said, “Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.” Then (giving a warning) he said, “Are you waiting for poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion, or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or a disease which will disable you, or senility which will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death which will take you all of a sudden, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected, or the Hour; and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter.” [Collected by At-Tirmidhi who said: “This hadeeth has a good chain”]
Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy upon, explains this hadeeth by saying:
“Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.”
Meaning work and rush before one of these seven things afflict you that the Messenger, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned in this hadeeth.
Either;
“are you waiting for poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion”
Whereby a person is afflicted with poverty that causes him to forget about the remembrance of his Lord. Because poverty, may Allaah protect us all from it, is an evil cloak that envelopes the slave. If he is poor he becomes in need of food, drink, clothing, shelter, a spouse, etc. and he finds none of that. Until the point the earth (seems to) close in on him and he goes searching to find those affairs and forgets about the remembrance of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. Nor is he able to perform obedience in its’ desired manner.
Likewise many acts of obedience pass him by that require wealth like zakaat, charity, emancipation, hajj, spending in the way of Allaah and the likes.
Or;
“prosperity which will make you corrupt”
Whereas Allaah enriches a person and opens up the dunya for him thus he becomes oppressive and deems himself free of need from his Lord. So he does not uphold what Allaah obligated upon him nor does he cease from what Allaah prohibited him from. Allaah, the Most High, says:
“Nay! Indeed man transgresses. Because he sees himself self-sufficient.”[96:6,7]
Likewise;
“or a disease which will disable you”
A sickness that ruins a persons life. Because as long as a person is healthy then he is energetic, delightful and the dunya is open in front of him but if he becomes sick his body weakens, and his soul becomes sluggish and restricted and he turns into one who is constantly sad and depressed and so his life becomes ruined.
Or;
“senility which will make you mentally unstable”
Meaning old-age that destroys the capability of a person. As Allaah says:
“Allaah is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent.”[31:54]
So as long as a person is active and youthful he performs obedience with a zeal, perfomrs abulution with energy, prays with enthusiasm, goes out to seek knowledge with determination however when he becomes old as Allaah said about Zakariyyah:
“My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white.”[19:4]
Meaning the bones have become weakened and he loses his strength and he isn’t able of doing what he used to when he was young as the poet said:
“Oh I wish that youthfulness would return one day, so that I can inform it about what this old-age has done.”
“or sudden death which will take you all of a sudden”
When a person dies his actions are cut off and he is no longer able to perform deeds. How many people have died (at a time) when they thought they weren’t going to die?! How many people have died and he was in his prime, healthy in a fiery accident or the flipping of a car or the collapsing of a wall on him or heart failure, many things that a person can die from even though he may be young.
Therefore, hasten to do good deeds because you do not know, you might die while speaking to your family or you might die and you are on your bed or you might die while you’re getting ready to eat lunch, you leave out the house and say to your family “get lunch ready” but you never return to eat it or you might die while you’re in your car or on a trip, therefore hasten!
From those matters also;
“or Ad-Dajjaal who is the worst expected”
Meaning or are you waiting for the Dajjaal who is a wicked liar that will be sent at the end of time inviting the people to worship him and decieving them. Many of the creation will be put to trial by him except those whom Allaah wills not.
Due to this, we have been commanded to seek refuge with Allaah from him in every prayer. The Messenger, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, said: “When one of you says the last tashahhud let him say: “Oh Allaah I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death and the trial of the Anti-Christ Ad-Dajjaal.”
The Dajjaal is a (human) man however he is one-eyed, evil, a disbeliever and rebellious. The word kaafir, i.e. disbeliever, has been written between his eyes and every believer will read it and not the evil-doer. The disbeliever will not read it even if he may be literate and the believer will read it even if he may be illiterate and this is from the signs of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.
