Sunday, December 22, 2013

TRIALS IN THIS WORLD!

Allah (The Most High) said:

وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ

"...And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you have patience?" [Qur'an25:20]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

This is universal amongst all the creation; they are put to trial by one another.

* Those whom the Messengers are sent to are a trial for the Messengers in calling them to the truth, exercising patience in facing their harm and bearing the difficulty in conveying the Message of their Lord.

* And the Messengers are a trial for those whom they have been sent to, as to whether they will obey and aid them, and testify to the truth of that which they have been sent with; or whether they will disbelieve, reject and fight them.

* The ignorant people are a trial for the scholars, as to whether they will teach and advise them, whilst exercising patience in teaching, advising, guiding them and been constant in that.

* And the scholars are a trial for the ignorant people, as to whether they will obey them and follow their example.

* The subjects are a trial for the kings and the kings are a trial for the subjects.

* The poor people are a trial for the rich people and the rich people are a trial for the poor people.

* The weak people are a trial for the strong people and the strong people are a trial for the weak people.

* The leaders are put to trial by those who follow them and those who follow are put to trial by way of the leaders.

* The slave master is put to trial by way of his slaves and the slaves are put to trial by way of the slave master.

* A man is put to trial by way of his wife and his wife is put to trial by way of him.

* The men are put to trial by way of women and women are put to trial by way of men.

* The believers are put to trial by way of the disbelievers and the disbelievers are put to trial by way of the believers.

* Those who enjoin good and forbid evil are put to trial by way of those whom they command good and forbid from evil, and those commanded with good and forbidden from evil are put to trial by way of those who command them with good and forbid them from evil. - ighaathatul Luhfaan: 2/170-172]

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Four Eyes


There is not a person except he has four eyes: two in his head with which he sees the matters of this worldly life, and two in his heart with which he looks to the matters of the hereafter. So if Allâh wants good for his servant, He opens his heart’s eyes, and so he perceives what he has been promised in the unseen world. Thus he is saved from the unseen [punishment] through the unseen [reward for the obedient].-- 
Khâlid b. Ma’d
 ​an, ​
Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`  

Monday, December 16, 2013

​Imagining the Hereafter​


"I have never heard the adhaan except that I remember the caller who will announce the Day of Resurrection, and I never see the falling snow except that I imagine the flying pages of the records of peoples deeds (on that day), and I never see swarms of locusts except that I think about the Great Gathering on the Last Day."
​ Raabiah​ Basriyyah 
Sifah Al-Safwah

Sunday, December 15, 2013

O My Soul What Do You Long For​ ?

"I imagined myself in the Hellfire with its iron chains and blazing fire eating from Zaqqoom (a tree in hell with exceedingly bitter fruit), and drinking from its Zamhareer (a bitterly cold drink), so I said "O my soul what do you long for?" It replied "To return to the world and perform a righteous action by which I will be saved form this punishment". I also imagined myself in Paradise with its Hoori dressed in silken garments (of Paradise) with gold embroidery.
I said "O my soul! What do you long for?"
It said "To return to the world and perform a righteous action by which this reward will increase." So I said to myself "You are in the world and (surrounded by) aspirations".-Ibrahim at-Taymee

Friday, December 13, 2013

True Goodness


Goodness is not in your wealth and offspring being plentiful; true goodness is when your [good] deeds are plenty and you have great understanding and forbearance, and when you compete to worship your Lord. If you do good you praise Allâh and thank Him, and if you sin you beg Allâh’s forgiveness. There is no good in this life except with two types of men: A man who sins but then corrects himself through repentance, and a man who strives and hastens to get [the good] of the hereafter.- ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allâh be pleased with him – 

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

​Choose Wisely

 – If you ever have time and find yourself in ease, then take advantage of prayer, to draw near to Allah; If you ever wish to speak ill a word of falsehood, then instead put in its place, a word of glorification; Because taking advantage of silence is better than speaking frequently, even if you are eloquent in speech. - Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Talking To The Nafs

A poem someone wrote speaking to his nafs (himself), addressing himself, giving himself advice. So he says: 
Oh myself! What will calm you?
Can’t you remain patient for a day or two?
I tried to contain you but your strength overpowers 
But when we die, life will seem like ours
So can’t you be patient for part of a day
And remain steadfast upon the straight way?
The direction you are taking leads to my worst fears 
Of the day we stand for 50 000 years
No one will joke, nor talk, nor smile
And the sun from our heads will be at a mile
Nowhere to hide and nowhere to flee
Standing for what seems an eternity
Then the judgment begins and the books will land
Either on your right or your left hand
Oh myself! Do not become like those who left the right track
And put their left hand behind their back
Oh self! How do you plan to cross the sirat suspended in the air
Craftier than a fox, sharper than a sword, and thinner than a hair?
How do you plan to cross, or will you cross at all?
With the blink of an eye will you run or would you rather crawl?
The bad deeds you command will drop you from it and only good deeds put you back up on it
Oh self! It is a 500 year drop suspension over a terrible place I would rather not mention
Oh self! Don’t be fooled by this world and its illusions
And keep in mind judgment, the grave and other conclusions
Oh self! Wake up, don’t follow your desire
And ask for forgiveness to avoid the Fire
Oh self! Keep the command and avoid the prohibitions
And pay close attention to these admonitions
Be amongst those who are the best of planners 
Who prepared for the future with good deeds and good manners
Oh self! It’s simply about your control 
Being patient now so as to reach your goal
I don’t mean to put burden or to put much stress
Just to warn of a day when the limbs confess
Sins add up as you live through the years 
Then sadness won’t save you and nor will the tears
Every time you sin the Shaytan is winning 
So remember the One against Whom you are sinning
Oh myself! Life is short and ends when you least expect it
And then what will you say when you are resurrected?
The Angel of Death overlooked you and took the souls of your brothers
And one day It will come to you and overlook others
For great reward plant the righteous seeds 
Oh Allah, we seek refuge in the evil of ourselves and from the evil of our deeds!