These questions are questions which each and everyone of us reflects on at some point during their life. We have some answers, which are given generally but usually these answers don't satisfy us - seeming somewhat simplistic. So, we still wonder: "Why me? Why here?". I know all of you (Muslims), are saying, "To worship Allah, khallas (finish). What more is there to say? Why do we need to have a big long talk on why we were created when we all know it is to worship Allah?!"
But wait. If this is presented to a non-Muslim, the next logical question would be, "Why does Allah want us to worship Him?" Then your stuck, which can only mean that in our own minds it is not really clear. Why did Allah create us to worship Him?
Addressing the question, "Why did Allah create us?", we have to understand how to deal with those people we live with (in the West). Those who don't consider there to be any purpose in man's creation, firmly believing that they are just a product of evolution and that the forces of nature. Just as we don't have apes, dogs or cows thinking about why they are here, then we also don't have to think about it either. Following from this belief being the basis of the philosophy of Western society (that man is without purpose), the whole issue of government, morality, etc. has no basis for them in Revelation. The product of this attitude is, of course, the corruption that we are living in.
When a Muslim addresses this topic, we have to find our understanding from Divine Revelation and not human speculation. Because human speculation has no bounds; we can imagine all kinds of things and if any of you has studied philosophy of religion, you will know how many opinions there are about the creation of man and existence. Because of the variety of philosophies which are out there, no one can say this one is correct or that one is incorrect, because there is no guidance behind it. No Divine Revelation. It is only from Divine Revelation that we can determine the reality of our creation, because it is Allah who has created us and so He knows the purpose of our creation. We can hardly understand it ourselves, much less trying to understand the essence of things. So it is for Allah to inform us through the revelation in the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the Prophetic traditions) which were brought to us by His Last Messenger and the Messengers before him.
Now if we are to look initially into revelation, to determine why was man created, there is a deeper question that we should be asking before that: "Why did God create?". This before we even get to man because man is not the greatest act of creation. Allah says:
- "The creation of the Heavens and the Earth is indeed greater then the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not." [Surah Ghafir, verse 57]
Man is not the greatest act of creation, this universe is far more complex and far more magnificent than man. So the issue of creation should then go to, "Why did God create?", as opposed to simply, "Why create man?".
Fundamentally, we can say that the creation is the natural consequence of the attribute of creator. Allah is the creator. That is one of his attributes. That is what he has informed us. That being his attribute, the creator, the natural consequence or the product of this attribute is his creation.
A painter, if we are to draw a similitude on a lower level, who tells you that he is a painter, if you ask him where are his paintings and he replies I don’t have any. What kind of painter is this? The concept of a painter who doesn’t paint, there is some thing not quite gelling together here, of course Allah is beyond this. But if we are to understand on the simplest level, the two go together. The perfection of a painter lies in his paintings. His quality and his ability to paint, is manifest in his paintings. And Allah, beyond all that, as creator, this quality of creation is manifest in the creation itself. Allah didn’t create out of a need. No, the fact that he is the creator, is manifest in the creation.
Furthermore, consider the act of creation, this act, with regards to Allah is unique. Though we use the term i.e. So and so created a table etc, actually it is in a limited sense. Human beings don’t really create, they manipulate, because they can only "create" what already exists. When we make a chair or a table, we didn’t create the wood, we had to take it from a tree, we didn’t create the metal, which makes the screws etc, we had to melt down rocks and take the metal out. So we are not creating from nothing. We are manipulating things which Allah has already created in to different shapes and forms which are useful to us. We call it "creation" but the real act of creation, is creation from nothing, and this is unique to Allah alone.
This is a concept, which many people in ignorance, because they couldn’t grasp the idea of creation from nothingness, it lead them to conclude that the world is Allah. Those who say "inside of each and every atom is Allah." And you have people, who call themselves Muslims saying this. Non-Muslims have said this before and there are Muslims who claim this. That Allah is inside each and everything, because Allah is the reality and everything else is fake in their interpretation. That means then, that the creation is Allah, and Allah is the creation. Very, very dangerous concept, which leads some of those who make this claim to say that you don’t have to worship outside of yourself. Ibn Arabi, was famous for this statement, he is considered to be one of the saints, amongst the so called Sufi religion. Ibn Arabi said "There is no need to worship one outside yourself, you are Allah. It is sufficient to worship yourself." This is Shirk.
This concept of Allah being within his creation, no distinction the creation and Allah, it leads them to this shirk. Because they are unable to accept the uniqueness of Allah’s creation, they compare the act of creation by Allah to human creation. That is, just as we manipulate, Allah took pieces of himself and made the earth and the universe. Others will say that all human beings have inside of themselves Allah, that there is a part of Allah inside each and everyone of us. The whole essence, the purpose of life is for us to realize that we have part of Allah inside of ourselves, remove the material blocks which keep us from Allah and again become one with Allah in what they call "fana". This is again a teaching of the Sufi religion.
Becoming one with Allah, returning back to Allah in this sense. But this is in fact part of the teachings of shirk. Shaytan (Satan) has deluded man into this imagination. It is part of the belief of the Hindus. Nirvana, the concept that when you die, you are reborn again, and you move up in stages, each time, if you are a good boy or good girl, you go up higher and higher, until you get to the top. You know you have reached the peak, because when you die the next time you become one with the universal soul, Nirvana. That is the end of rebirth. So your whole purpose is to return and become one with God again. This is all, as I said, a product of the inability to understand the concept of creation from nothingness, which is unique to Allah. Allah says:
- "There is nothing like him, and he is the hearer and seer of all."
