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Have A Soft Heart

There are many ways through which one can become deeply devout and pious and have a soft heart. The best and most important of such ways is to have deep faith in Almighty Allah. True believers who deeply understand Almighty Allah’s attributes and names revere Allah with all their hearts and show complete obedience to His commands. Whenever they hear a verse from Almighty Allah’s Book or a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), they hasten to abide by the teaching implied therein, uttering in deep faith: “… We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying. (Qur’an 2:285).

When believers contemplate Almighty Allah’s names and attributes and believe that only in Almighty Allah’s hand is the dominion over all things and that only He Almighty can protect them but none can protect against Him Most High, they will do their best to vie in doing good and avoiding evil. Thus, understanding Allah’s attributes is the best and most important step that fills one’s heart with reverence for Almighty Allah and draws one closer and closer to Him Most High.

When you experience such a state, you will be ever mindful of Allah Almighty, and in every moment of your life, whether a moment of blessing or trial, your faith in Allah’s greatness and bounty is asserted.

One who truly knows Allah Almighty has a heart filled with awe of Him Most High. On the other hand, one who never cares about knowing Allah Almighty is far away from understanding His attributes. One who is in such a state is hardhearted and never beholds how severe Almighty Allah’s punishment may be and how limitless His mercy and bounties are. One who has no concern for knowing the Almighty deviates from the right path and is not bothered by violating His laws and commands.

Moreover, such a one keeps deviating from the right path, despairing of Allah’s mercy, for he or she is ignorant of Allah’s boundless forgiveness that He grants to whoever returns to Him in repentance.

Does Anybody See Hell In Reality Before The Day Of Resurrection?

We know that our Prophet (saw) saw Hell, just as he saw Paradise during his lifetime. al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (saw) said concerning Salaat al-Khusf (eclipse prayer):
“I saw Paradise and I reached out to take a bunch of its fruits. If I had managed to do so you would have eaten from it until the end of time. And I saw Hell, and I have never seen anything more terrifying. I saw that most of its inhabitants are women“. (Mishkaat al-Masabeeh, 1/480)

Imaam Ahmad reports from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“Hell was brought so close to me that I tried to blow its heat away from my face. I saw there the man with the stick with the crooked end and one who had tended al-Baheerah (a she-camel let loose for pasture for idols, upon which nothing was allowed to be carried), and the man of Humayr and the woman who had imprisoned the cat“. (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2/181 #1968)

Muslim reports from Jaabir (RA) that the Prophet (saw) said:
“Paradise and Hell were shown to me. Paradise was brought close to me so that I tried to take fruit from it but I could not reach it. Hell was shown to me and was brought so close that I stepped back for fear that it would touch me. I saw a Humayr woman who was tall and black, being punished on account of a cat that she owned: she had tied it up, not giving it anything to eat or drink, or allowing it to eat of the vermin of the earth. I also saw Abu Thumaamah ‘Umar ibn Maalik being dragged by his trachea through Hell“. (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2/298, #2394)

After people die they are shown, in al-Barzakh (the period between death and Judgement) their position in Paradise (if they are believers) or Hell (If they are disbelievers).

Most Of Those Who Enter Hell Will Be Women

Most of the sinners amongst the monotheists who enter Hell will be women, as is reported in as-Saheehayn, via Ibn ‘Abbaas: in the khutbah given during a solar eclipse, the Prophet (saw) said, “I saw Hell and I saw that most of its inhabitants were women“.

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that the Prophet (saw) said, “O women give in charity, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.” They asked, “Why is that so, O Messenger of Allah (saw)?” He said, “Because you curse too much and are ungrateful for good treatment“.

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Usaamah ibn Zayd that the Prophet (saw) said “I stood at the gate of Hell and saw that most of those who entered were women“.

Muslim reports from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (RA) that the Prophet (saw) said, “Few of the inhabitants of paradise are women“.

This does not contradict the fact that every man in Paradise will have more than one wife. What is referred to by the women who will be the majority of the inhabitants of Hell is women who are descendants of Aadam: the inhabitants of Paradise will have many wives from among al-Hoor al-‘Iyn.

