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Excellence Of Leading An Ascetic Life, And Virtues Of Simple Life

Allah, the Exalted, says: “And put forward to them the example of the life of this world: it is like the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is Able to do everything. Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds that last, are better with your Rubb for rewards and better in respect of hope.” (Qur’an 18:45,46)

“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return (Jannah with flowing rivers) with Him.” (Qur’an 3:14).

“O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.” (Qur’an 35:5).

“And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter is the real life if they but knew”. (Quran 29:64).

Al-Mustaurad bin Shaddad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “This
world (i.e., its pleasures and duration) in comparison with the Hereafter is (similar to the amount of water) one gets when he puts his finger in the sea. Let him then see what it returns with”. [Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith shows the value of the Hereafter and its blessings compared to the worldly life. The proportion between the two is that the former is like an ocean, while the latter is like the proportion of water left on one’s finger when dipped in the sea!.

Jabir bin `Abdullah (May allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was passing through the bazaar with his Companions on his both sides, when he saw a dead skinny lamb. He held its ear and said, “Who of you would like to have it for a dirham”. They replied, “We do not like to get it for nothing, and what shall we do with it?”. Then he (PBUH) asked, “Would you like to have it for nothing?”. They replied, “Had it been alive, it would have been defective because it is skinny; but when dead it is of no use”. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Truly, the world is more contemptible to Allah than this (the dead lamb) is to you”. [Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith also shows the futility of this world, for which one struggles so madly throughout his life. It is also an indication that the Prophet (PBUH) used to seize the right opportunities to guide and teach his followers.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Look at those who are inferior to you and do not look at those who are superior to you, for this will keep you from belittling Allah’s Favor to you.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

This is the wording in Sahih Muslim. The narration in Al-Bukhari is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “When one of you looks at someone who is superior to him in property and appearance, he should look at someone who is inferior to him”.
Commentary: By looking at the worldly goods and riches of others, a person gradually becomes unthankful for the blessings that Allah has bestowed on him. The best remedy for this “disease” is that which has been prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in this Hadith. The remedy is that one should look at the people who have fewer worldly goods and riches than one’s own. If a person has a small house of his own that can protect him from the harshness of weather, then he does not need to see enviously towards sky-high buildings and palatial houses of others. He should look at the homeless people who spend their nights on footpaths and live in huts that leak in rain like sieves and are swept away by a wave of flood water, etc. But from a religious angle, one should see towards those who are more fearful of Allah and observe their Salat meticulously so that one becomes more fond of obedience of Allah, has a greater fear of Him, and devotes more time to prayer and devotion. This dispensation is also given in other Ahadith.

Abdullah bin Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took hold of my shoulders and said, “Be in the world like a stranger or a wayfarer”.

Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) used to say: “When you survive till the evening, do not expect to live until the morning; and when you survive until the morning, do not expect to live until the evening; (do good deeds) when you are in good health before you fall sick, and (do good deeds) as long as you are alive before death strikes”. [Al-Bukhari].
Commentary: A person who will consider this world as a temporary stage, will certainly not like that his clothes be entangled in thorny bushes of this world. The greatest fault of man is that he does not understand this status of the world. In spite of the fact that he is not sure of a moment’s life here, he occupies himself in amassing goods and riches which would last for a hundred years.

Ka`b bin Iyad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Verily, there is a Fitnah (trial) for every nation and the trial for my nation (or Ummah) is wealth.” [At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: The word “Fitnah” means trial. Anything with which a person is tried is a Fitnah for him. For this reason, children and property have been regarded Fitnah for mankind in the Noble Qur’an. This Hadith strongly urges the Muslim Ummah to exercise moderation in their love for worldly goods and riches, otherwise, all these things, which are Gifts of Allah, can become a source of woeful torture for them.

Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) slept on a straw mat and got up with the marks left by it on his body. Ibn Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Would that you make us spread out a soft bedding for you.” He (PBUH) replied, “What have I to do with the world? I am like a rider who had sat under a tree for its shade, then went away and left it.” [At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Besides mentioning the piety of the Prophet (PBUH), this Hadith tells in a very eloquent manner the
reality of this world by means of an example.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The poor will enter Jannah five hundred years before the rich.” [At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Al-Fuqara’ (the poor) means those Fuqara’ who are perfect in Faith. Such people will go to Jannah five hundred years before the rich because the latter will have to account for their wealth, from where they had got it and how they had spent it, while the former will not be answerable for any such thing.

Source: Book Of Riyadus-Saliheen 

Living To Die Or Dying To Live

Death is a harsh and fearful reality faced by everyone who lives. No one has the power to avoid it, nor does anyone around a dying person have the ability to prevent it. It is something that happens every moment and is something encountered by the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. They are all the same in that they have no plan, nor any means of escaping it, no means of intercession, no way to prevent it, nor to delay it.

