The Heart Softeners (Part 1)
Chapter 1
General
33651: Dealing with the
fitnah (temptation) of women
Question:
I have read the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "I have
not left behind me any fitnah (temptation) more
harmful to men than women." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5096; Muslim, 2740.
My question is: how can I save myself from
this temptation, when I see it everywhere _ in
the street, on TV, on the internet, at work…?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has created man in a world of trials
and tests, and He has made Paradise the abode of
His friends and beloved ones, who preferred His
pleasure over their own and preferred obedience
to Him over their physical comfort. And He has
made Hell the abode of those among His slaves
who disobey Him and preferred their own whims
and desires to the pleasure of their Lord.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Such is the Paradise which We shall give
as an inheritance to those of Our slaves who
have been AlMuttaqoon (the pious)"
[Maryam 19:63]
"But as for him who feared standing before
his Lord, and restrained himself from impure
evil desires and lusts.
Verily, Paradise will be his abode"
[al-Naaz'i'aat 79:40-41]
And He says concerning the people of Hell
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Then, there has succeeded them a
posterity who have given up AsSalaat (the
prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be
lost, either by not offering them or by not
offering them perfectly or by not offering them
in their proper fixed times] and have followed
lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell"
[Maryam 19:59]
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That shall be their recompense, Hell;
because they disbelieved and took My Ayaat
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) and My Messengers by way of
jest and mockery"
[al-Kahf 18:106]
"Then for him who transgressed all bounds,
(in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of
disobedience to Allaah).
And preferred the life of this world (by
following his evil desires and lusts),
Verily, his abode will be Hellfire"
[al-Naazi'aat 79:37-39]
So the Muslim must strive to worship Allaah
and keep away from that which angers Allaah, for
Allaah will not cause the reward the one who
does good to be lost:
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our
Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths
(i.e. Allaah's religion — Islamic Monotheism).
And verily, Allaah is with the Muhsinoon
(good-doers)" [al-`Ankaboot 29:69 _
interpretation of the meaning]
One of the fitnahs (temptations) with which
we are tested is the fitnah of women, as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "I have not left behind me any fitnah
(temptation) more harmful to men than women."
There follow some of the methods by which we can
avoid this temptation. We ask Allaah to set the
affairs of the Muslims straight.
1 _ Faith in Allaah.
Faith in Allaah and fear of Allaah provide a
safety valve and protect a person against
committing haraam actions and following his own
whims and desires.
If the believer becomes aware that Allaah is
always watching and if he ponders the meanings
of His names and attributes, such as the
All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing,
the Watchful, the Reckoner, the Preserver, the
All-Encompassing, that will generate fear of Him
in secret and in public, and will put a stop to
disobedience towards Allaah, and will reduce the
strength of desire that leads many people to
commit haraam actions.
2 _ Lowering the gaze and avoiding looking
at haraam things
The gaze can generate bad thoughts in the
heart, which then lead to ideas and then to
desires, then to will and resolve, and then
inevitably to doing haraam things. Think about
the meaning of this verse which makes a
connection between the first steps towards
haraam and the end result. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Tell the believing men to lower their
gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and
protect their private parts (from illegal sexual
acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is
AllAware of what they do" [al-Noor
24:30]
Ibn Katheer said: "This is a command from
Allaah to His believing slaves, to lower their
gaze and avoid looking at that which is
forbidden to them so that they only look at that
which they are permitted to look at. If it so
happens that a person's gaze accidentally falls
upon something haraam, he should turn his gaze
away from it quickly.
3 _ Warding off evil thoughts
Bad thoughts pose a danger to the heart… If a
person dwells on them and does not push them
away, they will develop into an idea, then into
will and resolve, then this will inevitably lead
to haraam actions. Beware of dwelling on passing
thoughts; rather what you must do is to ward
them off and crowd them out with good thoughts.
The treatment, then, is to ward off these
passing thoughts and keep yourself busy with
beneficial thoughts.
4 _ Marriage
It was narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood
said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "O young men, whoever among
you can afford it, let him get married, and
whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be a
shield for him." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065.
5 _ Fasting for those who cannot afford to
get married
_ because of the hadeeth quoted above, in
which it says, "…and whoever cannot, let him
fast, for it will be a shield for him." Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 5065.
Al-Qurtubi said:
The less a person eats, the weaker his desire
becomes, and the weaker his desire is, the less
sins he commits.
6 _ Keeping away from bad companions.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "A man will follow the way of
his close friends, so let each one of you look
at who he takes as a close friend." Narrated by
Abu Dawood, 8433; classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 4046.
7 _ Keeping away from places of
temptation.
It is obvious that we are living in a society
that is filled with temptation _ media of all
types, magazines, flirting in the marketplaces,
satellite TV, the internet, etc… So you have to
flee from all of these in order to keep your
religious commitment sound.
8 _ Do not make your houses graves.
Make your house a reminder of obedience, not
of sin. If a room is connected to sin for
example, that will make a person commit sin
repeatedly, because every time he enters that
room he will remember the sin and may be
provoked to commit the sin again. So he should
make his room and his house a reminder of
obedience to Allaah, so when he enters he sees
the Mus-haf which he reads, and he remembers
praying qiyaam al-layl for Allaah, and the
regular Sunnah prayers that he offers in this
room. Doing a lot of acts of worship in your
house will make a connection in your mind
between the house and doing good deeds, so you
will do more and will think less of sin, and the
calls of desire will grow less.
9 _ Trying to make the most of your time in
worshipping and obeying Allaah.
Time is one of the great blessings that
Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves, but there
are many who are not making the most of it. It
was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Two
blessings which many people do not make the most
of: good health and spare time." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6412.
See also question no. 3234.
10 _ Remembering the blessings of the
Hereafter.
Particularly appropriate in this context is
remembering al-hoor al-`iyn and their
attributes, whom Allaah has prepared for those
who are patient and steadfast in avoiding sin.
This can help the Muslim to look at these
transient haraam pleasures which only lead to
regret and loss.
We ask Allaah to help us to avoid temptation,
both obvious and hidden. Praise be to Allaah the
Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21631: Every cloud has a
silver lining
Question:
I have seen on TV many of the calamities that
have befallen the Muslim ummah, in Palestine our
wounds are bleeding; in Chechnya our bodies are
cut; in Afghanistan our houses are destroyed; in
the Philippines and in Kashmir… and now in Iraq.
Tomorrow only Allaah knows who will be meet
this fate…
Are these calamities and these
disasters that we see good or bad?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Disasters and calamities have been created
for a reason, which none can fully comprehend
but Allaah. Some of the things that Allaah has
shown to us indicate this.
1 _ Disasters and calamities are a test of
the believer's patience. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Or think you that you will enter Paradise
without such (trials) as came to those who
passed away before you? They were afflicted with
severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken
that even the Messenger and those who believed
along with him said, `When (will come) the Help
of Allaah?' Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allaah
is near!"
