Qur'an - Guidance, Mercy, Healing

Da’wah – Never lose hope

fruitsofknowledge — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Surah Nuh and Surah Jinn

Conveying the truth day and night, secretly and openly, 950 years in the undertaking. Yet, the nation of Nuh (a.s.) did not believe, clutching on to their false deities. On the contrary, the Jinn – who heard the Qur’an for the first time from the Messenger of Allah – acknowledged the truth, accepted their faults, and embraced faith. There is a clear distinction between the attitude of the former and the latter. The nation of Nuh (a.s.) were obstructed from the truth by their arrogance, which caused them utter loss in this world and in the Hereafter. Whereas, we see the Jinn who humbled themselves to the truth, to the words of the Qur’an, and in turn scrutinized their false thoughts. Thus, this acceptance led them to return to their nation and convey to them the truth, that which saved them from what could have been a potential loss.

The patience of Nuh (as) is also worth a mention. Despite conveying for so many years, his nation did not even support him, let alone accept the message that he was sent with. In contrast, the Jinn at the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.) recognized the truth and the oneness of Allah instantaneously. The efforts that one puts in the way of Allah, if done with sincerity will never go to waste. Even if apparently the entire crowd rejects your call, mocks at your endeavors, jeers at your honesty, there may be one out of the many who has listened to what you had to say. The fruits of these efforts, if not seen in this life, would definitely be brought forth on that day when only a person’s good deeds would be his currency for salvation.

May Allah enable us to have patience as was the patience of Nuh (as) and give us the ability to spread the message of Allah in the best manner possible. Ameen

A Balanced Life

fruitsofknowledge — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:54:13 +0000

He [Nuh (a.s.] said. “O my people, Indeed I am to you a clear warner, [saying], ‘Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me’…” [Nuh: 3]

The heart is the focal point of a human body. And it is in the heart where Taqwa resides, which is displayed through good actions. The Prophet ﷺ said, “At-Taqwa Haahunaa [Taqwa is here]” pointing towards the heart. Similarly, if we imagine a balance, Taqwa would be its central part. And the two sides would be the practical manifestation of Taqwa – Worship of Allah and Obedience of the Messenger. Both these aspects go hand in hand and develop in a person the quality of Allah consciousness – Taqwa. It also brings about balance in a person’s life. Therefore, it is necessary for a person who opts for this quality to worship Allah the way He taught His servants in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and to follow the way of the Messenger ﷺ in the true sense.

The Importance of Thought

amatullah32 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:50:31 +0000

‘Watch your thoughts, because your thoughts become your words and your words become your actions’

- How does someone develop an attitude towards something or someone? Everyone establishes an attitude towards someone based on their thought/supposition of that person or thing.

What role does thought/supposition play in our lives?

Regarding the Deen or the Hereafter,about Allah where does our thought take us to?

Different people may see people in the same situation differently, there could be several reactions to one action. Since we expect others to tow our line, there could be misunderstandings and conflict. What we see may not be a reality. My eyes show me what i want to see and my ears make me hear what I want to hear…

Repel by that which is better

fruitsofknowledge — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:32:04 +0000

“And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by
that [deed] which is better…” [Fussilat: 34]

If someone does bad to you, be patient
If someone harms you, be forgiving
If someone behaves ignorantly, be forbearing
If someone deals harshly, be gentle
If someone withholds from you, be generous
If someone wrongs you, be just
If someone argues with you, be silent
If someone opposes you, be well-wishing
If someone dejects you, be optimistic
If someone accuses you, be honest
If someone proves you wrong, be humble
If someone makes a mistake, be merciful

“…and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity
[will become] as though he was a devoted friend.” [Fussilat: 34]

A Third of Knowledge

fruitsofknowledge — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:47:53 +0000

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

This post will be the first in a series which will outline the Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge based on the notes taken at ‘Ilm Summit 2008. Please be advised that although the one who compiled these notes has done their best to verify the information, the knowledge may not be free of errors. If anyone finds a mistake, kindly inform me. May Allah make this a source of benefit for all those who seek enlightenment. ameen

Adab al-’Ilm – Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge

1 – SINCERITY

One of the highest levels of work in the Shafi’ Fiqh is Imam An-Nawawi’s (Rahimahullah) (d. 676 A.H. / 1277 CE) Al-Majmoo’. The introductory 150 pages of this work deal with Adab-al-’Ilm and the introduction begins with the issue of sincerity. The first hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari and An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith collection deals with sincerity behind intention.