So when we try to interpret Allah’s creation like the way we create, then we have made Him like his creation and it leads us ultimately to those aspects of shirk which I have mentioned. This is quite common amongst the Muslim world today, because when you look into the various branches of the Sufi religion, where they have prescribed various acts of purification, they call it dhikr, exercises to torture the body through spinning and dancing. What is the purpose of this? They will tell you, to liberate the soul from this earthly body and to achieve that state of "fana" or "itihad", a variety of names they have for it.
It is this concept, which lead al-Hallaj, many centuries ago, when he was promoting this idea, and he was put before a panel of judges questioning these concepts, which he was expressing. When they asked him to recant, to take this stuff back, he stood up, opened up his cloak and said "There is nothing inside this cloak except Allah". So they executed him. And of course, those in the Sufi religion, they have stories that when they cut his head off, it rolled around saying "Allah, Allah, Allahu Akbar etc". It might have, that is Shaytan may have entered and said these things, as happened with the calf of the Isrealites, when the Prophet Musa (Moses) let Egypt and the people, after crossing the red sea, had a desire to have a god that they could see, so they made a golden calf which they began to worship. This calf was saying "moo" like the calves do. This is what convinced them that this was the real thing. We know it wasn’t the calf saying this. The evil jinn can enter the in to physical entities, make sounds and give these impressions. So there is no problem for us to say ok, maybe when they cut of al-Hallaj’s head that it said these things, because this was part of a test. If we are clear in terms of creator and creation, this is no problem for us.
- Allah is the creator and everything besides Him is His creation, which He created from nothing. It is not Him, nor is He it. This is the pure concept as taught by the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his companions, and the early generations of righteous scholars, the students of the companions and those who came after them. The best of generations. That is how they understood this matter. There was no confusion in their minds. It wasn’t until Islam spread to areas like Egypt, India and Persia, areas where the Christians had already gotten into deep philosophies, trying to explain how Jesus was a man and god at the same time. When they came in to Islam they brought it with them. This is the reality. It is not something we should necessarily condemn them for or feel is unusual. It is natural, when a person reverts to Islam, that they will carry with them what they believed before. What has been clarified for them, of the basic principles, they accept, and they reject things, which obviously contradict. But it doesn’t mean that every last thought that they have, and everything that was wrong in their philosophies, ideology and concepts will be erased. They will carry these things in with them. This is why in the later part of the Prophet's sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam life, prior to his death, when he was coming back from one of the battles, his companions asked him to set aside a tree for them, that they could hang their weapons on, like the way the pagans would hang their weapons on trees, believing that when they hung the weapons, it became super-powerful, as if some power was coming from the tree, that their shields would now block steel and their swords would cut through the enemy. Some of the companions who had newly accepted Islam, asked the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam to designate one for them, a special one, an Islamic one. They understood that what the pagans had, this was wrong. These were the companions of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and he had to clarify it for them. He said: You are like the companions of Musa who asked to have the calf built. And he clarified for them that all of this is shirk and there is no place for it in Islam. So if it could happen to some of the companions, then we cannot blame the generations who have come after them, who come into Islam and carry with them some of their old ideas. What it is for us to do is to clarify.
So what we have in front of us then, is that Allah created this universe out of nothing, and everything that is in it was created. For example:
- "Allah created all things, and he is the agent, upon which, all things depend." [Surah 39, verse 62]
This is the reality. This is stressed for us, in order for us to realize that ultimately, all good, all evil, that takes place in the world, only takes place by the permission of Allah. Therefore we should not seek any other channels to protect ourselves from evil, or to gather for ourselves good, as people commonly do today. They will go to fortunetellers, this is big business today, all the magazines have various forms of fortunetellers like dial a horoscope etc. in a society that has lost touch with Allah, this is what is open to them. Allah has stressed for us that no calamity will befall us except by Allah’s permission;
"Nothing is taking place in this world except by the permission of Allah."
And the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam further emphasized this principle by saying;
- "If the whole of mankind gathered to do some thing to help us, they could not help in anything which Allah had not already written for us. And if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm us, then they would not be able to harm with anything which Allah had not already written for us."
Therefore what is required of us is to depend on Allah, put our trust in Allah. This is what we have to draw out of this attribute of Allah being the creator. This creation exists because of that attribute. Its practical significance to us lies in putting our trust in Allah.
There is another aspect, besides the fact that the creation exists because Allah is the creator. We can also see from what the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam has informed us, that in the creation there is manifestation of Allah’s attributes of mercy, forgiveness, kindness etc etc. Allah created man in paradise, they disobeyed Allah, but Allah had taught them how to repent, how to turn back to him and seek his forgiveness, then he would forgive them. Having done that, they were forgiven, Adam became the first prophet, and mankind was absolved of that sin. The story of Adam and Eve is the story of human existence. Human beings are given a consciousness of Allah. When Allah created all human beings, as he states in the Qur'an, he took from Adam (Adam) all of his descendents, and made them all bear witness that Allah is their Lord. So we are all born with that consciousness. He has also given us a consciousness of what is right and what is wrong.
"We have inspired each and every soul to an awareness of corruption and righteousness."
Allah gave revelation through his commandments, not to eat of the tree. However, human beings forget. And when they forget Allah then they fall into sin. We can absolve ourselves of that sin by means of repentance, and Allah forgives us when we repent sincerely. The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said;
- "The one who repents is like the one without sin." "If you did not commit sins and turn to Allah seeking his forgiveness, then he would replace you with another people who would sin, ask Allah’s forgiveness and he would forgive them."
