Miftaahul-Ilm - Key to Knowledge

If after repeated attempts, a person is not able to apply something that he exhorts others to do, is it still permissible for him to call others to do that action?

umm taymiyyah — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:30:25 +0000

Question: If after repeated attempts, a person is not able to apply something that he exhorts others to do, is it still permissible for him to call others to do that action? what if he does so supposing that the person he is calling will be able to apply what he failed to apply himself?

Answer: When one is inviting others to do a good thing that he himself is not capable of doing, then yes, he should call others to do it. An example of this is if someone calls others to pray late at night while he himself is not able to do so. If someone calls others to give charity, but he himself has no sufficient resources to give charity, then we tell him to go ahead and invite others to give charity. But as for him calling to something that he is capable of applying but doesn’t then this is foolish in intellect and astray in religion.

[Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen|Fatawa Islamiyah vol.8, p.56, Darussalam]

Wealth and Status

umm taymiyyah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:10:13 +0000

Imaam Ahmad, an-Nasaa`ee, at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh report the hadeeth of Ka’b ibn Maalik al-Ansaaree, (radhiyallaahu ‘anhu) from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he said:

Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are not more harmful than a person`s craving after wealth and status is to his Deen (Religion)

At-Tirmidhee said, “It is hasan saheeh.”

It was also said in some narrations from the People of the Book:

”Provision has already been allotted and the one greedy for wealth is deprived. Son of Aadam! If you spend your life in seeking after this world then when will you seek after the Hereafter?” If you are unable to do good deeds in this world, then what will you do on the Day of Resurrection?”

The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status, by al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (rahimahullaah)

Ask like the fools ask…

umm taymiyyah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:05:30 +0000

Ibraaheem ibn al-Mahdi said,

“Ask like the fools ask, but learn and memorize like the smart ones do.”

[Jami’ Bayan al-’ilm wa fadhlihi]

Cannot we be brothers…?

umm taymiyyah — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:05:41 +0000

Yoonus As-Sadafi’ said:

“I have never seen a wiser man than Ash-Shafi`ee, I was arguing with him one day about an issue and I left him. One day, he met me, held my hand and said: ‘Cannot we be brothers, even if we disagree about something‘?”

Siyar A’laam An-Nubalaa’ 10/16

Beauty and Knowledge

umm taymiyyah — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:03:47 +0000

Ibn Al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, said:

“When Allah granted Prophet Yoosuf (`alayhis-Salaam) physical beauty it caused him to be locked up in the prison; but when Allah granted him knowledge (when he interpreted the dream of the king) it not only took him out of prison, but elevated his rank in society, clearly showing us the virtue of knowledge and that physical beauty does not mean anything.”

Al-‘Ilm wa Fadhluhu wa Sharafuhu p. 32

The Jilbâb of the Muslim woman as in the Qur’ân and Sunnah

umm taymiyyah — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:46:18 +0000

Shaykh Al-Albâni رحمه الله :

“And the purpose of the commandment for wearing the Jilbâb is to cover the beauty of a woman. So it is not sensible that the Jilbâb itself should be attractive! And this is as you see very clear and self-evident.”

[Taken from the book entitled: جلباب المراة المسلمة في الكتاب والسنة - The Jilbâb of the Muslim woman as in the Qur'ân and Sunnah, pg.74. Authored by Al Imâm, Al Mujaddid, Al Muhaddith, ash-Shaykh Al-Albâni]

Dedicating One’s Youth to Worship

umm taymiyyah — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:15:44 +0000

[ Part One of a series of inspiring articles from a recorded lecture entitled, "Min Ma'een al-Imaam Ahmad" ("Benefits from the Life and Works of Imam Ahmad") by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allaah preserve him) ]

Dedicating One’s Youth to Worship

Since his childhood, Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have Mercy on him) could be seen with signs of nusuk on him. [The term nusuk will be explained shortly.] Ma’roof Al-Karkhee (may Allaah have Mercy on him) said, “I saw Ahmad ibn Hanbal when he was a young boy, and he had signs of nusuk on him. I used to hear him making statements that were full of benefit.”

This statement describes how he was upon guidance even as a young boy. He used to be seen with signs of nusuk on him. What is meant by nusuk is worship and acts of obedience. The effects of worship and obedience are not only physical ones seen in the appearance and dress, but their effects are also found in one’s speech, manners, in the acts of worship and obedience themselves, and in one’s preference for the next life over this one.

Imam Ahmad said about his own self, “I did not marry until after I reached 40 years of age.” His companions said that this was because he used to be busy traveling to seek knowledge before that. He went to Makkah, and from there to San’aa’. There is a story about this trip:

He set out with his companion, Yahyaa ibn Ma’een, for Hajj. He said to Yahyaa, “When I finish Hajj, verily I am going to Yemen to meet the scholar of Yemen, the scholar of Hadeeth, ‘Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Hammaam As-San’aanee.” As-San’aanee died in the year 210 after Hijrah.

When they reached Makkah, they found that ‘Abdur-Razzaaq was making Hajj that year as well. So Yahyaa knew who he was and met him. He saw him going around the Ka’bah, and since he knew him, he went and greeted him. Yahyaa said to ‘Abdur-Razzaaq, and they knew each other, “This is Ahmad ibn Hanbal” So ‘Abdur-Razzaaq became happy about this and said, “It has reached us that he is a person who has a lot of goodness.”

When they prayed their two rak’ahs after making tawaaf, Yahyaa said to Imam Ahmad,“Ahmad, our provisions for the journey to San’aa’ have been used. And here is ‘Abdur-Razzaaq, so let us stay with him so we can take some narrations from him.”