Allah – the Most High – says: “Say: Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to Allah, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He will then tell you what you used to do.” [Surah al-Jumu’ah 62:8]

“Every soul shall taste death. And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us will you be returned.” [Surah al-Anbiya 21:34-35].

Indeed, it is death that causes fear in the souls, and with it, one’s actions are sealed, and what comes after is even more fearful and fear-inducing. For is there a place one can flee to in order to escape from the constrictions suffered in the grave? What will our reply be when we are questioned in the grave? Indeed, not a single one of us knows where we will end up. Will it be Paradise whose width is like the heavens and the earth, or shall it be the Fire whose fuel is of men and stones?

Ibrahim ibn Adham said, when he was asked about the verse: “Call upon Me and I will respond to you.” [Surah Ghafir 40:60] They said: We call upon Allah, but He does nor respond to us. So he said:

  • “You know Allah, yet you do not obey Him.
  • You recite the Qur’an; yet you do not act according to it.
  • You know Shaitan; yet you continue agreeing with him.
  • You claim to love Allah’s Messenger(Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam); yet you abandon his Sunnah (guidance and way).
  • You claim to love Paradise, yet you do not work for it.
  • You claim to fear the Fire, yet you do not stop sinning.
  • You say, Indeed death is true; yet you have not prepared for it.
  • You busy yourselves with the faults of others, yet you do not look at your own faults.
  • You eat the sustenance that Allah provides for you, yet you are not grateful to Him and
  • You bury your dead, yet you have not heeded its lesson.” [Khushu’ fis-Salah, Ibn Rajab]

So this – O noble reader – is the reality which must be firmly established in one’s heart; the reality that life in this world is limited and has an appointed end, and that this end will surely come …

The righteous will die, and the wicked will die. The warriors who fight jihad will die, and those who sit at home will die. Those who busy themselves with correct beliefs will die; And those who treat people as their slaves will die. The brave who reject injustice will die, and the cowards who seek to cling to this vile life will die. The people of lofty-goals and ambitions will die; And the wretched who live for cheap enjoyment will die.

“Every soul shall taste death.” [Al-‘Imran 3:185].

So keep in mind the point of death, and of one’s passing on to the next life, and the number of sins that one has committed and the small amount of good that one has done. Think of the good that you would earnestly like to do at that time – then bring that forward and do it today. And think of all those things which you would desire to clear yourself of- then clear yourself from them now.

Life Of This World, A Test For The Believers

[ALLAH’S Quran – 18:7] “We have caused the material world on earth to be of the nature of an embellishment and ornamentation in order to test the peoples’ reaction to the grace of Allah and distinguish those of them who will imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Muslim, Book #007, Hadith #3183] “Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: For one among my Ummah who shows endurance against the hardships and rigors of Medina, I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.”

[Sunan Abudawud, Book #35, Hadith #4250] “Narrated Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad: I swear by Allah, I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: The happy man is he who avoids dissensions: happy is the man who avoids dissensions; happy is the man who avoids dissensions: but how fine is the man who is afflicted and shows endurance.”

Salah And The Worst Kind of Theft

The only sad part of finding the straight path is when you lose it. There are many ways to fall, but no fall is more tragic than a fall in one’s deen. Sometimes, it’s a sister who decided to take off her hijab and live a different type of life; other times, it’s a brother who was once active in the community but got caught up with the wrong crowd. But, with each story, somehow, somewhere along the line, our brothers and sisters fell so far.

Sadly, these stories are not uncommon. Sometimes, we can’t help but look at them and wonder: How? Why? We wonder how someone who was so straight could have gotten so far off the path.

In wondering this, we often don’t realize that the answer may be simpler than we think. People fall into all types of sin, but there is one sin all these people have in common. There is one common denominator for every individual who lives a life full of sin. Whether that person was once on the straight path and fell, or whether that person was never on that path at all, one thing is for sure. That person had to first abandon, minimize, put aside, or ignore their Salah (prayer) before they were able to fall.

If one is praying but continues to live a life full of sin, that Salah is likely only the action of limbs – not heart or soul. See, there is a crucial characteristic of Salah that is often overlooked. Besides being a sacred meeting with our creator, Salah is a protection of the realest kind. Allah says, “Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” (Qur’an, 29:45)

When someone decides to abandon Salah, they are also abandoning this protection. It is important to remember that this abandonment of Salah often does not happen all at once, but rather in stages. It begins by delaying prayers out of their specified times and then combining one prayer with another. Soon, it turns into missing the prayer all together. Before you know it, not praying becomes the norm.

