Commentary ~ The Believer is not stung from the same Hole twice

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

After the Battle of Badr, Abu ‘Azzah Al-Jumahi, a poet, was a prisoner in the hands of the Muslims. He was from Quraish and through his poetry he would incite battle against the Muslims. After his capture, he said to Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), “Indeed, I am poor and I have many dependents that are needy and you know this, so please have mercy upon me and may Allah have mercy upon you.” The Prophet (SAWS) did so and released him. Before the Battle of Uhud[1], Safwan bin Umaiyyah, one of the leaders of the Quraish, said to the poet before they were to fight the Muslims, “O Abu ‘Azzah, indeed you are a poet, so help us with your words to incite men to battle.” Abu ‘Azzah replied that the Prophet (SAWS) had bestowed a favor upon him by giving him his freedom and he did not wish to go against that kindness. Safwan said, “Help us and if you return alive from this battle, I will make you rich and if you are struck down, I will make your daughters partners with my daughters in my wealth.” So, Abu ‘Azzah went forth with them and was taken as prisoner by the Muslims for a second time. Again he pleaded with the Prophet (SAWS) asking to be pardoned. The Prophet (SAWS) said to him, “By Allah, your cheeks will not touch Makkah and you will not be able to say that indeed, you have deceived Muhammad twice. Indeed the believer is not stung from the same hole twice. O Zubair, strike his neck!” Zubair struck his neck and he was killed.

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

[1]: Audio lecture on the lessons from the Battle of Uhud can be found here.

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 57

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ Meet my brothers

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: I wish that I could meet my brothers. The Sahabah asked: Are we not your brothers? He replied: You are my companions, but my brothers are those who will believe in me without having seen me. (Ahmed)

Muntakhab Ahadith
Compiled by Muhammad Yousuf Kandhlavi
Publisher: Annayyar
Chapter 1, Page 14, Number 26

Read Full Post »

Ayaat 53-58 ~ Az-Zumar (The Groups)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

53. Say: “O ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh, verily Allâh forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

54. “And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islâmic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islâm), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.

55. “And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’ân, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!”

56. Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allâh (i.e. I have not done what Allâh has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh), the Qur'ân, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers, etc.]

57. Or (lest) he should say: “If only Allâh had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqûn (pious and righteous persons – see V.2:2).”

58. Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: “If only I had another chance (to return to the world) then I should indeed be among the Muhsinûn (good-doers – see V.2:112).”

Sura 39. Az-Zumar (The Groups)

Read Full Post »

Commentary ~ The Many Guises of Backbiting

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that there are those from the people that backbite or listen to backbiting, and they do so to please the company they keep, with the awareness that the victim is likely to be innocent of some of the things that are uttered about him. Often such offenders feel that if they were to attempt to end such conversation in a gathering, their presence might become unwelcome or burdensome.

There are many methods and guises that are employed when one mentions another in a negative way.

Under the pretense of being informative, one could say that it is not one’s habit to mention others, except for the sake of relating another’s condition to someone.

Or one could state that by Allah, indeed so-and-so is one to be pitied, thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected.

Another method might be to say that so-and-so is a good person; however, he has such and such qualities. Again, one is justified in revealing another’s faults.

One could also simply state that we should forget so-and-so, and make supplication for their forgiveness as well as our own, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned.

In reality, all these tactics are designed to try to deceive Allah (the Exalted) and to please the creation; and in reality, the many that follow these methods only serve to deceive themselves.

Then there are those that backbite to raise their own status.

When they hear of someone’s error, they employ words like, “Had I prayed for so-and-so last night in my prayer, the news of their sin would not have reached my ears.”

Again, when a person states of another that he lacks understanding in a matter, the implication is personal superiority for the one that mentions the other’s shortcoming.

There are also those that couple jealousy with backbiting – the act of being critical or belittling to those that are praised in the company of others.

Some people also backbite for the sake of humor, playfulness and lightheartedness. A person finds a certain amount of satisfaction from being appreciated for his story-telling abilities; speaking ill of someone in a humorous fashion adds flavor to a tale.

Others engage in backbiting by showing surprise and amazement at another’s actions: “‘How is it that someone could do such a thing?”

Yet others mention people and their actions with the pretense of sympathy for their actions or misfortunes. In reality, the one who backbites actually finds contentment and satisfaction at the mention of others and their misdeeds.

Another form of backbiting is relating someone’s misfortune to their enemies, so that they, too, may find pleasure in putting them down.

From these examples, one can surmise that backbiting pertains to a disease of the heart… May Allah save us from this most evil of actions and protect us from its temptations.

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 54

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ The seven great destructive sins

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Abu-Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him); ‘The Prophet (SAWS) said: “Avoid the seven great destructive sins.” The people enquired; ‘O Allah’s Messenger! What are they?’ The Prophet (SAWS) said: To join others in worship along with Allah, to practise sorcery, to kill the life that Allah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic law), to eat up usury, to eat up the orphan’s wealth, to show one’s back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse the chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.” (Bukhari).