All books on etiquettes of attaining knowledge start with advice on sincerity because those who have written these books have dealt with the problems of sincerity.

It is for this reason that Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah) (d. 256 A.H. / 870 CE), Imam An-Nawawi (Rahimahullah) and other scholars started their works with the very famous hadith on intention…

Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (Radhi Allahu ‘anhu): I heard Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu Alayhi-wasallam) saying, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he emigrated for.”[1]

The same hadith is recorded in Imam An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith collection except with the addition:

…Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger…

Imam Shafi’ (Rahimahullah) said that this hadith contains one-third of knowledge. In other words sincerity of intention is a third of knowledge. Imam Abdur-Rahman Al-Mahdi (Rahimahullah), who was a teacher of Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah) said that if he were to write a book he would start every chapter with this hadith. Sincerity is a principle issue in Islam.

Sincerity of intention cannot be conquered fully. Anytime you think that you have conquered sincerity the shaytaan has won. Sufyaan Ath-Thauree (Rahimahullah) (d. 161 A.H. / 778 CE?) said,

“I have never struggled to rectify something that is more difficult to overcome than my soul; sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose.”

He appreciated how difficult it is to keep one’s soul in check; making a good intention was a daily struggle between him and his soul, a struggle, he knew, that would last until his dying breath.[2]

A pious man once said that whenever you find a person testifying sincerely to their sincerity then their sincerity needs sincerity. The paradox is that you always have to be doubtful of your sincerity.

Junaid who was an ascetic said that the sincere person discovers that his intention changes 40 times a day and the one who is insincere (or shows off) finds that his intention remains firm for 40 years.

A sign of sincerity is that you are always challenging yourself. Issues with sincerity afflict every single person of the ummah; from the lowest worshipper to the highest worshipper, and as knowledge grows so does this challenge because you become more exposed to the tendency of insincerity. People may praise you for your knowledge and when the ego is boosted shaytaan will prompt you to seek knowledge for the sake of people’s praise.

The solution is not to stop your actions (such as teaching or lecturing etc.) but to find the disease and constantly fight it to death.

Waki’ ibn Jarrah (Rahimahullah) said that we began studying knowledge for the sake of other than Allah (i.e. to show off) but this knowledge refused to come to us until our sincerity was only for Allah. This has been interpreted in 2 ways:

1^st interpretation – When they were studying with other goals they could not understand the material; they had set up barriers and only when the barriers were removed did the light come in.
2^nd interpretation – They initially began to study for other reasons than Allah’s sake and the more knowledge they gained the more they realized the mistake. The higher they went in knowledge the more did they realize that this needs to be ratified and understood that knowledge cannot be understood until sincerity is clear.

[1] (H. 1) The Prophet (Sallallahu `Alayhi-wasallam) said this on the occasion of someone’s emigration from Makkah to Al-Madina not for the sake of the Islamic Cause but to marry a woman who had stipulated that he should emigrate if he wanted to marry her. Anyhow, this Hadith implies a general principle, i.e., one is rewarded for his deeds according to his real intentions and not according to his actual deeds which might be good in themselves but were motivated by ill intention.

[2] (ibn ‘Abdul-Maujood, 2005)

Eid Mubarak!

fruitsofknowledge — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:54:33 +0000

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Firsly, I would like to say Eid Mubarak and may Allah accept from all of us.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “For every nation there is a feast and this is our feast.” [Bukhari]

What does a Muslim do on Eid?… Watch this video to find out!

ma’assalaam

The Price of Jannah

fruitsofknowledge — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:07:38 +0000

I was thinking about the ayaat in surah at-Tawbah that how Allah (s.w.t.) repeatedly mentions about the striving in His way. What was it that made the believers go out at the battle of Tabuk in such extreme heat, marching a distance of over 700km, leaving behind their comfortable shades, the riped juicy dates ready to be harvested. And more over, the sahabas did not know whether they were going to make it back home alive or not, it was either martyrdom or victory. The willingness to sacrifice everything that they had in the way of Allah. And this was not just once but every time Allah and His Messenger (saw) called them towards striving. What was it that made Abdullah b. Umm Makhtoom yearn to leave his home to go in the way of Allah, despite the fact that he was blind, he could not see; what made Amr b. al Jamuh leap to defend the Deen of Allah, despite the fact that there he was handicap in one leg. They had genuine disabilities, yet they strove. Why? Because they realized that the price of Jannah is not cheap and the person would get the rank according to what he strove for. Why go for second best, when we can strive for the best with the tawfeeq of Allah. Allah has given every single person potential, it’s just the matter of finding it and using it.