[al-Baqarah 2:214]
2 _ This is a sign of man's weakness and his
need for his Lord, and shows that he cannot
succeed unless he realizes his need for his Lord
and starts beseeching Him.
3 _ Calamities are a means of expiation of
sin and raising one's status. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"There is nothing that befalls a believer, not
even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will
record one good deed for him and will remove one
bad deed from him."
Narrated by Muslim.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Trials will continue
to befall the believing man and woman, with
regard to themselves, their children and their
wealth, until they meet Allaah with no sin on
them." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 2280.
And it was narrated that Jaabir said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "On the Day of
Resurrection, when people who had suffered
affliction are given their reward, those who
were healthy will wish their skins had been cut
to pieces with scissors when they were in the
world." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2402. See
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 2206.
4 _ One of the reasons for calamities is so
that people will not feel content only with this
world. If the world were free of calamities, man
would love it more and feel content with it, and
would forget about the Hereafter. But calamities
wake him up from his negligence and make him
strive for the place in which there are no
calamities or trials.
5 _ One of the greatest reasons behind
calamities and trials is to warn against falling
short in some matters, so that man can make up
for the areas in which he has fallen short. This
is like the warning that is issued to an
employee or student who is falling short. The
purpose behind it is to make him make up for his
shortcomings. If he does that, then all well and
good, otherwise he deserves to be punished. The
evidence for that includes the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations
before you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with
extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in
health (with calamities) so that they might
humble themselves (believe with humility).
When Our Torment reached them, why then
did they not humble themselves (believe with
humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and
Shaytaan (Satan) made fairseeming to them that
which they used to do"
[al-An'aam 6:42]
Another reason… is as a punishment for those
who were previously warned, but did not benefit
from the warning and mend their ways, and
persisted in their sin. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"…so We destroyed them for their sins …"
[al-Anfaal 8:54]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And indeed, We destroyed generations
before you when they did wrong, while their
Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but
they were not such as to believe! Thus do We
requite the people who are Mujrimoon"
[Yoonus 10:13]
"And when We decide to destroy a town
(population), We (first) send a definite order
(to obey Allaah and be righteous) to those among
them [or We (first) increase in number those of
its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then,
they transgress therein, and thus the word (of
torment) is justified against it (them). Then We
destroy it with complete destruction"
[al-Isra' 17:16]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "Grief may be accompanied by that for
which a person will be rewarded and praised, so
it may be good in that sense, not that grief is
good in and of itself, such as one who feels sad
for falling short in religious matters or for
calamities that befall the Muslims. In this case
a person will be rewarded for what is in his
heart of loving good and hating evil, and so on,
but grief in itself, if it leads to failure to
do that which is enjoined, namely patience,
jihad, seeking benefits and warding off harm, is
forbidden, but if the person does not give it
up, and it is not recorded as a sin for him then
he is fine."
So the one who wishes that Allaah would
change his situation without any effort on his
part and that of others like him needs to
understand this.
6 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many
nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized
them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth)
and loss in health (with calamities) so that
they might humble themselves (believe with
humility)"
[al-`An'aam 6:42]
al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
(This means) We sent (Messengers) to the nations
who came before you, and they disbelieved in Our
Messengers and rejected Our signs. So We seized
them with poverty, sickness, calamities and
disasters as a mercy from Us to them, so that
they might humble themselves before us and turn
to Us at times of hardship.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Evil (sins and disobedience to Allaah)
has appeared on land and sea because of what the
hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil
deeds), that He (Allaah) may make them taste a
part of that which they have done, in order that
they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and
begging His Pardon)"
[al-Room 30:41]
al-Sa'di interprets the word fasaad
(translated here as "evil") as referring to the
disasters that develop on land and sea, which
are making people's lives difficult and causing
a lot of problems with regard to their
livelihood and well-being.
And the disasters that befall them
themselves, such as diseases, plagues and the
like, which happen because of the things their
own hands have wrought of evil deeds that can
only lead to bad consequences.
This phrase "that He (Allaah) may make
them taste a part of that which they have
done" means, so that they might know that
Allaah is requiting them for their deeds, so He
gives them a foretaste of the recompense of
their deeds in this world, "in order that
they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and
begging His Pardon)" i.e., repent from their
deeds that have had this bad effect on them, and
set their affairs straight.
Glory be to the One Who blesses by means of
His punishment, for if He were to make them
taste all that they have done, no living
creature would be left alive on earth.
7 _ Worship at times of hardship and
tribulation has a special flavour and a special
reward.
It was narrated from Ma'qil ibn Yasaar that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Worshipping at times of
tribulation and confusion is like migrating to
join me." Narrated by Muslim, 2948.
Al-Nawawi said: "The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
`Worshipping at times of tribulation and
confusion is like migrating to join me.' The
reason why worship at such times is of such
great virtue is that people become negligent
about worship and are distracted from it, and no
one focuses on worship except a few."
Al-Qurtubi said: "Tribulation and great
hardship will happen until the matter of
religion is taken lightly and people will care
about nothing but their worldly affairs and how
to earn a living. So worship becomes very
important at times of tribulation, as Muslim
narrated from Ma'qil ibn Yasaar in the marfoo'
report: `Worshipping at times of tribulation and
confusion is like migrating to join me.'"
8 _ Blessings that come after pain, hardship
and calamity are more precious to people.
So then they appreciate the blessings of good
health and safety as they should be appreciated.
Another of the benefits of calamity is a
reminder of how Allaah has blessed man, because
the man who is created with sight _ for example
_ forgets the blessing of sight and does not
really appreciate it, but if Allaah tests him
with temporary blindness, then restores to him
his sight, he will fully understand the value of
this blessing. If things are always easy a
person may forget this blessing and not be
grateful for it, so Allaah takes it away and
then restores it, as a reminder to him to be
grateful for it.
Calamity may remind the person to whom it
happens and others of the blessings of Allaah.
So when a person sees one who is insane, he
appreciates the blessing of sanity; when he sees
one who is sick, he appreciates the blessing of
sound health. When he sees a kaafir who is
living like cattle, he appreciates the blessing
of faith. When he sees an ignorant man he
appreciates the blessing of knowledge. Only the
one whose heart is open will feel this. Those
who have no heart do not give thanks for the
blessings of Allaah, rather they are arrogant
towards the creation of Allaah.
9 _ The benefit of calamity is that it
rescues man from negligence and alerts him to
his shortcomings in keeping his duty to Allaah,
so that he does not think that he is perfect,
which would lead to hardening of his heart and
negligence.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"When Our Torment reached them, why then
did they not humble themselves (believe with
humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and
Shaytaan (Satan) made fairseeming to them that
which they used to do"
[al-An'aam 6:43]
10 _ One of the benefits of tribulations and
hardships is purification.
Hardships reveal how people really are, and
distinguish the good from the bad, the true from
the false, the believer from the hypocrite.