“Women will be few among the inhabitants of Paradise because in most cases they prefer the immediate pleasures of this life, as they are less wise and unable to keep the Hereafter in mind. They are too weak to strive and prepare themselves for it and are more inclined towards this world. In spite of all this, they are the strongest factor in this world that distracts men from the Hereafter, because men are inclined to desire them and are not concerned with the Hereafter. They are quick to follow those who call them to deviate from Islam and reluctant to follow those pious people who call them to the Hereafter and righteous deeds”. (al-Qurtubee, at-Tadhkirah, 1/369)

In spite of all this, there are many righteous women among them, who stay within the limits set by Allah (SWT), adhere to His laws, and obey Allah (SWT) and His Messenger. Many of these women will enter Paradise, and many of them excel over men in their faith and righteous deeds.

How Do You Know That The Quran Is Really From God?

Muslims have something that offers the clearest proof of all – The Holy Quran. There is no other book like it anywhere on Earth. It is absolutely perfect in the Arabic language. It has no mistakes in grammar, meaning, or context. The scientific evidences are well known around the entire world, even amongst non-Muslim scholars. Predictions in the Quran have come true; and its teachings are clear for all people, all places, and all times. No one has been able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it. It was memorized by thousands of people during the lifetime of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and then this memorization was passed down from teacher to student for generation after generation, from mouth to ear and from one nation to another. Today every single Muslim has memorized some part of the Quran in the original Arabic language that it was revealed over 1,400 years ago, even though most of them are not Arabs. There are over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims living on the earth today who have totally memorized the entire Quran, word for word, and can recite the entire Quran, in Arabic just as Muhammad, peace be upon him, did 14 centuries ago.

My Mother, My Best Friend

Whenever people would come from Yemen, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would ask them, “Is Uways Al-Qaranee amongst you?” until, one year, he met Uways.

He said, “Are you Uways Al-Qaranee?” He said, “Yes.”

Umar continued, “From Muraad, then Qaran?” He said, “Yes.”

Umar then asked, “Were you once afflicted with leprosy, and your skin healed except for a dirham’s area?” Uways said, “Yes.”

Umar finally asked, “Do you have a mother (that is alive)?” He said, “Yes.”

Umar then said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, ‘Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham’s area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you.”

Umar then requested Uways, “Ask forgiveness for me.” And Uways Al-Qaranee did. (Sahih Muslim)

Allah said:
“And your Lord 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 honor. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.” (Qur’an, 17:23-24)

If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile and speak kindly to them. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words, and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.

Birr Al-Walidayn is a characteristic of the believer. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it as saying, “Al-Birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness.”

By the Ijmaa’ of scholars, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is Fard (obligatory).

To better understand what is meant by Birr Al-Walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:

One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone.

Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.

Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.

Allah’s love comes when our parents love us. And Allah’s anger comes when our parents are angry with us.

Haywah bin Shurayh, one of the Imam’s of our Ummah, used to give classes in front of his home. During the class, his mother would call him to feed the chickens. He would stand up, leave the Halaqah, and go feed the chickens.

We all want Allah to accept us; we would all like to enter Paradise. Look down dear brothers and sisters, and you will find paradise at the feet of your mother (as  mentioned in a Hadeeth in Ahmad and An-Nasaa’ee).

On the other side, making our parents sad or even making them cry is one of the many ways to earn Allah’s anger.

A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to give him his pledge of allegiance. He said, “I have come to pledge allegiance to you for Hijrah and I have left both my parents behind crying.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded him, “Go back, and the same way that you made them cry, make them laugh.” (Ahmad)

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Making one’s parents cry is amongst the Uqooq, a major sin!”

Sheikh Al-Qaasim once said, “Subhan Allah! How can we leave our parents sobbing, and then we claim that we want to go for Jihad so that Allah will be pleased with us? Go back and make them happy with your visit as you made them sad with your departure. If they laugh and are pleased with you, Allah will be pleased.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “May he perish! May he perish! May he perish!”

