To love for the sake of Allah!

To have love for someone for the sake of Allah’s pleasure is also a grand act for which much merit and many rewards have been promised. “To love for the sake of Allah” means loving someone, not for worldly gain, but because he is more religious and pious or he is very learned in din or is busy in serving the cause of din or because loving him or her is commanded by Allah, e.g. one’s parents.

Such a love has been called “love for Allah” in ahadith.

One hadith says, ” Allah shall ask on the Day of Judgement, ‘ Where are those who loved for the sake of my Greatness? Today when there is no shade save Mine, I shall have them in My Shade.’” (Sahih Muslim: Kitab al Birr wa al Silah)

Another tells us that “On the Day of Judgement, those who had mutual love for the sake of Allah’s Greatness shall be on pulpits of light and all shall envy them.” (Jami’ Tirmidhi, Kitab al Zuhd)

Abu Idris Khulani, one of the most famous tabi’in says that once he visited Ma’adh ibn Jabal in the mosque of Damascus and told him that “By Allah I love you for the sake of Allah.” He repeatedly asked me to swear if it was so and when I answered in affirmative every time, he pulled me by my shawl and said, “Hear the good news! I have heard the exalted and blessed Messenger of Allah saying that “My love shall certainly be for those who love each other for my sake, who sit in each other’s company for my sake, who go to meet each other for my sake and spend money on each other for my sake.” )Muvatta Imam Malik, Kitab-al-Shi’r)

Having love for Allah’s pious and good bondsmen is actually an outcome of one’s love for Allah, so it earns the same rewards and merits as the latter; because of this love. Allah includes this lover in His beloved people. According to a hadith, someone asked our blessed and exalted Prophet, “When shall come the Day of Judgement?” Our Prophet asked him “What preparation have you made for the Day?” The man said, “Nothing, but I have love for Allah and for His Messenger.” The Prophet said, “You shall be (on that Day) with whom you love.”

The above hadith has been quoted by Anas. He says that these words of the Holy Prophet so pleased us as nothing had ever done. He further said, “I have great love for the Holy Prophet – may he be eternally blessed – and with Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and because of this love, I shall be in their company, even though my deeds are not equal to theirs.” (Sahh Bukhari, kitab-al-Adab, chapter Alamah al Hubb fi Allah).

There are many ahadith of the same import showing that having love for someone for the sake of Allah is an act of great merit, which grants one the opportunity of doing good in this world and being in exalted company in the Hereafter.

Hence, one should love good people for the sake of Allah and with the intent of becoming good oneself and earning Allah’s pleasure, as a poet once said, ” I love good people and although I am not one of them, may Allah grant me goodness too.”

Hadith tells us that when someone loves his brother in faith, he must tell him of his love (Abu Daud; Kitab-al-Adab; Tirmidhi; Kitab-al-Zuhd).

A man was sitting with our Holy Prophet when another one passed. The sitting one said, “O Messenger of Allah! I love this man.” The Prophet said, “Have you told him?” The man said, “No.” The Prophet said, “Tell him!” The man rose to his feet and went to the man who was passing by and said, “I love you for the same of Allah.” He said, “May Allah whom you love, love you in return!”
 

 

(Source : themodernreligion)

3 truths

Once, a person was verbally abusing Abu Bakar r.a. while the Prophet s.a.w. was curiously watching with a smile. After taking much abuse quietly, Abu Bakar responded to a few of his comments.  At this, the Prophet s.a.w. exhibited his disapproval, got up and left.  Abu Bakar caught up with the Prophet s.a.w. and wondered, ‘O Messenger of Allah, he was abusing me and you remained sitting. When I responded to him, you disapproved and got up.’

 

The Messenger of Allah responded, ‘There was an angel with you responding to him. When you responded to him, Shaitan took his place.’