Allaah says of the Battle of Uhud and what
happened to the Muslims on that day, explaining
part of the wisdom behind this trial
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah will not leave the believers in
the state in which you are now, until He
distinguishes the wicked from the good"
[Aal `Imraan 3:179]
So the true nature of all things is shown
clearly.
11 _ When Muslims help those Muslims who have
been afflicted by calamity, they will be
rewarded for that. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
likeness of the believers in their mutual love,
mercy and compassion is that of the body; when
one part of it suffers, the rest of the body
joins it in staying awake and suffering fever."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6011; Muslim, 2586.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "None of you truly believes until he
loves for his brother what he loves for
himself." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 13; Muslim,
45.
12 _ At times of hardship and war we see the
true meaning of the words of Allaah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in AlBirr and
AtTaqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2]
Ways of cooperating in da'wah and supporting
Islam include: waging jihad against the kuffaar
and hypocrites for the sake of Allaah, joining
with the people of Islamic da'wah in fighting
the followers of kufr and misguidance, and
preparing all means and tools for jihad for the
sake of Allaah.
One of the ways of cooperating in supporting
Islam that was invented at the time of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) is cooperating in killing those who claimed
to be Prophets, killing the leaders of the
mushrikeen and the apostates, including those
who insulted the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21457: Why will there be more
women in Hell than men?
Question:
Why are there more women in hell than men?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that women will
form the majority of the people of Hell. It was
narrated from `Imraan ibn Husayn that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "I looked into Paradise and I saw
that the majority of its people were the poor.
And I looked into Hell and I saw that the
majority of its people are women."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737)
With regard to the reason for that, the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was asked about it and he explained the
reason.
It was narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn `Abbaas
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I was
shown Hell and I have never seen anything more
terrifying than it. And I saw that the majority
of its people are women." They said, "Why, O
Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Because of their
ingratitude (kufr)." It was said, "Are they
ungrateful to Allaah?" He said, "They are
ungrateful to their companions (husbands) and
ungrateful for good treatment. If you are kind
to one of them for a lifetime then she sees one
(undesirable) thing in you, she will say, `I
have never had anything good from you.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1052)
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri
said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) went out to the Musalla
on the day of Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr. He
passed by the women and said, `O women! Give
charity, for I have seen that you form the
majority of the people of Hell.' They asked,
`Why is that, O Messenger of Allaah?' He
replied, `You curse frequently and are
ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen
anyone more deficient in intelligence and
religious commitment than you. A cautious
sensible man could be led astray by some of
you.' The women asked, `O Messenger of Allaah,
what is deficient in our intelligence and
religious commitment?' He said, `Is not the
testimony of two women equal to the testimony of
one man?' They said, `Yes.' He said, `This is
the deficiency in her intelligence. Is it not
true that a woman can neither pray nor fast
during her menses?' The women said, `Yes.' He
said, `This is the deficiency in her religious
commitment.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304)
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah
said: "I attended Eid prayers with the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). He started with the prayer before the
khutbah, with no adhaan or iqaamah. Then he
stood up, leaning on Bilaal, speaking of fear of
Allaah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He
preached to the people and reminded them. Then
he went over to the women and preached to them
and reminded them. Then he said, `Give in
charity, for you are the majority of the fuel of
Hell. A woman with dark cheeks stood up in the
midst of the women and said, `Why is that, O
Messenger of Allaah?' He said, `Because you
complain too much and are ungrateful to your
husbands.' Then they started to give their
jewellery in charity, throwing their earrings
and rings into Bilaal's cloak."
(Narrated by Muslim, 885)
Our believing sisters who learn of this
hadeeth should behave like those Sahaabiyaat
who, when they learned of this, did good deeds
which would be the means, by Allaah's leave, of
keeping them far away from being included in
that majority of the inhabitants of Hell.
So our advice to the sisters is to strive to
adhere to the rituals and obligatory duties of
Islam, especially prayer, and to keep away from
that which Allaah has forbidden, especially
shirk in its many forms which are widespread
among women, such as seeking one's needs from
someone other than Allaah, going to
practitioners of witchcraft and fortune-tellers,
etc.
We ask Allaah to keep us and all our brothers
and sisters far away from the Fire and the words
and deeds that bring one close to it.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
26170: Ruling on missing a
person who has died
Question:
I wanted to know if it is wrong to miss
someone who has died?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We do not think there is anything wrong with
missing a person who has died, even though that
implies wishing to meet him and be close to him,
although one is alive and the other person is
dead, and this feeling serves no real purpose.
But if we say that we wish we could meet the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased
with them), and the Taabi'een and the scholars,
this feeling is the hope of meeting them in
Paradise, and the person who wishes that he
could meet these great people has to strive hard
so that his Lord will be pleased with him and
will admit him to Paradise with them, so that
his longing will be fulfilled and will come to
pass. This is the good result of longing to see
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and the Sahaabah. This is the way in
which the Sahaabah missed the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) after he died.
For example, Muslim narrated that Anas said:
"After the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, Abu Bakr
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said to `Umar,
`Let us go and visit Umm Ayman as the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to visit her. When they came to her,
she wept, and they said, `Why are you crying?
What is with Allaah is better for His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).'
She said, `I am not weeping because I do not
know that what is with Allaah is better for His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Rather I am weeping because the Revelation
from heaven has come to an end.' That moved them
deeply and they began to weep with her."
(Muslim, 2454)
But if this missing a deceased friend or
relative makes a person feel grief and despair _
and sometimes distress _ and makes him object to
the will and decree of Allaah, then this should
not be allowed and should be denounced and
forbidden, because this may lead to the
development of bad characteristics which Islam
strives to keep its followers away from. The
Muslim should be happy and content with the will
and decree of Allaah and His rule and law. And
Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
22704: How to be successful
in life
Question:
How to obtain success and prosperity in this
world and hereafter.What kind of success or
prosperity that islam want the ummah islam gain
in this world.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Peace of mind,
contentment, happiness and freedom from worries
and anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and
these are the ways in which people can have a
good life and find complete happiness and joy.
There are religious means of achieving that, and
natural and practical means, but no one can
combine all of them except the believers;
although other people may achieve some of them,
they will miss out on others.
There follows a summary of the means of
achieving this aim for which everyone is
striving. In some cases, those who achieve many
of them will live a joyful life and a good life;
in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of
them will live a life of misery and hardship.
And there are others which are in between,
according to what the means he is able to
attain. These means include the following:
1 _ Faith and righteous deeds:
This is the greatest and most fundamental of
means. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness — whether male
or female — while he (or she) is a true believer
(of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will
give a good life (in this world with respect,
contentment and lawful provision), and We shall
pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the
best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in
the Hereafter)" [al-Nahl 16:97]
Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever
combines faith with righteous deeds will have a
good life and a good reward in this world and in
the Hereafter.
The reason for that is clear: those who
believe in Allaah _ with sincere faith that
motivates them to do righteous deeds that change
hearts and attitudes and guides them to the
straight path in this world and the Hereafter _
follow principles and guidelines by means of
which they deal with everything that happens to
them, be it the causes of happiness and
excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and
grief.