Ahmad said to Yahyaa ibn Ma’een, “My intention is still present, and I will not oppose it. So I will continue on to San’aa’.” This shows the effects of his commitment to the hardships of seeking knowledge. A trip to San’aa’ in that time was not made in cars or airplanes or the likes, rather it was only made with great hardships, the realities of which can not be described.

Ma’roof said, “I saw Ahmad ibn Hanbal when he was a young boy and he had signs of nusuk on him.” In reality, this is what we should see in our children, that they work hard to correct themselves in their youth, in their early years. Because at this, if they do not build upon this foundation with what is correct, with acts of worship and obedience, then it will be very difficulty after that, except for those whom Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, excludes.

Whoever holds to His Religion in his youth, firmness will return to him. Someone being devout or obedient is not just a claim or a verbal ascription to something, nor is it something seen only from the outside. Rather devoutness in the Religion entails one taking on serious rituals, he must worship, and he must be obedient.

This leads us to the story when Imam Ahmad once hosted one of his students in Hadeeth, ‘Abdus-Samad ibn Sulaymaan. When he was hosting him in his house, and it came time to sleep, he brought him some water to make wudhoo’ from or for general use. Then he went to sleep. When the morning came, Imam Ahmad saw that all of the water was still there, so he asked about it. ‘Abdus-Samad replied, “I did not use the water.” Imam Ahmad said, “A student of the narrations who does not do anything at night?!”

He meant, “All the way to the morning, you did not pray in the night?! You did not worship!? You did not even pray two rak’ahs?!” ‘Abdus-Samad replied, “Verily I am a traveler.” He said, “Even as a traveler!” Meaning, “Where is the witr? Where is the prayer?”

So without a doubt, if this was important in that day and time for cultivating one’s soul and getting set in the proper direction, then we are in more need of it today. This is the case especially with the youth who seek knowledge, or those holding tight to their guidance, or those who display the effects of prayer, or those who are keen in doing good deeds.

One must keep his soul tied to some acts of worship. No doubt, one must keep his soul tied to some acts of obedience. If you force the soul to be obedient, it will become obedient. If you abandon it, then it will be a soul that gravitates toward wrongdoing.

It has been related that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“Whoever shows enduring patience, Allaah will make him firm upon patience. Whoever seeks knowledge, Allaah will teach him. Whoever hunts for good, he will be given it. Whoever expects evil, he will be made to fall into it.” [1]

Therefore, this description of Imam Ahmad proves that he had an upbringing based on obedience to Allaah and acts of worship, so much so that he used to force his soul to shun many worldly things and to take on great hardships. The result of this was that he established his soul firmly upon obedience to Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted.

FOOTNOTES

[1] The first part of this hadeeth, “Whoever shows enduring patience, Allaah will make him firm upon patience,” it is found in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Source: Bakkah.net

Description Of Paradise & The Delights That It Contains – Ibn al-Qayyim

umm taymiyyah — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:25:29 +0000

In The Name Of Allah..

Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

“And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who’s taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-’Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face – free from any resemblance or likeness to anything – as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: ‘O People of Paradise! Your Lord – Blessed and Exalted – requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!’ So they will say: ‘We hear and obey!’

Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet – and none of them will turn down the request of the caller – the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: ‘O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!’ So they will say: ‘And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?’

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller – Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names – has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: ‘O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!’ So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: ‘O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!’ So the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will laugh to them and say: ‘O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!’

So, they will all give the same response: ‘We are pleased, so be pleased with us!’ So, He will say: ‘O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!’ So, they will all give the same response: ‘Show us your Face so that we may look at it!’ So, the Lord – Mighty and Majestic – will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah – the Exalted – had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord – the Exalted – will speak to him and say: ‘Do you remember the day that you did this and that?’ and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: ‘O Lord! Will you not forgive me?’ So, He will say: ‘Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.’

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

[from the amazing and beautiful book Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193

Du’a said for someone whom you’ve spoken ill to

umm taymiyyah — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:12:22 +0000

Words About Al-Manhaj (The Methodology) @ Musalla As-Sahaba & WIZIQ

umm taymiyyah — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:48:20 +0000

As-salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh,

Bismillahi walhamdulillah was-salaatu was-salaamu ‘alaa Rasoolillah

Alhamdulillah, as some of you probably know, Ash-Shaykh Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman Muhammad ‘Ali ‘Ajaal is in town for a short while. We ask Allah to preserve him and allow us to benefit from him during his stay. That being said, in-sha-Allah, he will be giving a series of lectures entitled Words About Al-Manhaj (The Methodology) @ Musalla As-Sahaba on the following days unless otherwise advised.

The WIZIQ classes can be found at the following links:

Part 1 – Sunday, Dec. 18th at 6pm EST
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/694858-words-about-al-manhaj-the-methodology-part-1

Part 2 – Friday, Dec. 23rd at 7:45pm EST
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/694861-words-about-al-manhaj-the-methodology-part-2

Part 3 – Saturday, Dec. 24th at 6pm EST
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/694862-words-about-al-manhaj-the-methodology-part-3

Part 4 – Sunday, Dec. 25th at 6pm EST
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/694865-words-about-al-manhaj-the-methodology-part-4

If there are any technical difficulties, please be patient and we will try to get it fixed for the class the following class.

We would like to mention a few points:
1) NO RECORDING PLEASE! Recording is only permitted for Dar As-Sahaba Admin.
2) Due to time restrictions and our attention on the lecture, we will not be able to entertain any questions/comments from our WIZIQ participants.
Barakallahu feekum, we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in the above matters.

For our international WIZIQ participants, please consult the world clock (links below) to find out the lecture time in your local time zone.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/full.html

http://www.worldtimezone.com/

Jazakumullahu khair.
–
Dar As-Sahaba Admin
http://dar-as-sahaba.com