He then said,

‘O Abu Bakar, there are three solid truths: If a person is wronged and he forbears it (without seeking revenge) just for the sake of Allah s.w.t, Allah will honour him and give him the upper hand with His help; if a person opens a door of giving gifts for cementing relationships with relatives, Allah will give him abundance; and, if a person opens a door of seeking charity for himself to increase his wealth, Allah will further reduce his wealth.’

Reported from Abu Hurairah in Mishkaah and Musnad Ahmad.

Allah knows best!

A story by one of the MyUmmah readers.

ALLAH KNOWS BEST- A KINGS EXPERIENCE

“A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with. the friend used to always accompany the king when he traveled.The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, “All praise be to Allah, Almighty Allah knows best”

One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, “All praise be to Allah, Almighty Allah knows best”

To which the King replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.

About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.They were preparing to eat him. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole.They believed that a thumbless person was defective and accursed. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village

When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right” the King said, “it was good that my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. ” I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.” “No,” his friend replied, “this is good … “All praise be to Allah, Almighty Allah knows best”

“What do you mean, ‘this is good’! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?” The King’s friend replied: “Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting trip).Look, he said lifting up his hands…I have all my fingers and they would have certainly eaten me!” ‘

He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)” Qur’an: Surah Al Hajj 22:76

Do Not Judge Things or Events by their Immediate Outcome! Know that whatever is written for you and befalls you, is better than what you think should have happened. Omar ibn al-Khattab once said: I don’t care what state I wake up in, good or bad; because I don’t know what is good for me nor do I know what is bad for me. Everything happens or comes into being simply by Allah willing it. Allah only has to say, “Be” and something comes into being.”

(source : myummah.co.za)

Quote of the day!

“A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested in three occasions; in time of need, behind your back and after your death. “– Ali ibn Abi Talib r.a.

Our heart

Alchemy of the heart. 

“Allah s.w.t. says, “On that day nothing will benefit the human being, neither wealth nor children, only the one who brings Allah a sound heart”.  A sound heart is one that is free of defects and spiritual blemishes.”

After reading this text, I realized that I got a long way to go because to have a sound heart, I must strive to overcome all sins.  The sins of hatred, envy, miserliness, backbiting etc.  I must also increased my taqwa in Allah s.w.t. for 100% for a sound heart is one that totally believes in Allah in every way even in the face of adversaries.

It is revealed according to the hadith that “the heart is a source of knowledge”.  Our Rasulullah s.a.w. said, “that wrong actions is what irritates the heart”.  This sentence indicated that the heart actually knows wrong actions and when we commit such an action, the heart is greatly disturbed.

Another thing that I have to remember is that doing zikr is not only an act to remember Allah s.w.t. but it is an action that stilled the heart, zikr helps to bring peace to the heart as well as a form of breath for the spiritual heart.  Just like our physical heart which fed on blood and oxygen, the spiritual heart needs zikr to breathe and zikr is what feeds and nourishes the heart.

Besides zikr, being in a company of good people, especially people who strive towards Allah s.w.t is the food and exercise of the heart.  All these are essential in order to have a sound and healthy heart

Ya Allah, please keep our heart safe from diseases. Keep our tongues safe from vices. Keep our eyes safe from gazes. Increase them in knowledge, worship, health, wealth, and everything that is good for the next life. Amin amin ya rabbal’alamin.

 

 

(source on the alchemy of the heart : zaytuna.org)

Envy by Imam Ghazali r.a.

Imam Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his book (Ihya’) after a number of pages on envy and its dangers,

“Be aware that envy is one of the most dangerous diseases of the hearts, and there is no medicine for the diseases of the heart except with knowledge and deeds.

As to the knowledge that treats the disease of envy is to know without any doubt that envy is dangerous for you in this worldly life and in your deen, and there is no danger from it on the envied person in this life nor in his deen, on the contrary, the envied person will benefit from it.

The fact is envy is dangerous for your deen because with envy, you hated Allah’s predestination and hated his blessings that He divided among his servants, and you hated His justice that He established in His world for a wisdom, so you contested that and objected it, and this is against the true oneness and belief.