So in our sinning and asking Allah’s forgiveness, the attribute of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness becomes manifest. Allah knew what we were going to do before he created us, he knew that he was creating a species who would sin. If he didn’t wan t them to sin, if it was not his intention to permit them to sin, then he could have created angels, more angels. But the had already created angels, so he chose to create a being, that would disobey his commandments through forgetfulness or just simple disobedience, but would turn back to him in repentance, and his attribute of forgiveness would become manifest. Similarly, his mercy;
The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is quoted as saying that when Allah created the universe, He made an obligation on Himself, recorded in a document, kept by Him, that "My mercy precedes my wrath." He sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam also was reported as saying;
- "Allah created mercy with a hundred parts. One of which was sent down upon the jinn and human beings and other living creatures. It is out of this one part that they love each other, show kindness to one another, and even the animals treat their offspring with affection. Allah has reserved the remaining ninety-nine parts for his true worshippers on the Day of Judgment."
This is the mercy of Allah manifest in his creation. What is also manifest in creation, in the act of creation, the creation of man, is his attribute of justice, fairness, which comes out as the judgment at the end of this world. I am sure we have all read the ahadith in which the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
- "Allah created some people for hell and some people for paradise."
For allot of people, this is something very heavy. And the companions, they asked the prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam then what is the point in doing good deeds? If Allah created some for heaven and some for hell then what is the pin in doing anything? It has already been decided. The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
- "Each one of you will find it easy to do what he was created for." So if you choose the evil way, you find it easy and you carry on in that way, then that was what you were created for. But ultimately it is your choice. You choose hell. The fact hat Allah has recorded, before anything was created, who would be in hell and who would be in heaven does not change the fact that it is we who choose. The judgment is only to manifest to those who go to hell, that they deserve to be in hell. It is only for them basically. Because if Allah created you, and put you in paradise, with all that is in paradise, and you see those people in hell suffering, are you going to ask Allah, why did you put me in paradise? No. your going to say "all praise be to Allah!" you don’t want to question or to wonder, all you will be is ecstatic that you are of those in paradise. So the judgment is not for you, it is for those who are going to hell. If you happen to be amongst those who were created for and put in hell, you would say, why me? Why did you put me in hell? And Allah would say; because you would have done so and so in your life. But you would say; no, no I wouldn’t. If you give me a chance I would do good deeds. You would not give up arguing. So Allah has allowed us to live out our lives. So when we stand before him, our book of deeds is spread before us, we know without a shadow of a doubt, that we chose hell. That Allah’s judgment is just. There is no injustice in it, in any way shape or form. Allah says he oppresses no one. We will know that we chose hell. And the only thing that remains for us, and I pray that it is not in fact us, who are going to hell, is to beg Allah for another chance. Allah says;
- "If you could only see when the sinners will bow their heads before their lord, saying; O Lord, we have now seen and heard, so send us back and we will do righteous deeds. Verily, we now believe with certainty."
- "And those whose light scales of good deeds, they ruined themselves and they will be in hell eternally. The fire will burn their faces, and they will grin with disfigured lips, I will say to them; Were My Verses not recited to you, and you rejected them? They will reply; Our Lord, our misery overcame us and we were a people astray. Our Lord, bring us out of this, and if we ever return we will truly be unjust."
- "Observe moderation, but if you fail, try to do as much as you can moderately and be happy. For none of you will enter Paradise only because of his deeds." Of course when the companions heard that they said; "O messenger of Allah, not even you? And the prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, not even me. Were it not that Allah wrapped me in his mercy. And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allah is one done constantly even if it is small"
- "Whoever brings a good deed, shall the value of ten like it. And whoever brings an evil deed will be punished with one like it. And they will not be wronged."
- "We did not create the jinn and men except to worship us" [Surah adh-Dhariyyat, verse 56)
Therefore, we ask ourselves: Should I focus on enjoining people to what is right? Should I forbid them from what is wrong? Is it best for me to gather together the children and help them to commit the Qur’ân to memory? Should I rather get involved in some charity work?
The ways that we as Muslims can serve our faith are too numerous to count. If each one of us only tries to count that ways that he or she can personally serve Islam, the possibilities will still be endless.
Each of us must take into account his individual abilities as well as his inclinations and his personality in deciding what he should do. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that apply to everyone and some contributions that we can all start making immediately.
To begin with, we can try to set a good example for others. We can do this in our worship, in our dealings with others, and in our moral conduct. We can strive to always be considerate and just. We can give priority to the rights of others even if it means doing so at the expense of our own. This is the starting point of all of our service and indeed it is the most critical.
The next level of activity concerns our dealings with our family and with those who are close to us. We must nurture our good relationships with our relatives by honoring them doing good for them. It is our duty to call our family to Islam and to encourage them to do what is right. This duty starts with our parents and children, then with our siblings and spouses, and extends outwards.
Allah says, addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him): “And admonish your nearest kinsmen.” [Sûrah al-Shu`arâ’: 214]
After this verse was revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered his kinfolk together and said:
“O assembly of Quraysh! Purchase your own souls, for I can avail you naught with Allah. O Banû `Abd Manâf! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Safiyyah, aunt of Allah’s Messenger! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Fâtimah, daughter of Muhammad! I can avail you naught with Allah. Ask me of my wealth what you wish, but I can avail you naught with Allah!”
We must then turn our attentions to our colleagues and our classmates. We should always be willing to lend them our assistance. By letting them know that they can count on us, we win their friendship and their trust. In turn, we can reach out to them and even get them involved with us in our good works. They will be more responsive to us when we offer them literature or a cassette or ask them to go with us to a lecture.
We must also attend to our neighbors and the communities in which we live. Our neighbors have rights over us simply by virtue of their being our neighbors. We must honor those rights. We should cultivate goodwill between ourselves and those who live in our neighborhood. This makes it easier for us to reach out to them in matters of faith.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his neighbor.”