They deal with the things that they like by
accepting them and giving thanks for them, and
using them in good ways. When they deal with
them in this manner, that creates in them a
sense of excitement and the hope that it will
continue and that they will be rewarded for
their gratitude, which is more important than
the good things that happen to them. And they
deal with bad things, worries and distress by
resisting those that they can resist,
alleviating those that they can alleviate, and
bearing with goodly patience those that they
cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things
they gain a lot of benefits, experience,
strength, patience and hope of reward, which are
more important and which diminish the hardships
they have undergone and replace them with
happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of
Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh
hadeeth in which he said: "How wonderful is the
situation of the believer, for all his affairs
are good. If something good happens to him, he
gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if
something bad happens to him, he bears it with
patience, and that is good for him. This does
not apply to anyone but the believer."
(Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told us that the believer is always
gaining and the reward for his deeds is always
multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good
or bad.
2 _ Being kind to people in word and deed,
and all kinds of doing good. This is one of
the means of removing worry, distress and
anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries
and distress from righteous and immoral like,
but the believer has the greater share of that,
and is distinguished by the fact that his
kindness to others stems from sincerity and the
hope of reward, so Allaah makes it easy for him
to be kind to others because of the hope that
this will bring good things and ward off bad
things, by means of his sincerity and hope of
reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"There is no good in most of their secret
talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity
in Allaah's Cause), or Ma`roof (Islamic
Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds
which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation
between mankind; and he who does this, seeking
the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a
great reward"
[al-Nisa' 4:114]
Part of that great reward is relief from
worry, distress, troubles, etc.
3 _ Another of the means of warding off
anxiety that stems from nervous tension and
being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to
occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking
beneficial knowledge, for that will distract
one from dwelling on the matters that are
causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget
about the things that are making him worried and
distressed, and he may become happy and more
energetic. This is another means that believers
and others have in common, but the believer is
distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope
of reward when he occupies himself with that
knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or
with the good deeds that he is doing.
The work with which he occupies himself
should be something that he likes and enjoys,
for that is more likely to produce the desired
results. And Allaah knows best.
4 _ Another thing that may ward off worry
and anxiety is focusing all one's thoughts of
the present day, and not worrying about the
future or grieving about the past. Hence the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and
regret, from regret for things in the past which
one cannot put right or change, and worry which
may come because of fear for the future. So one
should focus only on the present day, and focus
one's efforts on getting things right today. For
if a person is focused on that, this means that
he will do things properly and forget about
worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a du'aa'
or taught a du'aa' to his ummah, as well as
urging them to seek the help of Allaah and hope
for His bounty, he was also urging them to
strive to attain the thing they were praying for
through their own efforts and to forget about
the thing which they were praying would be
warded off from them. Because du'aa'
(supplication) must be accompanied by action. So
a person must strive to attain that which will
benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and
ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and
he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Strive for that which will benefit you
and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be
helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do
not say, `If only I had done such-and-such, then
such-and-such would have happened.' Rather you
should say, `Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha'a
fa'ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He
does),' for (the words) `If only' open the door
to the Shaytaan." (Narrated by Muslim). The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) connected the matter of striving to achieve
good things with the matter of seeking the help
of Allaah and not giving in to feelings of
helplessness which are a harmful kind of
laziness, and with the matter of accepting
things in the past which are over and done with,
and acknowledging that the will and decree of
Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He
described matters as being of two types:
1 _ Matters which a person may strive to
achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them,
or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such
cases a person must strive and make the effort,
and also seek the help of Allaah.
2 _ Matters where such is not possible, so he
must have peace of mind, accept them and submit
to Allaah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this
principle will bring happiness and relieve worry
and distress.
5 _ One of the greatest means of feeling
content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of
mind is to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr).
That has a great effect in bringing
contentment and peace of mind, and relieving
worry and distress. Allaah says:
"verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do
hearts find rest"
[al-Ra'd 13:28]
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect
in achieving this aim because it has a special
influence and because of the hope that it brings
of reward.
6 _ Another of the means of bringing
happiness and relieving worry and distress is
striving to eliminate the things that cause
worry and to achieve the things that bring
happiness. That may be done by forgetting
about bad things in the past which cannot be
changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is
a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop
himself from thinking of that, and also strive
to stop himself from feeling anxious about the
future and the things that he may imagine of
poverty, fear and other bad things that he
thinks may happen to him in the future. He
should realize that the future is something
unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things
are going to happen to him. That is in the hand
of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His
slaves can do is to strive to attain the good
things and to ward off the bad things. A person
should realize that if he diverts his thoughts
from worrying about his future and puts his
trust in his Lord to take care of his situation,
and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he
does that, then his heart will be at peace and
his situation will improve and he will be
relieved of worry and anxiety.
One of the most effective ways of dealing
with worries about the future is to recite this
du'aa' which the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to recite:
"Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa
`ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha
ma'aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha
ma'aadi, waj'al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi
kulli khayr, wa'l-mawta raahatan li min kulli
sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious
commitment which is the foundation of my life,
and correct my worldly affairs in which is my
livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter
to which is my return. Make my life a means of
accumulating good, and make death a respite for
me from all evil)." (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).
And he said, "Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa
la takilni ila nafsi tarfata `aynin wa aslih li
sha'ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O
Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon
me to myself even for a moment. And correct all
my affairs. There is no god but You)." (Narrated
by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).
If a person utters these du'aa's, which ask
that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be
set right or corrected, with proper presence of
mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving
to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what he
has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and
He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.
7 _ If a person experiences anxiety and
distress because of a disaster, then one of the
most effective means of relieving himself of
that is to think of the worst scenario to which
that may lead, and try to accept that. When
he has done that, then he should try to
alleviate it as much as possible. By means of
this acceptance and these efforts, he will
relieve himself of his worries and distress, and
instead of worrying he will strive to bring
about good things and to deal with whatever he
can of the bad things. If he is faced with
things that cause fear or the possibility of
sickness or poverty, then he should deal with
that by striving to make himself accept that, or
something even worse, with contentment, because
by making himself accept the worst-case
scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and
makes it seem less terrible, especially if he
occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as
much as he can. Thus as well as striving to
achieve something good which will distract him
from his worries about calamity, he will also
renew his strength to resist bad things, and put
his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly
these matters are of great benefit in attaining
happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing
the hope of reward in this world and in the
Hereafter. This is something which is well known
from the experience of many who have tried it.
8 _ Steadfastness of heart and not being
disturbed about the imaginary things that bad
thoughts may bring to mind. For when a
person gives in to his imagination and lets his
mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as
fear of disease and the like, or anger and
confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or
the expectation of bad things and the loss of
good things, that will fill him with worries,
distress, mental and physical illness and
nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect
on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as
many people have seen. But when a person depends
on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does
not give in to his imagination or let bad
thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah
and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his
worries and distress, and relieves him of a
great deal of mental and physical sickness. It
gives indescribable strength, comfort and
happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are
filled with the mentally sick victims of
illusions and harmful imagination; how often
have these things had an effect upon the hearts
of many strong people, let alone the weak ones;
how often have they led to foolishness and
insanity.