In addition to that, you would have shared with Iblees and the rest of the non-believers with their love for the crises to fall upon the believers and for the blessings to go away from them. These are evils in the heart that eat up the good deeds and erase them like the night erase the day.

And the fact that envy is dangerous upon your worldly life is that because you suffer from your envy in this life and you are tortured by it, and you will always be in sorrow every time you see the blessing of Allah on the envied person.”

And as to the deeds that would treat envy, you should control yourself, so everything that you did in the process of your envy for someone else like any saying or action, you should now strive to do the opposite.

If envy had driven you to say something bad about your envied person, then strive to make your tongue complement him,

and if it had driven you to look down upon him, then act with humility and apologize to him,

and if it had driven you to stop doing good things for the envied person, you should push yourself to do good things for him.

Then, Imam Al-Ghazali said: “These are the medicines for envy, and they are very effective, but they are bitter on the hearts, but the effectiveness is in the bitter medicine, so whosoever cannot be patient with the bitterness of medicine cannot get the sweetness of the cure.”

 

(source : munirfa)

Refrain from talking unnecessarily….

Every legally responsible person should refrain from saying anything except when there is a clear advantage to speaking. Whenever speaking and not speaking are of equal benefit, it is sunna to remain silent, for permissible speech easily leads to that which is unlawful or offensive, as actually happens much or even most of the time – and there is no substitute for safety.

The Prophet (Allah) bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say what is good or remain silent.” This hadith, whose authenticity Bukhari and Muslim concur upon, is an explicit legal text indicating that a person should not speak unless what he intends to say is good, meaning that the benefit of it is apparent to him. Whenever one doubts that there is a clear advantage, one should not speak.

Imam Shafi’i (Allah have mercy on him) said, “When one wishes to speak, one must first reflect, and if there is a clear interest to be served by speaking, one speaks, while if one doubts it, one remains silent until the advantage becomes apparent.”

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the Muslims is best?” He said, “He who the Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand.”

From the Prophet ‘alayhissalatu wassalam: “The excellence of a person’s Islam includes leaving what does not concern him.” “Do not speak much without mentioning Allah (dhikr), for too much speech without mentioning Allah hardens the heart, and the hard-hearted are the farthest of all people from Allah Most High.”

“All of a human being’s words count against him and not for him, except commanding the right, forbidding the wrong, and the mention of Allah Most High (dhikr).”

The Master Abul Qasim Qushayri (Allah have mercy of him) said, “Safety lies in remaining silent, which should be one’s basis. Silence at the appropriate time is the mark of men, just as speech at the appropriate time is one of the finest qualities.” ~~~ [Reliance of the Traveller : Ahmad ibn Nagib Al-Misri, Nuh Ha Mim Keller]

Thank you to Munirfa for the above …… May Allah bless her always. Amin.

Ask yourself 10 questions about your mom!

Sometimes, to be able to really evaluate what kind of relationship we have with our mothers, we need to ask ourselves the right questions. Here are some that can help:

1. When was the last time you visited your mom?

2. Do you think your mom is happy with you?

3. Have you ever said “Uff” to your mom?

“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt (Uff), nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood’ “(Quran 17:23-24).

4. What is it that your mom really wants to have?

5. How much do you know about your mom’s mother?

6. What might be five things your mom really doesn’t want you to do?

Abdullah ibn Amr related that the Messenger of Allah said, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: The major sins are to believe that Allah has partners, to disobey one’s parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness (Bukhari, Muslim).

7. What are three things that make your mom happy or sad?

8. How many minutes do you engage in “quality talk” with your mom in a week?

9. When was the last time you cooked for your mom?

10. When was the last time you gave your mom a gift?

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Exchange gifts with one another, for they remove ill feelings from the hearts (Tirmidhi).

 

(source : soundvision.com)