He also said: “By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe.” When someone asked him whom he was talking about, he replied: “He whose neighbor is not safe from his abuse.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took great pains in defining the neighbor’s rights. He said: “If he falls ill, visit him. If he has good fortune, congratulate him. If ill fortune befalls him, console him. Do not build your building in a way that would keep the breeze from reaching his dwelling except with his permission. Do not annoy him with the aroma of your cooking pot unless you serve him some of your food. If you buy some fruit, them give him a gift from it, and if you do not do so, then bring it into your home discreetly, and do not let your child take it outside to taunt his child with it.”
Concern for our neighborhood also means involvement in our local mosque. We should, of course, be regular in our prayers. We should also spend some time in the mosques. We should make sure to attend mosque activities, if only occasionally.
It is then important for us to broaden our perspectives and look at the broader issues facing the Muslim world. Each one of us can at get actively involved in at least one of these concerns. This might mean working to draw media attention to some matter of importance to the Muslims or to garner sympathy for the suffering of Muslims in some part of the world. It can mean encouraging those who have been blessed with wealth and prosperity to spend on those in need. It can mean helping to get some useful Islamic literature published and disseminated.
May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.
By Shaykh Salman al-`Awdah
From IslamToday.com
Question: I am a young sister who got married recently to a man with very good character and deen, masha-Allah. Since I have got married, I frequently have very frightening dreams about my husband and others I love.
Before marriage I never had frightening dreams as I always make my adhkaar at bedtime. Sometimes I see that there are jinns inside other people and I am trying to fight them by reciting ayatul-Kursi, but they are stopping me from doing so. I cannot sleep at night and wake up several times. One good sister suggested to me that it may be the evil eye brought on by others who are jealous. If that is the case, then please could you (Islam Q&A Team) guide me as to what I can do about this problem as it is very distressing. May Allah Reward you greatly for your advice.
Before marriage I never had frightening dreams as I always make my adhkaar at bedtime. Sometimes I see that there are jinns inside other people and I am trying to fight them by reciting ayatul-Kursi, but they are stopping me from doing so. I cannot sleep at night and wake up several times. One good sister suggested to me that it may be the evil eye brought on by others who are jealous. If that is the case, then please could you (Islam Q&A Team) guide me as to what I can do about this problem as it is very distressing. May Allah Reward you greatly for your advice.
Answer: Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Undoubtedly the frightening dreams that this sister sees are from the accursed Shaytaan who is trying his hardest to prevent people from following the true religion and keep them away from their Lord Whom they worship, and he wants to cause grief to the believers. But his plots against the pious close friends of Allaah are weak and insignificant, especially against those who fortify themselves with ruqya as prescribed in sharee’ah day and night.
Secondly:
You should note that the best way in which the Muslim can protect himself against the Shaytaan is to remember Allaah. According to the hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2863), Allaah commanded Yahya ibn Zakariyya (peace be upon him) to tell the Children of Israel to do five things, including the following:
“I command you to remember Allaah, for the likeness of that is that of a man who enemy comes after him, until he comes to a strong fortress where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect himself against the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmdihi.
If the Muslim fears Allaah in all his affairs, and adheres to that which Allaah has commanded and avoids that which He has forbidden, and he constantly remembers Allaah, praying and fasting and other kinds of worship, and he fortifies himself by reading Qur’aan night and day, out loud and silently, and he regularly recites the words and dhikrs prescribed in Islam for the morning and evening, and when eating, drinking, getting dressed and going to sleep, then the Shaytaan will go away from him, blameworthy and defeated, and will have no power to do anything to him. How can it be otherwise when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allaah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taaghoot (Satan). So fight you against the friends of Shaytaan (Satan); ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan (Satan)”
[al-Nisa’ 4:76]
The Shaytaan only comes close to those who are far away from their religion and Qur’aan. The Shaytaan may try to divert the righteous from the straight path, in order to ruin their lives and religious commitment and worldly interests. But protection may be sought against him in the manner described above. You can also refer to the books of dhikr such as al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi; ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah by al-Nasaa’i; ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah by Ibn al-Sunni; and other books of dhikr that deal with this topic, or books of Sunan in general. If you do that we hope that your situation will improve and you will find peace of mind, and Allaah will change your situation to a better one.
Among the dhikrs with which we advise you to recite regularly are the following:
1 – Adhkaar for morning and evening.
(a) Reciting every evening the words, “A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created).”
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am suffering because of a scorpion that stung me yesterday.” He said, “If you had said in the evening, A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),’ it would not have harmed you.
Narrated by Muslim.
Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to say that in every place where we stop (when travelling).
It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakeem al-Salamiyyah said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever makes a stop in some place, then says, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),’ nothing will harm him until he moves on from that place.”
Narrated by Muslim, 2708.
(b)
It was narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no person who says in the morning and evening of each day, ‘Bismillaah illaahi laa yadurru ma’a ismihi shay’un fi’l-ard wa la fi’l-sama’ wa huwa al-samee’ ul-‘aleem (In the name of Allaah with Whose name nothing is harmed on earth nor in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing)’ three times, but nothing will harm him.”
Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, 3388; also narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3869. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
(c) Reciting Aayat al-Kursi and al-Mu’awwidhaat before going to sleep.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started grabbing handfuls of the food. I took hold of him and said, ‘I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’ He said, ‘I will teach you some words by means of which Allaah will benefit you.’ I said, ‘What are they?’ He said, ‘When you go to your bed, recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…” [al-Baqarah 2:255] – until he completed the aayah. Then Allaah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me, ‘What did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he taught me something, and claimed that Allaah would benefit me by it.’ He [PBUH]asked, ‘What was it?’ I said, ‘He taught me to recite Aayat al-Kursi when I go to bed, and said that no shaytaan would come near me until morning, and that Allaah would appoint a guard for me who would stay with me.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘He told you the truth, although he is an inveterate liar. That was the Shaytaan.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101; Muslim, 505.
There are many such dhikrs; we do not have room to mention them all here.