It should be noted that your life will follow
your train of thought. If your thoughts are of
things that will bring you benefit in your
spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life
will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the
opposite.
The person who is safe from all of that is
the one who is protected by Allaah and helped by
Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit
and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah,
then He will suffice him"
[al-Talaaq 65:3]
i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is
worrying him in his spiritual and worldly
affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah
will have strength in his heart and will not be
affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed
by events, because he knows that these are the
result of vulnerable human nature and of
weakness and fear that have no basis. He also
knows that Allaah has guaranteed complete
sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him.
So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind
in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety
are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease,
sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to
peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound,
and to bless us with strength and steadfastness
of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has
guaranteed all good things to those who put
their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward
off all bad and harmful things from them.
If bad things happen or there is the fear of
such, then you should count the many blessings
that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and
worldly, and compare them with the bad things
that have happened, for when you compare them
you will see the many blessings that you are
enjoying, and this will make the bad things
appear less serious.
See al-Wasaa'il al-Mufeedah li'l-Hayaat
al-Sa'eedah by Shatkh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn
Sa'di
Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through
which Allaah may dispel worries and regret.
These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in
the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in
the Oneness of the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e.,
Tawheed al-Asma' wa'l_Sifaat, belief in
the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing
any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing
anyone for no cause on the part of the slave
that would require such punishment.
5- The person's acknowledging that he is the
one who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things
that are most beloved to Him, which are His
names and attributes. Two of His names that
encompass the meanings of all other names and
attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and
al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- Truly putting one's trust in Him and
leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's
forelock is in His hand and that He does as He
wills, that His will is forever executed and
that He is just in all that He decrees.
10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden
of the Qur'aan, seeking consolation in it from
every calamity, seeking healing in it from all
diseases of the heart, so that it will bring
comfort to his grief and healing for his worries
and distress.
11-Seeking forgiveness.
12-Repentance.
13-Jihad.
14-Salaah (prayer).
15-Declaring that he has no power and no
strength, and leaving matters to the One in
Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from
worries and to relieve us of distress and
anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing,
Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living,
Eternal.
See Alhomoom _ Dealing with Worries and
Stress, in the Books section of this
site.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send
blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad
and his family and companions.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
14258: Conditions for deeds
to be acceptable to Allaah
Question:
When a Muslim does an action, what conditions
make it acceptable and therefore rewarded by
Allah. Is it simply that you intended to follow
the Qur'an and Sunnah, and therefore you will be
rewarded even though you may have been wrong in
your action. Or is it that you must have the
intention, but you also need to follow the
correct Sunnah as well.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
For acts of worship to be acceptable to
Allaah and for a person to be rewarded for them,
there are two conditions which must be met:
The first condition: it should be devoted to
Allaah Alone. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And they were commanded not, but that
they should worship Allaah, and worship none but
Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to
Him)"
[al-Bayyinah 98:5]
The meaning of worshipping Allaah alone is
that the person should intend in all his words
and deeds, both inward and outward, to seek the
Face of Allaah (i.e., His pleasure). Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And who has (in mind) no favour from
anyone to be paid back,
Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord,
the Most High"
[al-Layl 92:19]
"(Saying): "We feed you seeking Allaah's
Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor
thanks from you"
[al-Insaan 76:9]
"Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward
of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his
reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this
world (by his deeds), We give him thereof (what
is decreed for him), and he has no portion in
the Hereafter"
[al-Shoora 42:20]
"Whosoever desires the life of the world and
its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the
wages of) their deeds therein, and they will
have no diminution therein.
They are those for whom there is nothing
in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the
deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that
which they used to do"
[Hood 11:15-16]
It was narrated that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "I heard
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say:
`The reward of deeds depends upon the
intentions and every person will get the reward
according to what he has intended. So whoever
emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to
marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated
for.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Bad'
al-Wahy, 1).
It was narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah,
may He be blessed and exalted, says: `I am so
self-sufficient that I am in no need of having
an associate. Thus he who does an action for
someone else's sake as well as Mine will have
that action renounced by Me to him whom he
associated with Me.'" (Narrated by Muslim,
al-Zuhd wa'l-Raqaa'iq, 5300)
The second condition is that the action
should be in accordance with the only way which
Allaah has prescribed for worship, which is by
following the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) in the laws that he has
brought. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does any action that is not in
accordance with this matter of ours (i.e.,
Islam), will have it rejected." (Narrated by
Muslim, al-Aqdiyyah, 3243).
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "This hadeeth forms one of the most
important principles of Islam. It is like a
scale for weighing up deeds according to their
outward appearance, just as the hadeeth `The
reward of deeds depends upon the intentions' is
the means of weighing up the inner nature of
deeds. Just as every action which is not
intended for the sake of Allaah brings no reward
to the one who does it, so too every deed which
is not in accordance with the command of Allaah
and His Messenger will also be rejected and
thrown back at the one who does it. Everyone who
innovates in Islam something for which Allaah
and His Messenger have not granted permission,
that thing is nothing to do with Islam.
(Jaami' al-`Uloom wa'l-Hukam, part 1,
p. 176)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) enjoined following his Sunnah and
teachings, and made them binding. He (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You have
to follow my Sunnah (way) and the way of my
rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa'
al-raashidoon); bite onto it with your eyeteeth
(i.e., cling firmly to it)." And he warned
against bid'ah (innovation), as he said: "Beware
of newly-invented matters, for every
newly-invented matter is a going astray."
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-`Ilm, 2600;
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2157)
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Allaah has made devotion
of worship to Him alone and following the Sunnah
the means of deeds being accepted; if these
conditions are not met, then deeds are
unaccaptable."
(al-Rooh, 1/135)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Who has created death and life that He
may test you which of you is best in deed"
[al-Mulk 67:2]
al-Fudayl said: "'best in deed' means, most
devoted to Allaah alone and most in accordance
with the Sunnah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
10946: He wants to work some
days of the week and spend the rest in worship
Question:
I know a Brother in Islaam, who left his
haraam job, after realsing the haraam nature of
it - Alhamdhu Lillah.
He is now looking for
a job that is just sufficient to feed and clothe
his family. He is keen to work only as many days
to earn that income. The rest of the week he
wants to spend in the mosque reading Qu'raan and
praying etc..
Is his behaviour permissible?
Does Islaam not say that the daytime is for
seeking sustenance and the night for prayers.?