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (2)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapiter 268, Page 1046, Number 905

Read Full Post »

Commentary ~ The past is gone forever

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

By brooding over the past and its tragedies, one exhibits a form of insanity – a kind of sickness that destroys resolve to live for the present moment. Those who have a firm purpose have filed away and forgotten occurrences of the past, which will never again see light, since they occupy such a dark place in the recesses of the mind. Episodes of the past are finished with; sadness cannot retrieve them, melancholy cannot make things right, and depression will never bring the past back to life. This is because the past is non-existent.

Do not live in the nightmares of former times or under the shade of what you have missed. Save yourself from the ghostly apparition of the past. Do you think that you can return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, milk to the udder, or tears to the eye? By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a very frightful and tragic state of mind.

Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present. When Allah mentioned the affairs of the previous nations, Allah, the Exalted said:

That was a nation who has passed away. (Quran 2:134)

Former days are gone and done with, and you benefit nothing by carrying out an autopsy over them, by turning back the wheels of history.

The person who lives in the past is like someone who tries to saw sawdust. Of old, they used to say: “Do not remove the dead from their graves.”

Our tragedy is that we are incapable of dealing with the present: neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. If every man and every jinn were to try jointly to bring back the past, they would most certainly fail. Everything on earth marches forward, preparing for a new season – and so should you.

La Tahzan (Don’t be sad)
By Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni
Translated by: Faisal ibn Muhammad Shafeeq, 2nd ed. Riyadh 2005
Publisher: International Islamic Publishing House
ISBN Hard Cover: 9960-850-36-6
ISBN Soft Cover: 9960-850-44-7
P30

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ The sweetness of faith

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: “Whoever possessed these three (qualities) would have the sweetness (delight) of faith. The one to whom Allah and His Messenger (SAWS) become dearer to him than anything else, the one who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah’s sake, and the one who would hate to convert to atheism (unbelief) as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” (Termizi)

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (1)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapiter 44, Page 358, Number 196

Read Full Post »

Ayaat 37-45 ~ Al-Araf

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

37. Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allâh or rejects His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)? For such their appointed portion (good things of this worldly life and their period of stay therein) will reach them from the Book (of Decrees) until, when Our Messengers (the angel of death and his assistants) come to them to take their souls, they (the angels) will say: “Where are those whom you used to invoke and worship besides Allâh,” they will reply, “They have vanished and deserted us.” And they will bear witness against themselves, that they were disbelievers.

38. (Allâh) will say: “Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and jinns, into the Fire.” Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before), until they will be gathered all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them: “Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire.” He will say: “For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.”

39. The first of them will say to the last of them: “You were not better than us, so taste the torment for what you used to earn.”

40. Verily, those who belie Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and treat them with arrogance, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible). Thus do We recompense the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists, sinners, etc.).

41. Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hell-fire). Thus do We recompense the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong­doers, etc.).

42. But those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh – Islâmic Monotheism), and worked righteousness – We tax not any person beyond his scope, such are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide therein.

43. And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under them, and they will say: “All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, Who has guided us to this, never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allâh had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.” And it will be cried out to them: “This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do.”

44. And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of the Fire (saying): “We have indeed found true what our Lord had promised us; have you also found true, what your Lord promised (warnings, etc.)?” They shall say: “Yes.” Then a crier will proclaim between them: “The Curse of Allâh is on the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong­doers, etc.),”

45. Those who hindered (men) from the Path of Allâh, and would seek to make it crooked, and they were disbelievers in the Hereafter.

Sura 7. Al-Araf

Read Full Post »

Commentary ~ The Flock is the Responsibility of the Shepherd

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Sa’eed bin ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to ‘Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), “Indeed, I advise you with words that are taken from the comprehensive precepts of Islam. Fear Allah in how you deal with people and do not fear people with how you are with Allah. Let not your speech be contrary to your actions, for indeed, the best of speech is that which is in accordance with action. Love those Muslims that are near to you and those that are far, as you love yourself and your family. Do not fear blame or hardship in your quest for what you know to be true.”

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 59

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ Three men in a cave

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘I heard Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) saying: “Three men from among those who were before you, set out together until they reached a cave at night and they entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other): ‘Nothing can save us from this rock but to invoke Allah by mentionning the righteous deeds that we have done (for Allah’s sake only).” So, one of them said: ‘O Allah! I had old parents (whom I used to provide with milk) and I never provided my family (wife, children, etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I arrived late (at night) after they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and then took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I did not like to offer my family the milk before them, so I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up until dawn. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, I invoke You to relieve us from our critical situation that has been caused by this rock.’ So, the rock moved a little, but they could not get out. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “The second man said: ‘O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, but she refused. Later she came across hard times during a year of famine and she came to me, and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desires, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desires, she said: “It is illegal for you to violate my chastity except through legitimate marriage.” So, I realized it was a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her, though she was the dearest of all people to me. I also left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.’ So, the rock moved a little more, but still they could not get out from the cave. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “Then the third man said: ‘O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them all of them their wages, with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I gained much profit from this. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: “O Allah’s servant! Pay me my wages.” I said to him: “All the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves that you see here, are yours.” He said: “O Allah’s slave! Don’t mock me.” I said: “I am not mocking you.” So, he took the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.’ So, the rock moved completely and they walked out. (Bukhari)

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (1)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapiter 1, Page 77, Number 12

Read Full Post »

Ayaat 10-13 ~ Al-Hujuraat (The Dwellings)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

10. The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allâh, that you may receive mercy.

11. O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one’s brother after having Faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).

12. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting) . And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.

13. O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2)]. Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Sura 49. Al-Hujuraat (The Dwellings)

Read Full Post »

Commentary ~ A Confession

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

My story is plain enough, nothing strikingly poignant about it, but I tell it to you so that perhaps you can learn from my mistake. My marriage began as a very happy union between my husband and me. We weren’t rich, but we were contented with what we had, and we had a daughter whom we both loved dearly. In the early stages of our marriage, we would put our daughter to sleep, and we would then pray, glorify Allah, and recite the Quran.

One day, we checked our savings and realized that we had saved a considerable sum of money, and so I suggested to my husband that we should buy interest-bearing shares, the proceeds of which we could definitely use to help our daughter later on in life. We invested all that we had, including the money I made from selling all of my jewelry. After only a short time passed, the prices of the shares plunged, we went bankrupt, and we were left with many debts. We came to learn the hard way that:

“Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, ominous, etc.).” (Quran 2:276)

During one of the difficult nights that followed, I got into a huge argument with my husband and demanded that he divorce me. He then screamed out, “You are divorced from me… you are divorced from me!” Both my child and I cried, and through many tears, it was this that was constantly going through my mind: We were joined together through obedience to Allah, and we then became separated through disobedience to Him.

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 257

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ What do you think

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Abu Bakr (May Allah be satisfied with him): ‘I said to the Prophet (SAWS) while I was in the Cave: “If anyone of them looked around under his feet, he would see us.” The Prophet (SAWS) said: “O Abu-Bakr! What do you think of two (persons) the third of whom is Allah? (Bukhari)

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (1)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapiter 7, Page 168, Number 65

Read Full Post »

Ayaat 14-16 ~ Ta-Ha

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

14. “Verily! I am Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform As­Salât for My Remembrance.

15. “Verily, the Hour is coming and My Will is to keep it hidden that every person may be rewarded for that which he strives.

16. “Therefore, let not the one who believes not therein, but follows his own lusts, divert you therefrom, lest you perish.

Sura 20. Ta-Ha

Read Full Post »

Commentary ~ How You deal with Others is how You will be dealt with

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

A wise man once said to his son, “My son, do not become resentful when you are afflicted with trials, for indeed that is tantamount to having bad thoughts about one’s Lord, and also, it gives pleasure to one’s enemy. Do not mock others, for indeed by Allah, every time I ever mocked anyone, I was afflicted in the same way as the person who I mocked. In this world, man is a target of arrows that come to him successively: some pass him by, some fall short, some fall to his right and others to his left, and some strike him. Know that for every deed, you are rewarded, and how you deal with others is how you will be dealt with. And whoever is dutiful to his parents, his children will be dutiful to him. Avoid greed and ambition, for both represent poverty in the present. Fear Allah as much as you are able. And if you are able to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today and your secrets better than your outward deeds, then do so. Beware of deeds that you have to aplogize for, for one never has to apologize for goodness. When you stand for prayer, perform the prayer of one who is saying farewell, as if you feel that you will never afterwards pray again (i.e., that you will die). Adhere to modesty, and you will be of its people. Do not inflict harm upon others; rather give them good, and forgive if you are able to. Do not be miserly if you are asked for something and do not tarry when one seeks help from you. Whoever is stingy, then Allah will make things narrow for him; and whoever gives, then Allah will give him a replacement for what he gave.”

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 141

Read Full Post »

Hadith ~ Allah will give shade to seven people

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated by Abu-Huraira (May Allah be satisfied with him): ‘The Prophet (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: “Allah will give shade to seven people on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are)

1. A just ruler.

2. A youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allah (i.e. worships Allah alone sincerely from his childhood).

3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosque (i.e. who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers (in the mosque)).

4. Two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only.

5. A man who refuses the seduction of a charming woman of noble birth and says: “I am afraid of Allah”.

6. A man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.

7. A person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes become flooded with tears.

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (1)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapiter 77, Page 519, Number 309

Read Full Post »

Ayaat 17-22 ~ Ar-Rum

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

17. So glorify Allâh [above all that (evil) they associate with Him (O believers)], when you come up to the evening [i.e. offer the (Maghrib) sunset and ('Ishâ') night prayers], and when you enter the morning [i.e offer the (Fajr) morning prayer].

18. And His is all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth, and (glorify Him) in the afternoon (i.e. offer ‘Asr prayer) and when you come up to the time, when the day begins to decline (i.e offer Zuhr prayer). (Ibn ‘Abbâs said: “These are the five compulsory congregational prayers mentioned in the Qur’ân).”

19. He brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living. And He revives the earth after its death. And thus shall you be brought out (resurrected).

20. And among His Signs is this, that He created you from dust, and then, – behold you are human beings scattered!

21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.

22. And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge.

Sura 30. Ar-Rum

Read Full Post »