Thirdly:
With regard to the hasad (envy) and the evil eye of which you speak, it may be that this harm has come to you through hasad. Protection against that is to be sought by reciting the dhikrsprescribed in sharee’ah.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn. He said: ‘Your father [i.e., Ibraaheem] used to seek refuge with Allaah for Ismaa’eel and Ishaaq with these words: A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli ‘aynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every bad eye).’”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3191.
With regard to the remedy:
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The evil eye is real, and if anything were to overtake the divine decree (al-qadar) it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath”
Narrated by Muslim, 2188.
If you know that the evil eye has been put on you by a certain person, then you should ask him to do 'ghusl and wudoo’, then you should pour the water of his 'ghuslor wudoo’ over yourself. The way in which this should be done has been explained by Ibn al-Qayyim, who said:
In Sunan Abi Dawood it is narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The ‘aa’in (the one who put the evil eye on another) would be ordered to do wudoo’, then the ma’een (the one on whom he had put the evil eye) would do ghusl with that water.
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me or he commanded us to recite ruqyah for protection against the evil eye.”
Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyayanah from ‘Amr ibn Dinaar from ‘Urwah ibn ‘Aamir from ‘Ubayd ibn Rafaa’ah al-Sarqi that Asma’ bint Umays said: “O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja’far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?” He said, “Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the evil eye.” Al-Tirmidhi said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth. Then he mentioned the hadeeth which described how ‘Aamir ibn Rabee’ah afflicted Sahl ibn Hunayf with his eye, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded ‘Aamir to do ghusl
So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him, then Sahl got up and joined the people.
Al-Tibb al-Nabawi, p. 127-129.
And Allaah knows best.
For more information on the evil eye and the ways of dealing with it and protecting oneself against it, please see question no.. 20954
KIND TREATMENT TOWARDS PARENTS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TIES OF BLOOD RELATIONSHIP
Allah, the Exalted, says:- "Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess". (4:36) "And fear Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship)". (4:1) "And those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e., they are good to their relatives and do not sever the bond of kinship)". (13:21) "And we have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents". (29:8) "And your Rubb has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: `My Rubb! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young". (17:23,24) "And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years- give thanks to Me and to your parents". (31:14)
312. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Prophet (PBUH) , "Which of the deeds is loved most by Allah?'' Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Salat at its proper time.'' I asked, ``What next?'' He (PBUH) replied, ``Kindness to parents.'' I asked, ``What next?'' He replied, ``Jihad in the way of Allah.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
Performance of Salat at the stated time means its performance in earliest prescribed or at least its regularity. One should not give preference to mundane affairs over it. Salat and Jihad are the two most meritorious duties of a Muslim. When nice treatment to parents is mentioned along with Salat and Jihad, it gives further importance to this injunction.
313. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No son can repay (the kindness shown by his father) unless he finds him a slave and buys him and emancipates him". [Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith also brings out the eminence of parents and outstanding importance of their rights.
316. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A person came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and asked, "Who among people is most deserving of my fine treatment?'' He (PBUH) said, "Your mother". He again asked, ``Who next?'' "Your mother", the Prophet (PBUH) replied again. He asked, "Who next?'' He (the Prophet (PBUH)) said again, "Your mother.'' He again asked, "Then who?'' Thereupon he (PBUH) said,'' Then your father.''
In another narration: "O Messenger of Allah! Who is most deserving of my fine treatment?'' He (PBUH) said, "Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then your nearest, then nearest". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith tells us that the rights of the mother are three times more important than that of the father for the reasons that: 1 She is weaker than the father. 2. The following three troubles are borne exclusively by the mother while the father does not share them with her: a) She carries the baby in her womb for nine months, b) The labor pain which she suffers. c) Two years' period of suckling which disturbs her sleep at night and affects her health. She has also to be very cautious in her food for the welfare of the baby.
317. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced, whose parents, one or both, attain old age during his life time, and he does not enter Jannah (by rendering being dutiful to them)". [Muslim].
Commentary:
The word ``Ragham'' means soil. When a person's nose is soiled, it is a mark of his extreme humiliation. This metaphor carries a curse for an unfortunate person who does not win the pleasure of Allah by serving and obeying his parents. In fact, it is a malediction as well as a prediction of someone's inauspicious end. Service of parents is essential at every stage of their life - whether they are young or old. But this Hadith mentions their old age for the reason that in that period of their life they stand in greater need of care and service. It is a very callous offense to leave them at the mercy of circumstances when they are old, senile and depend on others for their needs. To neglect them at that stage is a major sin for which one deserves Hell-fire.
318. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "I have relatives with whom I try to keep the ties of relationship but they sever relations with me; and whom I treat kindly but they treat me badly, I am gentle with them but they are rough to me.'' He (PBUH) replied, "If you are as you say, it is as if you are feeding them hot ashes, and you will be with a supporter against them from Allah as long as you continue to do so". [Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith has three important lessons: First, the misbehaviour of one's relative is no justification for the misbehaviour of another, let alone the severing of relations on that account. Second, the person who treats his relatives nicely in all events and circumstances is blessed by Allah Who will send from heaven helpers to support him. Third, the consequence of denying compassion and kindness to relatives is as woeful as the eating of hot ashes.
319. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who desires ample provisions and his life be prolonged, should maintain good ties with his blood relations". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
One who is benevolent and compassionate towards one's own relatives, stands to gain at least two definite advantages in this world besides the reward in the next. These two advantages are the increase in his subsistence and longevity of life. Increase in subsistence means that Almighty Allah will increase the quantity of his worldly goods or his means of subsistence will be blessed by Him. Similar is the case of longevity of life. The life of such person is either actually increased (in terms of years) or his life is graced with the Blessings of Allah. Both interpretations are correct.