Is it not better for him to seek a good job so
that the extra money can be given as zakat to
the poor? Doesn't his family have rights over
him with regard to time.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim who is able to earn a living must
strive to earn that which will keep him and
those under his guardianship, such as his wife
and children, from having to beg, and to earn
what he needs to spend on their maintenance. If
he manages to do that, then if he spends the
rest of his time, whether during the night or
the day, in worshipping Allaah by praying,
fasting, reading Qur'aan, that is better. There
is no specific time for worship in general, but
yes, praying qiyaam at night is better than
praying during the day. This does not mean that
there is no reward for praying naafil prayers
during the day. He should start by doing that
which is obligatory, whether the obligation is
towards Allaah or towards His creation, then he
can use the rest of his time for doing that
which is mustahabb, and if he indulges in some
permissible activities for the purpose of
relaxation and recreation, that is OK.
Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr
(www.islam-qa.com)
12053: Guidance is in the
hand of Allaah
Question:
How can we reconcile between the aayahs
(interpretation of the meanings): "Verily, you
(O Muhammad) guide not whom you like" [al-Qasas
28:56] and "And verily, you (O Muhammad) are
indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight
Path"[al-Shooraa 42:52]?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has created man and given him reason,
and He has sent down to him Revelation and sent
to him Messengers to call him to the truth and
warn him against falsehood. Then He has left him
to make his own choice.
"And say: `The truth is from your Lord.'
Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and
whosoever wills, let him disbelieve
[al-Kahf 18:29 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah commanded His Messenger Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to
convey the truth to all of mankind. Then they
have the choice to do as they wish. If a person
obeys, he benefits himself, and if he disobeys,
he harms himself, as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say: `O you mankind! Now truth (i.e. the
Qur'aan and Prophet Muhammad), has come to you
from your Lord. So whosoever receives guidance,
he does so for the good of his own self; and
whosoever goes astray, he does so to his own
loss; and I am not (set) over you as a Wakeel
(disposer of affairs to oblige you for
guidance)'"[Yoonus 10:108]
Islam is the religion of the natural state of
man (fitrah), the religion of reason and
thought. Allaah has distinguished the truth from
falsehood. He has enjoined all that is good and
forbidden all that is evil. He has permitted
good things and forbidden evil things. There is
no compulsion in religion because the benefits
or harms come back upon the created being, not
upon the Creator. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"There is no compulsion in religion.
Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from
the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot
(false gods) and believes in Allaah, then he has
grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will
never break"
[al-Baqarah 2:256]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is
for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever
does evil, it is against his ownself. And your
Lord is not at all unjust to (His)
slaves"[Fussilat 41:46]
Guidance is in the hand of Allaah. If Allaah
willed, He could guide all of mankind, for there
is nothing that He cannot do on this earth or in
the heavens. Nothing happens in His Dominion
except that which He wills.
"Say: `With Allaah is the perfect proof
and argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allaah, the
sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books, to
mankind); had He so willed, He would indeed have
guided you all'"[al-An'aam 6:149 _
interpretation of the meaning]
But in His Wisdom, Allaah has created us with
the ability to choose, and He has sent down to
us guidance and the Criterion. So whoever obeys
Allaah and His Messenger will enter Paradise and
whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger will
enter Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Verily, proofs have come to you from your
Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the
good of) his ownself, and whosoever blinds
himself, will do so to his own harm, and I
(Muhammad) am not a watcher over you"
[al-An'aam 6:104]
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) has no part in guidance; all that
he and the Muslims have to do is to explain and
convey the message, and show them guidance but
they cannot force people to follow it, as Allaah
said to His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And had your Lord willed, those on earth
would have believed, all of them together. So,
will you (O Muhammad) then compel mankind, until
they become believers"[Yoonus 10:99]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And the duty of the Messenger is only to
convey (the Message) plainly"[al-`Ankaboot
29:18]
Guidance to the truth is in the hand of
Allaah alone and no human being has any share in
that, as Allaah said to His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom
you like, but Allaah guides whom He wills. And
He knows best those who are the guided[al-Qasas
28:56]
Allaah guides whomsoever He wills and sends
astray whomsoever He wills. He has told us that
He guides those who obey Him and turn to Him, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"While as for those who accept guidance,
He increases their guidance and bestows on them
their piety"[Muhammad 47:17]
But whoever disobeys Allaah and turns away
from Him, Allaah will not guide him, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Truly, Allaah guides not him who is a
liar, and a disbeliever"
[al-Zumar 39:3]
Allaah is Omniscient and knows what has
happened and is happening and what is yet to
come. Allaah knows the believers and the
disbelievers, and what they will do, and He
knows what their fate will be in the Hereafter.
He has written all that in al-Lawh
al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet), as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And all things We have recorded in a
Book"[al-Naba' 78:29]
Allaah has created man with the ability to
choose, and He has created him able to do both,
either believer or disbelieve, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he
be grateful or ungrateful" [al-Insaan 76:3]
Man has the choice in terms of his reason
only; if he loses his reason by which he is able
to distinguish between the alternatives of good
and evil, truth and falsehood, then he is not
accountable. Hence according to Islamic
sharee'ah, the pen is lifted from the insane
person (i.e., he is not accountable) until he
recovers his senses, and from the child until he
reaches the age of understanding, and from the
sleeper until he wakes up. None of these people
are accountable until they gain or recover the
reason by which they may distinguish between the
alternatives of faith and disbelief, truth and
falsehood, and so on.
Whatever direction a person takes, there will
be reward and punishment, If he obeys, there
will be Paradise:
"Indeed he succeeds who purifies his
ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allaah
ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic
Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds"
[al-Shams 91:9 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
and if he disobeys, there will be Hell:
"And indeed he fails who corrupts his
ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allaah has ordered
by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic
Monotheism or by following polytheism, or by
doing every kind of evil wicked deeds" [al-Shams
91:10 _ interpretation of the meaning]
The choice of one of these two ways is
something about which a person will be
questioned by the Lord of the Worlds. Hence it
is clear that faith or disbelief, obedience or
disobedience, is the matter of personal choice.
Allaah has made reward and punishment dependent
upon this choice:
"Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is
for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever
does evil, it is against his ownself. And your
Lord is not at all unjust to (His)
slaves"[Fussilat 41:46]
Whoever loves Allaah and His Messenger and
desires good in this world and in the Hereafter,
let him enter Islam, and whoever turns away from
that and is content with this world and has no
interest in the Hereafter and does not submit,
then his abode will be Hell. The individual is
the one who will benefit or harm himself. There
is no compulsion to choose either. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, this (Verses of the Qur'aan) is
an admonition, so whosoever wills, let him take
a Path to his Lord (Allaah)" [al-Insaan
76:29] From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri
(www.islam-qa.com)
6020: She always feels
distressed when plane crashes happen
Question:
I am newly converted to the Islamic religion.
To get to know Allah and be able to know that He
is with us in our daily life, it is a great
comfort. However, I was so stunning by the air
plane crash of JFK jr., I could not stop crying.
I don't understand why Allah sometimes acts in a
such mysteroius way. I feel that we as human
beings really don't have control over lives.