Meanwhile, something else is happening that cannot be seen. With every delayed or missed prayer, a hidden battle is being waged: The battle of Shaitan. By abandoning the Salah, the human being has put down the armor given to them by Allah and has entered the battlefield with no protection. Now, shaytan can have full reign. Of this truth, Allah says: “And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion” (Qur’an, 43:36)

So it should be of no surprise to anyone that neglecting Salah becomes the very first step on the path to a lower life. Those who have fallen off the path need only to look back at where it began, and they will find that it began with the Salah. The same is perfectly true the other way around. For those who wish to turn their lives around, it begins by focusing on and perfecting the Salah. Once you put Salah back as the priority—before school, work, fun, socializing, shopping, TV, ball games—only then can you turn your life around.

The irony of this truth is that many people are deceived into thinking that they need to first turn their life around before they can start to pray. This thinking is a dangerous trick of Shaitan, who knows that it is the Salah itself that will give that person the fuel and guidance necessary to turn their life around. Such a person is like a driver whose car is on empty, but insists on finishing the journey before filling up on gas. That person won’t be going anywhere. In the same way, such people end up in the same place for years: not praying and not changing their lives. Shaytan challenged them and won.

In so doing, we have allowed him to steal from us what is priceless. Our homes and our cars are so precious to us that we would never think of leaving them unprotected. So we pay hundreds of dollars on security systems to keep them safe. And yet our deen is left unprotected, to be stolen by the worst of thieves—a thief who has vowed God Himself to be our relentless enemy till the end of time. A thief who is not simply stealing some carved metal with a Mercedes symbol on it. A thief who is stealing our eternal soul and everlasting ticket to Paradise.

By: Yasmin Mogahed

Action Items For The Muttaqun

Action Items for the Muttaqun (people who fear Allah):

If a Muslim is incorrect in his words or actions, do not embarrass or degrade him in correction; instead, kindly guide him to the Truth.

It is not “kind” to dilute the truth, so the kindness comes in the manners and the love for your brother or sister by showing him/her the truth when he is first seeking.

Your brother’s reaction to the truth is of no concern and should not stop you from speaking the truth in an appropriate manner. Too often, we see people more afraid of hurting another person’s feelings or angering them than telling them the truth. It is not kindness to withhold the truth from someone, but it is not kindness to dispute over a non-fundamental issue either once the facts have been presented. And if you don’t have facts to back up what you’re saying, DON’T SAY IT, or you will likely be the cause of fitnah!

Study the proper way to give dawah and IMPLEMENT this method when a difference of opinion occurs between people of the Sunnah.

Look at each difference as a learning opportunity and be sure to have your proof and facts together before challenging a Muslim, especially one whom you have no reason to believe to be non-trustworthy (such as if he is an established person of bid’a, or an established liar and has not told enough lies to re-establish himself as a truth-teller).

To avoid quarrels, sincerely ask questions to seek the Truth, just as the Muslim revert does before accepting Islam.
Take note of the humble method in which Sheikhs present their disagreements. The pious Muslim may dispute the facts and have no desire to tear apart the person with whom they disagree, but rather, rush to hide any sins of their fellow Muslim and stick to discussing the relevant evidence in Quran and Sunnah.

Stop thinking you have to force your views on others as though this is love. It is love to tell them, but what they choose to do with Truth is up to them. But surely Allah, SWT, has already decided who will choose guidance and who will choose misguidance.

BE HUMBLE. Stop talking about it; actually, be it. This not only applies to the person who realizes their views were weak but also to the person who presents the truth. Arrogance has no place amongst Muslims.

Be patient and take your time before reacting.
Understand that many people mean well but are simply using bad logic and need to be lovingly shown the right path.
Spend more time listening (to persons of good character and knowledge) than speaking, ESPECIALLY when there is a difference of opinion starting to form in the conversation.

Repent to Allah, SWT, for any fitnah you have created when speaking without having facts to back you up; for example, if someone gives you evidence, and you maintain your weak position instead of giving it up altogether and embracing the Truth in whole. For example, your brother sees you and says, “Hey, how’s it going?” and you, at some point, remind him, “Brother, the Quran instructs us to greet one another saying As salaamu alaikum, and so I recommend you only use that greeting.” Do you really want to create fitnah by disagreeing with such a strong, true point? Whether you agree or not, if you have no facts to support your view over another, THE CORRECT REPLY IS ALHAMDULILAH (or something similar) and perhaps even JAZAKALLAH, and then to GO SEEK THE TRUTH on your own time.

Remember, Allah Subhanuhu Wa Tala, Knows everything we do!