321. `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) of Allah and said, "I swear allegiance to you for emigration and Jihad, seeking reward from Allah.'' He (PBUH) said, "Are either of your parents alive?'' He said, "Yes, both of them are alive.'' He (PBUH) then asked, "Do you want to seek reward from Allah?'' He replied in the affirmative. Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Go back to your parents and keep good company with them". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another narration it is reported that a person came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and sought his permission to participate in Jihad. The Prophet (PBUH) asked, "Are your parents alive?'' He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "(You should) consider their service as Jihad.''
Commentary:
Under normal circumstances, Jihad is Fard Kifayah (collective duty -- which means that if some people observe it, the rest of the Muslims will be exempted from its obligation). In such circumstances permission of parents to participate in Jihad is necessary because their service is Fard-ul-`ain (individual duty -- an injunction or ordinance, the obligation of which extends to every Muslim in person), and the former cannot be preferred to the latter. This Hadith explains such a situation. In certain circumstances, however, Jihad becomes Fard-ul-`ain and in that case permission of the parents to take part in Jihad is not essential because then every Muslim is duty-bound to take part in it.
322. `Abdullah bin `Amr Al-`as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The person who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does it because he gets recompensed by his relatives (for being kind and good to them), but the one who truly maintains the bonds of kinship is the one who persists in doing so even though the latter has severed the ties of kinship with him". [Al-Bukhari].
Commentary:
This Hadith makes clear the essentials of kindness to relatives. Those kinsmen who respect and honour you, would obviously be treated by you fairly. It goes without saying that people usually reciprocate sentiments showed to them. But this is not maintaining the ties of kinship but kindness for kindness. On the opposite side, there is a kinsman who is rough and rude and is always bent upon severing relation with you, but you tolerate his excesses with patience and perseverance, return his harshness with politeness, maintain relationship with him in spite of all his efforts to break it, then what you are exercising is maintaining the ties of kinship. This is what Islam actually demands from a Muslim. But this is the excellence of Faith which one must try to attain. There is nothing remarkable in exchanging dry smiles.
325. Asma' bint Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (May Allah be pleased with her) said: My mother came to me while she was still a polytheist, so I asked Messenger of Allah (PBUH), "My mother, who is ill-disposed to Islam, has come to visit me. Shall I maintain relations with her?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Yes, maintain relations with your mother". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
The woman mentioned in this Hadith had come from Makkah to Al-Madinah. What this Hadith signifies is that it is essential to be kind to parents even if they are Mushrikun (polytheists) and Kuffar (disbelievers). This has also been clearly ordained in the Noble Qur'an: ``... but behave with them in the world kindly". (31:15)
333. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I had a wife whom I loved but `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) disliked her. He asked me to divorce her and when I refused, `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and mentioned the matter to him. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked me to divorce her. [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].
Commentary:
If parents' order to divorce one's wife is based on the principles of Shari`ah and morality, it must be obeyed, as is evident from this Hadith. If their order is founded on other factors, then one should try to convince them politely so that they agree with one's view on the issue. Here Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) loved his wife for love's sake, but his father `Umar bin Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) disliked her basing his decision on religious grounds. This is why the Prophet (PBUH) ordered Ibn `Umar to obey his father.
334. Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to me and said, "I have a wife whom my mother commands me to divorce". I replied him that I had heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "A parent is the best of the gates of Jannah; so if you wish, keep to the gate, or lose it.'' [At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah].
Commentary:
The word "Walid,'' applies to mother as well as father. As the word "Walidain'' is a dual form and covers mother and father both; similarly the noun "father'', also applies to both. This Hadith also stresses that obedience of parents and submission to their order must have preference over the love for the wife as long as this order of theirs is fair and just.
335. Al-Bara' bin `Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying: "A mother's sister is equivalent to (real) mother (in status)". [At-Tirmidhi]
Commentary:
This Hadith tells us that one should be as respectful to one's aunt (mother's real sister) as one is to mother, as it is a virtue as well as "a form of maintaining the ties of kinship".
PROHIBITION OF DISOBEYING PARENTS AND SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS
Allah, the Exalted, says:
- "Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.'' (47:22,23) "And those who break the Covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e., they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives), and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse (i.e., they will be far away from Allah's Mercy), and for them is the unhappy (evil) home (i.e., Hell).'' (13:25) "And your Rubb has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: `My Rubb! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.''' (17:23,24)
336. Abu Bakrah Nufai` bin Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the major sins?'' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked this question thrice. We said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah. (Please inform us.)". He said, "Ascribing partners to Allah, and to be undutiful to your parents". The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sat up from his reclining position and said, "And I warn you against giving forged statement and a false testimony; I warn you against giving forged statement and a false testimony". The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) kept on repeating that warning till we wished he would stop. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith mentions some of the major sins. A major sin is one against which there is a serious warning in the Noble Qur'an and Hadith. When disobedience to parents is mentioned along with Shirk (polytheism), it makes the fact evident that both of these are very serious sins. Similar is the case of telling a lie and false testimony, which in the incident mentioned in this Hadith made Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to leave his pillow and sit attentively. It indicates that the latter two are serious. May Allah protect all Muslims from all such sins.
337. Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "(Of the) major sins are: to ascribe partners to Allah, disobey parents, murder someone, and to take a false oath (intentionally)". [Al-Bukhari].
Commentary:
There are many more major sins which have been enlisted and discussed at length by Muhaddathun in independent volumes, such as Az-Zawajir `an iqtraf-al-Kaba'ir, Kitab-al-Kaba'ir by Adh-Dhahabi. This Hadith mentions some of the major sins enumerated by the Prophet (PBUH) on a particular occasion. We can also say that the sins mentioned here are some of the most serious among the major sins.