This is the Dajjaal who will invite the people to worship him saying: “I am your lord” so if they obey him, he will enter them into paradise and if they disobey him, he will enter them into hell. But what is his paradise and hell? His paradise is actually hell and his hell is actually paradise. However he will decieve the people into thinking that this person who obeyed him has entered paradise but it is really hell and if anyone disobeys him he enters them into hell which is really paradise, sweet tasting water, pleasant, bliss. The Messenger, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Indeed he is going to come with the likeness of paradise and hell, so that which he says is paradise is hell.”
But he will deceive the people into thinking that the person who obeys him enters paradise and the one who disobeys him enters hell but it is contrary to that. He will also come to people in the desert and it will be barren and the udders of their livestock will have no milk. So he will call them saying: “I am your lord”, and they will answer him and then he will command the sky to rain and it will do so and he will command the earth to produce vegetation and it will do so and they will come in the morning and the land will be fertile and their livestock will return to them with their udders full with milk, the camels humps will be very lengthy from fullness and plumpness and as a result of this they will continue to worship him however they profited in the dunya only and wasted their Hereafter and Allaah’s refuge is sought. they took him as a lord besides Allaah.
The Messenger, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, said about the Dajjaal that he is ”the worst expected” may Allaah protect us from his trial.
Then he said:
“or the Hour”
Which is the seventh affliction, meaning or are you waiting for the establishment of the Hour,
“for the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter”
Meaning a severe catastrophe and a bitter tasting thing. Allaah, the Most High, says:
“But the Hour is their appointment [for due punishment], and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.” [54:46]
So briefly, a person will not be free from one of these seven afflictions and all of them prevent one from actions therefore he must hasten now while he is healthy, energetic, still young, free, in safety and all praise is for Allaah. Let him hasten to do righteous actions before it passes him by and he becomes remorseful when remorse will be to no avail. I ask Allaah to make me and you from those who hasten and race towards the good.
~
[Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah)|Translated by: Abu Fouzaan Qaasim|Arabic Source: Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen site]
Everybody Falls into it Somehow… a Little or a Lot
Everybody falls into it somehow… a little or a lot
Post Courtesy : Moosaa Richardson in KSA_Dawah Google groups
In the Name of Allaah…
Most people entertain bad thoughts about Allaah regarding their own personal situations and the situations of others. The only ones who remain safe from this are those who truly know Allaah, His Names, His Attributes, and what His Wisdom and Right to be praised really entails.
So let every sincere, sound-minded individual focus on himself regarding this, and then repent to Allaah and seek His Forgiveness from the negative notions he entertains about his Lord.
Look closely at anyone! You will find that people become upset with Qadr and blame things on it, saying that, “It should have been this way or that way…”
Some people behave this way only rarely, others more commonly!
Inspect yourself – Are you innocent!?
If you are saved from it, you are safe from something terrible…
But really, I doubt you are even safe!-Ibn al-Qayyim
This is a passage from the great writings of al-’Allaamah Ibn Qayyim al-Jowziyyah, as quoted in the book, Kitaab at-Towheed, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab.
This passage was an explanation of some Qur’aanic verses exposing the notions and ill assumptions of the hypocrites after the defeat suffered at the Battle of Uhud. It is absolutely amazing how this great scholar tied the filthy beliefs of the hypocrites to our own hearts and actions, and guided us to take a an important personal lesson from the hidden enemies of Islaam and their false notions about the Wisdom of Allaah and His Qadr.
From the attributes of the hypocrites is that they do not submit to the Qadr of Allaah, instead they find fault with it, and claim that things would have been better had they been in charge of the affair!
Review Soorah Aal ‘Imraan (3:154).
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Inspect yourself – Are you innocent?!”
I remind myself and my brothers and sisters in Islaam to sincerely think about the following statements and ponder over how distant we are from them in reality:
- “That’s just great! This is why I hate Mondays!”
- “What is wrong with this laptop? Another virus!! And of course this would happen NOW, when I have all this important work to finish!!”
- “The car seems to break down every time I’m running late!”
- “My stupid cellphone keeps shutting down…!”
- “Oh great! One more red light! As if I’m not late enough!”
- “I stoved my toe on that stupid table!”