When I am in a difficult situation, I often pray
to Allah to help me go through the tough time,
sometimes I feel my prayers are being
answered,that Allah is so close to me; yet other
times I feel He is so distanced from us, prayers
to Allah are the only way for me to get comforts
from the Almighty, but I still don't understand
why tragedy happened so often.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah for your coming to Islam.
Allaah has blessed you by making you Muslim. And
praise be to Allaah for the fact that you feel
Allaah is with you, for this is what brings
peace to the heart and makes deeds righteous.
Please understand that Allaah sends trials
upon people so as to distinguish between them,
so that it will be known who will bear it with
patience and the hope of reward from Allaah, and
who will be filled with despair and will resent
the decree of Allaah. So those who are patient
will be rewarded with Paradise and those who
despair will be punished with torment, grief and
pain in this world, before the Hereafter.
The plane crash which you mentioned is of
this nature. The people on board were either
committed Muslims, so this disaster is an
expiation for their sins and will raise their
status, as it is a kind of martyrdom (shahaadah)
for which they will be rewarded, and their
families will be rewarded if they bear their
loss with patience; or they were kuffaar and
evildoers who did not obey their Lord, so the
accident was a punishment from Allaah and
vengeance from Him.
A Muslim must not feel sad for the death of
non-Muslims because every human being is
destined to die. But dying before we Muslims
were able to guide them to Islam is our source
of grief and sadness because who ever is not
Muslim is doomed in hell.
There is nothing mysterious about this as you
claim. It is the decree of Allaah which happens
at every instant; we must bear it with patience
and not let grief overwhelm us. The crash of
this airplane is a sign from Allaah to mankind,
to remind them of the greatness of the power of
Allaah.
Allaah says concerning ships (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And among His Signs are the ships in the
sea like mountains.
If He wills, He causes the wind to cease,
then they would become motionless on the back
(of the sea). Verily, in this are signs for
everyone patient and grateful.
Or He may destroy them (by shipwreck) because
of that which their (people) have earned. And He
pardons much.
And those who dispute (polytheists, with Our
Messenger Muhammad) as regards Our Ayaat
(proofs, signs, verses of Islamic Monotheism)
may know that there is no place of refuge for
them (from Allaah's punishment)
So whatever you have been given is but (a
passing) enjoyment for this worldly life, but
that which is with Allaah (Paradise) is better
and more lasting for those who believe (in the
Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) and put
their trust in their Lord (concerning all of
their affairs)."
[al-Shoora 42:32-36]
Plane crashes and other disasters serve to
remind people that no matter how much progress
they make in earthly terms and how much strength
they gain, Allaah is stronger and more powerful
than they. What they do and the developments
they have made will not save them from the
punishment and decree of Allaah if it comes to
them. Let people go back and look at themselves,
and realize how incapable and weak they really
are, and how strong, mighty and powerful Allaah
is.
Please realize that Allaah is close and that
He responds to the call of the one who is in
need. Allaah does not distance Himself from man
unless man distances himself from Allaah and
becomes arrogant.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed
near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the
invocations of the supplicant when he calls on
Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let
them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may
be led aright"
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
So no one should feel that Allaah is far away
from him, unless he has done something to affect
the relationship between him and Allaah. If he
puts matters right between him and Allaah, then
he will not feel that grief and distance.
The feelings of grief and loneliness that
have overwhelmed you are from the accursed
Shaytaan who wants to cause grief to those who
believe; he does not want to see them active in
doing actions of obedience to Allaah that will
bring joy to their hearts.
Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan
(Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad)
(from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah.
Verily, He is the AllHearer, the AllKnower"
[Fussilat 41:36]
"Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and
turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish
them). And if an evil whisper comes to you from
Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah.
Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower" [al-A'raaf
7:199-200]
"Repel evil with that which is better. We are
BestAcquainted with the things they utter.
And say: `My Lord! I seek refuge with You
from the whisperings (suggestions) of the
Shayaateen (devils).
And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest
they should come near me.'"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:96-98]
"Repel (the evil) with one which is better
(i.e. Allaah orders the faithful believers to be
patient at the time of anger, and to excuse
those who treat them badly) then verily he,
between whom and you there was enmity, (will
become) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it (the above quality)
except those who are patient — and none is
granted it except the owner of the great portion
(of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise
and of a high moral character) in this world.
And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan)
tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing
good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He
is the AllHearer, the AllKnower."
[Fussilat 41:34-36]
There is no fourth aayah with a meaning like
that of these three, which is that Allaah
commands us to be kind to human enemies and
treat them kindly so that their inherent good
nature will prevail and they will become our
friends. But He commands us to seek refuge with
Him from satanic enemies; there is no point in
being kind to them or treating them nicely, for
they want only to destroy the sons of Adam
because of the intensity of the enmity between
them and their father Adam beforehand. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan
(Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents
[Adam and Hawwaa' (Eve)] out of Paradise"
[al-A'raaf 7:27]
"Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you,
so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites
his Hizb (followers) that they may become the
dwellers of the blazing Fire" [Faatir 35:6]
"Will you then take him (Iblees) and his
offspring as protectors and helpers rather than
Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil
is the exchange for the Zaalimoon (polytheists,
and wrongdoers, etc)." [al-Kahf 18:50]
Iblees swore to our father Adam that he was
one of the sincere, but he lied, so how about
his dealings with us? Especially since he said:
"By Your Might, then I will surely,
mislead them all, Except Your chosen slaves
amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true
believers of Islamic Monotheism)" [Saad 38:82-83
_ interpretation of the meaning]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"So when you want to recite the Qur'aan,
seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan (Satan),
the outcast (the cursed one). Verily, he has no
power over those who believe and put their trust
only in their Lord (Allaah). His power is only
over those who obey and follow him (Satan), and
those who join partners with Him (Allaah, i.e.
those who are Mushrikoon, i.e., polytheists."
[al-Nahl 16:98-100]
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/14)
So turn to Allaah, remember Him and strive to
worship Him, so that your soul will become pure
and love for Him will become firmly entrenched
in your heart, and you will be relieved of your
worry and grief. Remember the hadeeth of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him):
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no-one
who is afflicted by distress and grief, and
says: `Allaahumma inni `abduka ibn `abdika
ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya
hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qadaa'uka. As'aluka bi
kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw
anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw `allamtahu ahadan min
khalqika aw ista'tharta bihi fi `ilm il-ghayb
`indaka an taj'al al-Qur'aana rabee' qalbi wa
noor sadri wa jalaa' huzni wa dhihaab hammi
(O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave,
son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your
hand, Your command over me is forever executed
and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by
every name belonging to You which You have named
Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You
taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with
You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my
heart and the light of my breast, and a
departure for my sorrow and a release for my
anxiety),' but Allaah will take away his
distress and grief, and replace it with joy."