Where are we spending the precious moments of our life?

fruitsofknowledge — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:27:33 +0000

I really wanted to share something today that really made me think of the sacrifices that we make for the Deen.

Why is it that we do not put our utmost efforts in the way of Deen? because we do not see the results immediately. I was thinking of the example of the Sahabas, that some of them did not even live to see the Day of the conquest of Makkah, which was a turning point in the History of Islam, yet they struggled and strove in Allah’s way even before that. They didn’t even see the results of their efforts in this world. And there were some Sahabas who died or were martyred even before the entire Qur’an was revealed, yet their level of conviction was so high that they were willing to give their lives for the sake of Allah. I was thinking that what about us, we have the entire Qur’an infront of us, we listen to it, we read it, we cry, we make resolutions, but then we go back into the routine life we were in. Allah has given us such a great blessing to be able to learn and study the Qur’an, alhumdulillah. And part of thanking Him would be that we bring a positive change in our ways. I pray to Allah that He gives us the steadfastness and firm belief that the sahabas had. ameen

Following are the reflections specifically on the ayaat that we studied in class today:

The ones who have believed, emigrated and striven in the cause of Allāh with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allāh. And it isthose who are the attainers [of success]. [At-Tawbah: 20]

Belief necessitates action. We cannot say that we believe and not do anything. A true believer is the one who struggles in the cause of Allah, who is selfless, who has preferred Allah over all the comforts and luxuries of this world. And this is what will lead to the ultimate success.

And the sacrifice does not go unrewarded.

Their Lord gives them good tidings of mercy from Him and approval and of gardens for them wherein is enduring pleasure. [At-Tawbah: 21]

Say, [O Muhammad], “If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allāh and His Messenger and jihād in His cause, then wait until Allāh executes His command. And Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.” [At-Tawbah: 24]

What is it that stops us from struggling in the way of Allah? From getting out of our cozy beds in the morning to offer Salah? From smiling at someone who had once upon a time betrayed us? From studying and teaching the Qur’an using our utmost efforts?

On that Day, the people whom we love will leave us, the wealth that we earned with our own hands will finish, the business in which we feared a decline would cease to exist, the houses that we were pleased with will turn to dust. Everything will fade away, but what is with Allah will remain. Then is our love still greater for these things or is it greater for Allah?

Quality of a Believerَ

fruitsofknowledge — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:00:14 +0000

O you who have believed, do not betray Allāh and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]. [Al-Anfal: 27]

It is the quality of a believer to fulfill trusts. Our time, health, efforts, talents, wealth, youth, are all trusts from Allah. Therefore, it is necessary that we see where our efforts are gearing towards, and that we use these blessings to do that which is best, in the Cause of Allah.

And know that your properties and your children are but a trial and that Allāh has with Him a great reward. [Al-Anfal: 28]

Our wealth and children are a source of trial. Isn’t this what sometimes stops us from doing good, from fulfilling our trusts? We sometimes become over occupied with these two with all our efforts that we neglect our other obligations. But we must remember, that indeed with Allah is a great reward. The sacrifices that we make for the Deen will not go unrewarded.

O you who have believed, if you fear Allāh, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allāh is the possessor of great bounty. [Al-Anfal: 29]

Too many things on your mind – wealth, children, trusts? What is the solution? Taqwa (Fear of Allah). The doors to much benefit will open:
1. Allah will grant you a criterion, through which you will find ways out of difficulties.
2. Allah will expiate for you your sins.
3. Allah will forgive you.

Qur’an – The Criterion

fruitsofknowledge — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:15:22 +0000

Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner. [Al-Furqan: 1]

The Arabic word for Criterion is فرقان Furqan from the root ف ر ق , which means to separate; to distinguish.

The word Al-Furqan signifies the Qur’an, that which makes a separation or distinction between truth and falsehood, guidance and misguidance, good and evil. The word Furqan is also used for proof and evidence, and the time a little before daybreak, or dawn.