These small everyday trials we face and the emotions we react with are all part of our personal test. Our reactions, beliefs, and statements are all being recorded!
With the above mentioned complaints and reactions, who are we actually displeased with? We know that the table didn’t do anything to our toe, right? We know that cars, cellphones, and laptops don’t actually choose to do things to harm us in reality, right?
So then, again – WHO or WHAT are we really displeased with when uttering these kinds of statements?
We desperately need our spouses, friends, and companions to remind us, quite simply, with the following question:
Are you unhappy with the Qadr of Allaah?
Let us replace the bad reactions mentioned with the very best guidance available, the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam):
وإن أصابك شيء فلا تقل لو أني فعلت كذا لكان كذا وكذا لكن قل قدر الله وما شاء فعل…
“…And if something (bad) befalls you, do not say, ‘Had I only done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened, rather say: Qadrullaahi, wa maa shaa’ fa’ala (This is from the Qadr of Allaah, and He does whatever He wills).” [Muslim]
Let us affirm everything we face as the Qadr of Allaah, submit to Allaah being pleased with the trial He (and no one else) has chosen for us, and be afraid of a bad reaction that would be written against us and handed to us on the Day of Account.
And Allaah knows best.
Moosaa Richardson in KSA_Dawah Google groups
Yaa akhi, by Allaah, my intention is good
The Meaning Of ‘Actions Are Only Judged By Intentions’
sources: silsilat ul-hudaa wa nnoor, 340/8 & nudhum al-fawaaid, 21
asaheeha translations @ http://alalbaany.com
~ Explanation of the hadeeth: ‘Actions are only judged by intentions’ [Saheeh al-Bukhaari #1] ~
Shaikh al-Albaani (rahimahullaah):
“This hadeeth means that righteous actions are only (sound/accepted/rewarded) by sincere intentions, not that actions opposing the Legislation turn into righteous legislated actions due to coupling them with righteous intentions. No one will say that except someone ignorant or pursuing his own interests!
Many people know this hadeeth in wording but don’t understand its meaning. Why? Because oftentimes we turn (to some people) and say: ‘Yaa akhi, this action that you are doing, or this statement that you are uttering, is not a righteous action.’ What is the answer? ‘Yaa akhi, the Messenger (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Actions are only judged by intentions’ and my intention is good! My intention is righteous!’
So what is the meaning of the hadeeth? Does the hadeeth mean that evil actions are only (sound/accepted/rewarded) by righteous intentions? Or does it mean that righteous actions are only (sound/accepted/rewarded) by righteous intentions? This latter statement is the meaning. As for if one’s actions are not righteous but intention is righteous – this is not enough. Likewise it is also not enough if it is vice versa: i.e. if one’s actions are righteous but intention is not righteous. So the hadeeth gives us two opposites: just like it is a condition for righteous action that there be righteous intention, it is likewise a condition for righteous intention that there be righteous action. So either one is not enough without the other.
You hear many people nowadays swearing by their fathers for example, saying: ‘.’ Sometimes you may find a person coming to a grave and praying there – a grave of a prophet or righteous person or the like – then when they are prohibited from that, he tells you: ‘My intention is not to worship him, my intention is to seek nearness to Allaah (tawassul) through him.’ Ok, your coming to this grave – granted that the intention is righteous – is an action, so is this a righteous action? The answer is no, because the Messenger (‘alayhi ssalaam) used to say: ‘Don’t sit on the graves nor pray toward them.’ And du’aa is part of prayer, in fact du’aa is worship as he (‘alayhi ssalaam) said. Hence turning to the grave with du’aa is like turning to it with prayer: it is an action that is not righteous, and this unrighteous action is not justified by the intention being righteous, if we grant that the intention is righteous.
Thus, for our actions to be righteous, they must be in agreement with the Legislation. This is what our Lord (‘azza wa jal) pointed to with His Statement in the Noble Qur’aan: {whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work and not associate any partner in the worship of his Lord}.”