338. `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "It is one of the gravest sins to abuse one's parents.'' It was asked (by the people): "O Messenger of Allah, can a man abuse his own parents?'' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He abuses the father of somebody who, in return, abuses the former's father; he then abuses the mother of somebody who, in return, abuses his mother". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "One of the major sins is to curse one's parents". It was submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! How can a man curse his own parents?'' He (PBUH) said, "When someone curses the parents of another man who in return abuses the former's father; and when someone abuses the mother of another man who in return abuses his mother.''
Commentary:
We learn from this Hadith that one should not abuse anyone's parents, because in the event, he is paid in the same coin, he will be responsible for disgracing his own parents.
340. Abu 'Isa Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah has forbidden you: disobedience to your mothers, to withhold (what you should give), or demand (what you do not deserve), and to bury your daughters alive. And Allah dislikes idle talk, to ask too many questions (for things which will be of no benefit to one), and to waste your wealth". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
By Imam an-Nawawi
From Riyadhus-Saaliheen
Compiled By Al-Imaam Abu Zakariyyah Yahya Bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi Ashaafi'ee (rahimahullah)
Commentary By Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf of Alharamain Foundation
Question:
Many workers delay Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers until night-time, giving the excuse that they are too busy at work or that their clothes are najis (impure) or not clean. What advice can you give them?
Many workers delay Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers until night-time, giving the excuse that they are too busy at work or that their clothes are najis (impure) or not clean. What advice can you give them?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim man or woman to delay an obligatory prayer beyond the proper time, rather every accountable Muslim man and woman is obliged to perform the prayers on time as much as they can.
Work is not an excuse for delaying prayer, neither is impurity on clothes or clothes being dirty. None of these are acceptable excuses.
People should be excused from work at prayer times; at the time of prayer a worker has to wash the impurity from his clothes, or change into clean clothes. As for regular dirt (as opposed to impurities), this does not prevent one from praying in those clothes, so long as that dirt is not impure and does not have an offensive smell that would bother other worshippers. But if the dirt or its smell will bother others, then he has to wash it before praying, or change into clean clothes so that he can pray in congregation.
It is permissible for those who have legitimate shar’i excuses, such as those who are sick or are travelling, to combine Zuhr and ‘Asr at the time of either of them, and to combine Maghrib and ‘Isha’ at the time of either of them.
This was narrated in the saheeh Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is also permissible to join prayers when there is heavy rain or mud, which cause difficulty for people.
Fataawa Muhimmah tata’allaq bil-Salaah by Shaykh Ibn Baaz, p. 19
Yahya ibn Muadh (rahimahullah) gathered the characteristics of the believers in one of his essays as follows,
Source: From the book Characteristic of the Salaf By Ahmed Fareed (hafidahullah)
By : Dr. Naajeh Ibrahim, Sheikh Asim Abdul Majid & Sheikh Esaam-ud-Deen Darbaalah l Supervised by: Dr. Sheikh Umar Abdur-Rahman l Translated By A Ibragim Al-Arabi Ben Razzaq l Published Al-Firdous Ltd London l Paperback 220 Pages l Download
In this book the authors outlined a complete methodology for Islamic work today. From `Aqeedah to Da'wah, Jihad to Khilafah and Taqwa to Sabr (patience), they explained how all of these parts of Islam come together for the sole objective of each and every Muslim: to seek the Pleasure of Allah ( SWT ), the Irresistible. It was written in a manner portraying the true situation of the Muslims today and, coming from imprisoned scholars: a realistic portrayal.
This book is an excellent read by itself and an even better guide if used as a syllabus in learning Islam in an organised, collective manner. It is ideal as a basis for study circles and acts as a comprehensive manual. Coupled with the supplementary reading of some other books in the English language and memorisation of the Holy Quran, it can consolidate the knowledge of anyone seeking to work for Islam in this day and age.
The Twentieth Century has witnessed one of the fiercest blows inflicted upon our Ummah by our enemy: the collapse of the Khilafah. If only their conspiracy had stopped at the demise of Khilafah. But they went on to indoctrinate Muslims with strange, foreign ideas and concepts, in order to confuse our understanding of our Deen. Once we wake up and try to return to our original Deen, we will be confronted with an intellectual perplexity, in which evil and good is mixed. Hence, the truth will be ambiguous and we will go astray, and lose the true understanding of Islam.
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (this Qur'an) and be not divided among yourselves." [Surah Ale-Imran (3), Ayah 103.]
Beware of being extreme
In accordance with what Allah says in the Qur'aan,
- "O people of the scripture, do not exceed the limits in your religion." [An-Nisaa 171]
Speaking about Allah without knowledge
- Beware of speaking about Allah, the Most High, without knowledge. It is not permissible for one who believes in Allah, the Most High, and the Last Day to say: 'This is halaal and this is haraam' or 'This is permissible and this is prohibited', except with a proof and completely depending upon that. It should be sufficient for him to do what the people of knowledge did before him, and that is to restrain oneself from rushing into saying that which he does not know but rather to say: "Allah knows best" or "I do not know". How excellent is the speech of the angels when they said to their Lord, Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except that which You taught us. [Al-Baqarah 32]
When the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) were asked about something that they did not know, they would say: "Allah and His Messenger know best." This is only because of the completeness of their knowledge and their faith and their glorification of Allah, and being far removed from embarking on matters beyond them.
Beware of being hasty
How many calamities, difficulties and problems have afflicted those who are hasty! The days and nights are going and leaving behind the traces and consequences of hastiness! How much corruption and destruction and un-praiseworthy consequences have occurred because of partisanship and the following of desires? We ask Allah to keep us safe from that.
Beware of partisanship to a group
It is not permissible for one to blindly follow this person or that person, or the opinion of such and such a person. Nor should he follow blindly the methodology, or group of any individual.