It was asked, “Who, O Messenger of Allah?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “He whose parents attain old age in his life – one or both of them – and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them).” (Sahih Muslim)

Loving Each Other For The Sake Of Allah

Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Allah, will ask on the Day of Judgment: Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today, on a day when there is no shade but Mine, I shall shade them with My shade. (Muslim)

Love is among the most exalted of human feelings. When this love revolves around Almighty Allah and forms the basis for our interpersonal relationships, many problems can be weathered and great fruits can be harvested for both the individual and society as a whole. The Quran and Sunnah often speak about the noble status of those whom Allah graces to possess such love. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Among Allah’s servants are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but whom the prophets and martyrs will deem fortunate because of their high status with Allah.

The Companions asked, O Messenger of Allah! Inform us of who they are. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told them that they are people who loved each other for Allah’s sake, even without being related to one another or being tied to one another by the exchange of wealth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) went on to describe their great reward on the Day of Resurrection: By Allah, their faces will be luminous and they will be upon light. They will feel no fear when the people will be feeling fear, and they will feel no grief when the people will be grieving. Then he (peace be upon him) read verse 10 from Surah Yunus. (Abu Dawud) This reminds us of another famous hadith that enumerates the seven types of people who will enjoy Allah s shade on a day when there is no shade but His. Among those mentioned are two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, meeting for that reason, and parting with this love (still cherished by both of them) (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Love for Allah’s sake transcends the limits of our worldly existence, enduring into the life to come. Allah says: Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqun (the pious). (Az-Zukhruf 43:67)

Paradise: There Is Nothing Like It

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter. As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise:

“It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses“. [Ibn Maajah, as-Sunan, Kitaab az-Zuhd, Baab Sifaat al-Jannah, 2/1448, no. 4332. Ibn Hibbaan narrated it in his saheeh]

The Sahabah asked the Prophet (saw) about the buildings of Paradise and he replied with a wonderful description:
“Bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron. Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade.” [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ad-Daarimee, Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3/29, sahih].

Allah (SWT) indeed spoke the truth when He (SWT) said: “And when you look there [in Paradise] you will see a delight [that cannot be imagined]. and a great dominion” [76:20]

What Allah (SWT) has kept hidden from us the delights of Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend: al-Bukhaari reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said that Allah (SWT) said, “I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine”. Recite if you wish, “No person know what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” (32:17).

In the version reported by Muslims from Abu Hurayrah, there is the addition, “Never mind what Allah has told you; what He has not told you is EVEN greater”.

Musab Bin Umayr: The First Ambassador Of Islam

MUSAB was born into a wealthy family headed by a mother whose strength of personality and dominating character were well-known in Makkah. Musab was given everything a young person could dream of. He wore the most fashionable clothes and shoes, mixed with the most popular and notable people in his area, and was greatly admired by all. Added to this was his natural personality: he was a good communicator; he had a bright intelligent mind; he was quick and alert and so was allowed to attend the most prestigious meetings with intelligent, elderly, and noble people. Musab had everything a young person of his time could ever dream of. So what could ever make him consider giving it all up?

Musab had grown up without fear of anything or anyone. He was sure of himself, kind, confident, and clever but nevertheless, he was just a human being. The one thing that Musab feared was his own mother. She was a strong and fierce woman and was well-known as such. After considering his situation for some time Musab decided to keep his acceptance of Islam a secret for a while until the best way showed itself. In the meantime, he continued to visit the house of Al-Arqam where he received knowledge about Islam and learned the Qur’an.

Makkah was full of spies and informants and so it wasn’t long before Musab’s comings and goings were noted and reported. His mother wanted to beat him and degrade him to compensate herself for the sorrow and humiliation she felt. But then she thought of something better and perhaps more lasting. She ordered her servants to take her son and bind him tightly; keeping him a prisoner in his own home.

As usual, Musab remained calm but sought the first opportunity to escape. Allah the Almighty opened the way for him and he left with a group of Muslims who were heading for Abyssinia seeking safety there from the persecution of the Makkans. So Musab left his mother, his home, his wealth, and the city of his childhood and headed off to the unknown. His sure and strong faith in Allah made him strong, determined, and peaceful.