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Five before Five

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
All praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of the Prophets and Messengers

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
“Take benefit of five before five:
your youth before your old age,
your health before your sickness,
your wealth before your poverty,
your free time before your preoccupation,
and your life before your death.”
(Hakim)

Youth before old age
One of the things that most people take for granted is their youth. When people are young, they are full of energy and are capable of doing so many things for the sake of Allah Ta’ala, but often, we see that this energy is wasted in one way or another.

When people lose their youth, they inevitably find it harder to do those deeds and acts of worship that they found somewhat easier to do at a younger age. With old age, people find it harder to keep fard (obligatory) fasts, they may not be able to perform wudhu properly or to pray properly, and they may not have the energy to recite the Qur’an very often.

It is common to hear young people claim that they will start ‘practicing’ Islam when they get older. We should always be mindful of the fact that ‘older’ may never come around for us. We have no guarantee that we will even be alive tomorrow, let alone be alive to see our pensions or our grandchildren. And even if we are blessed with a long life, how can we be sure that we have the health – physical and mental – to practice Islam? On top of all this, we should remember that people do not just magically become ‘good’ overnight; often, we find that bad habits are hard to shift – what if we can’t get rid of our bad habits when we get old?

Health before sickness
As with our youth, we often take our health for granted. We are advised to take advantage of our good health before we are overcome with illness or disability. What we often don’t realize is that our health is a blessing from Allah Ta’ala. When we are in good health, we take it for granted and don’t always appreciate what we have. It is only when we fall ill that we realize what a great thing we had and how we let it go to waste by not doing as much ‘ibadah (worship) as we know we could – and should – have done.

Wealth before poverty
Wealth is another blessing granted to us by Allah. Wealth in this context does not necessarily mean that we have large amounts of savings or that we can afford a huge house, a top-of-the-range car, and a state-of-the-art media system. The simpler things such as a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and food in our fridges make us amongst the world’s wealthiest people – a fact that we, more often than not, seem to overlook, particularly when we see people that have a lot more worldly possessions than we do. There are millions of people in the world today who don’t even have a drop of clean water to drink, and they don’t know where their next meal will come from. These are the people that we need to be helping with our wealth. Even a small donation can go a long way.

We should give as much as we can in the way of Allah, and we are assured of the rewards for doing so by Allah:
‘The likeness of those who spend their money for Allah’s sake, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn), it grows seven ears, every single ear has a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies (increases the reward) for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All Knower’. (Al-Baqarah: 261)

Free time before preoccupation
Islam always encourages us to make the most of our time and to spend as much of it as possible in the way of Allah. We should utilize the time we have available to do as much good as we can because before we know it, this time will have passed. As mentioned above, we should use the time we have in our youth to do as much in the way of Allah as possible, because as time passes, as well as having to contend with old age and all that entails, we will inevitably have a lot more things to worry about, like jobs, homes and families – things that most of us at this present moment aren’t necessarily worried about. If we think that finding the time to practice Islam is difficult now, what will we do when life really starts to pick up the pace? There is nothing wrong with getting married and having a family, but we should appreciate the relative freedom that we have now and spend as much of it as we can on good deeds.

The concept of time is so important in Islam that Allah swears by it in the Qur’an: ‘By Time. Verily Man is in loss, except such as have faith and do good deeds, and in the mutual teaching of truth, of patience and constancy.’ (Surah Al-‘Asr)

In line with the above aayaat (verses), we have to discipline ourselves by giving value to the importance of time. We should be prompt in doing good deeds, which will increase our faith and subsequently enable us to gain Allah’s pleasure and mercy.

Life before death
The last thing that we have been advised to take advantage of is our life before our death. Every night, when we go to sleep, we enter a state where our soul leaves us. When we wake up, it is only because Allah has blessed us by returning our souls and granting us the opportunity to worship Him for at least one more day. Upon waking up in the morning, the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) used to say (and we are also encouraged to do the same): ‘Praise be to Allah who gave me life after death, and to Him is the final return.’ (Bukhari)

Often, we do not fully appreciate how great a blessing it is to be given another chance. We become relaxed about death, and we don’t fully comprehend or appreciate that at some point – and only Allah Ta’ala knows when – our life will be taken away from us for good, leaving no second chance, no opportunity to make up for the wrongs we have done, and no turning back time. We must not forget what a mercy life is. We should savor every moment and use it to our best advantage. This means pleasing Allah in order to achieve our ultimate goal – Jannah.

I’ll end with a final hadith that I feel sums up the importance of all these issues:
‘A man shall be asked concerning five things on the Day of Resurrection: concerning his life, how he spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, how he acquired it and how he spent it; and what he did with the knowledge he had.’ (Tirmidhi)

I pray that Allah Ta’ala grant us the tawfiq to make the most of all that He has blessed us with, and that He accepts all our efforts InSha Allah.

Remembrance Of Allah According To Quran And Hadith

Allah, the Exalted, says: “And remember your Rubb by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful.” (7:205)

“And declare the perfectness of your Rubb before the rising of the sun, and before its setting.” (20:130)

“And declare the perfectness of your Rubb and praise Him in the Ashi (i.e., the time period after midday till sunset) and in the Ibkar (i.e., the time period from early morning or sunrise till before midnoon).” (40:55)

“In houses (mosques) which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honored), in them His Name is mentioned in the mornings and the afternoons or the evenings. Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue).” (24:36,37)

“Verily, We made the mountains to declare the Perfectness of Allah with him [Dawud (David)] in the `Ashi (i.e., after the midday till sunset) and Ishraq (i.e., after the sunrise till midday).” (38:18)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “He who recites in the morning and in the evening the statement: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with praising Him)’ one hundred times, will not be surpassed on the Day of Resurrection by anyone with better deeds than one who utters the same words or utters more of these words.” [Muslim].

Shahr bin Haushab reported: I asked Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her), “O Mother of the Believers! Which supplication did the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) make frequently when he was in your house?” She said: “He (PBUH) supplicated frequently: Ya muqallib (O Controller of the hearts, make my heart steadfast in Your religion).” [At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Steadfastness in religion is the conduct of great men, which cannot be acquired without the special Grace of Allah. Many turns occur in a person’s life when he becomes slack or negligent in religious matters or when he deviates from the course prescribed by religion. This prayer has outstanding importance for people who are faced with such a situation. They should recite this prayer very frequently. In fact, they should make its recitation a permanent feature.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The supplication most often recited by the Prophet (PBUH)
was: “Allahumma atina fid-dunya hasanatan, wa fil-akhirati hasanatan, wa qina `adhab-annar (O our Rubb! give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the punishment of the Fire).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In the narration of Muslim, it is added that whenever Anas supplicated, he used to beseech Allah with this Dua.
Commentary: It is desirable to recite this Dua which is mentioned in the Qur’an (2:201) and which comprehends all that is good, both in this life and the Hereafter. The Prophet (PBUH) made it a habit to recite this Dua, and the Companions were eager to follow him in all his words and actions.

source : Book of Riyadus-Saliheen

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.”