Beware of Blind Support or Opposition Because Their Opinion Agrees or Conflicts With Yours
The deen of Allah must be the authority that judges everything. Beware of following your brother just because he agrees with you over an opinion and oppose another because he disagrees with you over an opinion or an issue. This is not being just or fair. We know that the sahaabah differed in issues, but this did not effect the good faith, support and love between them, radiallaahu 'anhum. So the believer acts by Allah's laws and he accepts and submits to the truth and he makes it precede everything else.
The believer should not oppress his brother, or act unjustly towards him if he differs with him over a opinion from the issues of Ijtihaad, in which the proofs may not be clear or issues in which there may be differing interpretations of the text. He may have an excuse, so you must advise him and love the khair (goodness) for him and do not allow the differing to induce and prompt aggression and discord between you. Do not enable the enemy to take advantage of you and your brother. And there is no movement or power except with Allah the Most High.
__________________________
By Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Baaz [Rahimahullaah],
From the book "Words Of Advice Regarding Da'wah"
Reading through his life story, one sees exactly this and cannot help but to derive brief yet heavy lessons from how this man lived:
1- No matter how bad you think you are, you can always become better.
In ‘Tartib al-Madarik’ (1/159),
al-Qadi ‘Iyad mentioned that Ibn al-Mubarak was asked about the circumstances in which he began studying. He replied: “I was a youth who drank wine and loved music and singing while engaging in these filthy acts. So, I gathered some friends to one of my gardens where there were sweet apples, and we ate and drank until we passed out while drunk. At the end of the night, I woke up and picked up the stringed oud and began singing:
Isn’t it time that you had mercy on me * And we rebel against those who criticize us?
And I was unable to pronounce the words as I intended. When I tried again, the oud began speaking to me as if it were a person, saying the verse: “Isn’t it time for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah’s reminder?” [al-Hadid; 16] So, I said: “Yes, O Lord!” And I smashed the oud, spilled the wine, and my repentance with all its realities came by the grace of Allah, and I turned towards knowledge and worship.”
2 – You should associate with honorable people.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/323),
Ibn al-Jawzi mentioned: “Ibn al-Mubarak’s home in Marw was vast. It measured fifty square yards. There was no person known for knowledge, worship, manhood, or high status in Marw except that you saw him in this house.”
3 – You should be a helpful guest.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/324),
it is narrated that when an-Nadr bin Muhammad’s son got married, he invited Ibn al-Mubarak, “and when he arrived, Ibn al-Mubarak got up to serve the guests. an-Nadr did not leave him and swore that he would tell him to leave until he finally sat down.”
4 – You should give money to the poor.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/327),
Ibn al-Jawzi mentions that Ibn al-Mubarak “would spend a hundred thousand dirhams a year on the poor.”
5 – You should always return borrowed items to their owners.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/329),
al-Hasan bin ‘Arafah said that ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak told him: “I borrowed a pen from someone in Sham, and I intended to return it to its owner. When I arrived in Marw (in Turkmenistan!), I saw that I still had it with me. Abu ‘Ali (al-Hasan’s nickname), I went all the way back to Sham to return the pen to its owner!”
6 – You should be brave, and hide your good deeds:
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/329), ‘Abdah bin Sulayman said:
“We were on an expedition in the lands of the Romans with ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak. We met the enemy, and when the two armies met, a man came out from their side calling for a duel. One of our men went out to him and dueled with him for an hour, injuring him and killing him. Another came out, and he killed him. He called for another duel, and another man came out. They dueled for an hour, and he injured and killed him as well. The people gathered around this man, and I was with them, and saw that he was covering his face with his sleeve. I took the edge of his sleeve and pulled it away to find that it was ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak,” and in the version reported by adh-Dhahabi, he made him swear not to reveal his identity until the day he died.
7 – You should have a tender heart.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/330),
al-Qasim bin Muhammad said: “We were on a journey with Ibn al-Mubarak, and I was always asking myself: what is so special about this man that he is so famous? If he prays, so do we. If he fasts, so do we. If he fights, so do we. If he makes Hajj, so do we.
One night, we spent the night in a house travelling on the way to Sham. The lamp went out, and some of us woke up. So, he took the lamp outside to light it, and stayed outside for a while. When he came back in with the lamp, I caught a glimpse of Ibn al-Mubarak’s face, and saw that his beard was wet with his tears. I said to myself: “This fear of Allah is what has made this man better than us. When the lamp went out and we were in darkness, he remembered the Day of Resurrection.”"
8 – You should be generous to your friends.
In ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (2/329),
Isma’il bin ‘Ayyash said: “I don’t know of a single good trait except that Allah has placed it in ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak. My friends told me that they were travelling with him from Egypt to Makkah, and he was serving them khabis (a sweet flour dish) while he was fasting the entire trip.”
9 – You should not give in to Satan’s whispers.
In ‘Tartib al-Madarik’ (1/159),
it is related that Ibn al-Mubarak was making ablution, and Satan came to him and said: “You did not wipe over this part of your body.” Ibn al-Mubarak said: “I did.” Satan said: “No, you didn’t.” So, Ibn al-Mubarak said: “You are the one making the claim, and you must therefore bring proof to back the claim up.”
10 – You should sincerely pray for people to accept Islam.
In ‘Tartib al-Madarik’ (1/162),
it is related that al-Hasan bin ‘Isa bin Sirjis would walk by Ibn al-Mubarak, and he was a Christian. Ibn al-Mubarak asked who he was, and was told: “He is a Christian.” So, Ibn al-Mubarak said: “O Allah, grant him Islam.” So, Allah answered his supplication and al-Hasan became an excellent Muslim, and he travelled to seek knowledge and became one of the scholars of the Ummah.”
Translated by Brother Abu Sabaya
[May Allah grant him and his family patience]
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