(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 3704; it is a saheeh
hadeeth). May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
3009: Ruling on using the
masbahah (prayer beads)
Question:
What is the ruling on using the masbahah
(prayer beads)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Some scholars say that it is permissible to
use the masbahah, but they say that it is
preferable to do tasbeeh on one's fingers;
others say that it is bid'ah (reprehensible
innovation).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in
al-Fataawa (22/187): "Some of them might
show off by putting their prayer-mats over their
shoulders and carrying their masbahahs in their
hands, making them symbols of religion and
prayer. It is known from the mutawaatir reports
that neither the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) nor his Companions used
these as symbols. They used to recite tasbeeh
and count on their fingers, as the hadeeth says:
"Count on your fingers, for they will asked, and
will be made to speak." Some of them may count
their tasbeeh with pebbles or date stones. Some
people say that doing tasbeeh with the masbahah
is makrooh, and some allow it, but no one says
that tasbeeh with the masbahah is better than
tasbeeh with the fingers." Then he (may Allaah
have mercy on him) goes on to discuss the issue
of showing off with the masbahah, saying that it
is showing off with regard to something that is
not prescribed by Islam, which is worse than
showing off with regard to something that is
prescribed.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
(al-Liqa' al-Maftooh, 3/30) was asked
whether using the masbahah for tasbeeh is
bid'ah, and his reply was: "It is better not to
do tasbeeh with the masbahah, but it is not
bid'ah, because there is a basis for it, which
is the fact that some of the Sahaabah did
tasbeeh with pebbles. But the Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught that
tasbeeh with the fingers is better, as he said,
`Count with the fingertips, for they will be
made to speak.' Doing tasbeeh with the masbahah
is not haraam or bid'ah, but it is better not to
do it, because the one who does tasbeeh with the
masbahah has shunned something better. Using the
masbahah may also be contaminated with some
element of showing off, because we see some
people carrying masbahahs that contain a
thousand beads, as if they are telling people,
`Look at me, I do a thousand tasbeehs!'
Secondly, those who use the masbahah for tasbeeh
are usually absent-minded and not focused, so
you see them doing tasbeeh with the beads, but
their gaze is wandering all over the place,
which indicates that they are not really
concentrating. It is better to do tasbeeh with
one's fingers, preferably using the right hand
rather than the left, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
count his tasbeeh on his right hand. If a person
counts his tasbeeh using both hands, there is
nothing wrong with that, but it is better to use
the right hand only."
Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani
said in Al-Silsilat al-Da'eefah (1/110),
where he quotes the (weak) hadeeth "What a good
reminder is the subhah [masbahah],"
"In my view, the meaning of this hadeeth is
invalid for a number of reasons:
Firstly, the subhah [masbahah] is bid'ah and
was not known at the time of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It
happened after that, so how could he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) have encouraged
his Sahaabah to do something that was unknown to
them? The evidence for what I have said is the
report narrated by Ibn Waddaah in Al-Bid'
wa'l-Nahy `anhaa from al-Salt ibn Bahraam,
who said: `Ibn Mas'ood passed by a woman who had
a [masbahah] with which she was making tasbeeh,
and he broke it and threw it aside, then he
passed by a man who was making tasbeeh with
pebbles, and he kicked him then said, "You think
you are better than the Sahaabah, but you are
following unjustified bid'ah! You think you have
more knowledge than the Companions of Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!"'
Its isnaad is saheeh to al-Salt, who is one of
the trustworthy (thiqah) followers of the
Taabi'een.
Secondly, it goes against the guidance of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr said, `I saw the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) counting the tasbeeh on his
right hand.'"
He also said (1/117): "If there is only one
bad thing about the masbahah, which it is that
it takes the place of the Sunnah of counting on
the fingers, even though all are agreed that
counting on the fingers is preferable, then that
is bad enough. How rarely I see people counting
their tasbeeh on their fingers!
Moreover, people have invented so many
sophisticated ways of following this bid'ah, so
you see the followers of one of the [Sufi]
tareeqahs wearing the masbahah around their
necks! Or some of them counting with the beads
whilst talking or listening to you! Or another
one _ the like of whom I have not seen for some
time _ riding his bicycle through a street
crowded with people, with the masbahah in one of
his hands! They are showing the people that they
are not distracted from the remembrance of
Allaah for even an instant, but in many cases
this bid'ah is a cause of their neglecting what
is obligatory (waajib). It has happened many
times _ to others as well as myself _ that when
I greet one of these people with salaam, they
answer only by waving and not by saying the
words of the greeting. The bad results of this
bid'ah are innumerable, and no one can say it
better than the poet:
`All goodness is in following that which went
before (the salaf)
All badness is in the innovations of those
who came later.'"
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
324: The difference between
punishments and trials
Question:
Allah menitions in the Quran that when an
evil befalls us it is due to what our own hands
have earned. Also our beloved Messenger,
Muhammad (sallalahu `alayhi wassallam) said in a
hadith that the most tried are the Prophets,
then those in piety after those. So therefore in
our day to daylife when things go wrong in our
lives how do we decide whether it is due to our
sinfulness or that Allah loves us . and
therefore sends a trial upon us
Jazakallahu
khairun
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Punishments are what happen to people in
return for their evil deeds. Trials are tests
which are sent to try people, and people may be
tested by good things or by bad.
Concerning punishments, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Whatever of
good reaches you, is from Allaah, but whatever
of evil befalls you, is from yourself…"
[al-Nisa' 4:79]
Concerning the phrase "is from
yourself", Qutaadah said: "[It means] the
punishment is for you, O son of Adam, because of
your sin." Abu Saalih said that "whatever of
evil befalls you, is from yourself" means
"because of your sin, and I [Allaah] am the One
Who decreed it for you." (Tafseer Ibn
Katheer).
Allaah also says (interpretation of the
meaning): "And whatever of misfortune befalls
you, it is because of what your hands have
earned. And He pardons much." [al-Shoora
42:30]
Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him,
said: "[It means] whatever misfortune happens to
you, O people, is because of evil deeds that you
have already done, and `He pardons much'
refers to evil deeds _ He does not punish you
for them but He pardons them. `And if Allaah
were to punish men for that which they earned,
he would not leave a moving (living) creature on
the surface of the earth…' [Faatir 35:45 _
interpretation of the meaning]."
Concerning trials, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If
Allaah loves a people, He tries them, and
whoever has patience will have patience, and
whoever is anxious will be anxious." (Reported
by Imaam Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami', 1706).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) also said: "The extent of the reward
will be in accordance with the extent of the
trial. If Allaah loves a people, He tries them,
and whoever is content will have contentment,
and whoever is angry will have anger." (Reported
by al-Tirmidhi, 2320; Saheeh al-Jaami',
2210).
The following outlines how one may tell
whether a given event is a punishment or a
trial:
If the misfortune results from doing an act
of obedience to Allaah, such as being wounded in
jihaad, or losing money when migrating for the
sake of Allaah, or losing a job because of
becoming Muslim or increasing one's commitment
to Islam, then this is a trial. Whoever bears it
with patience will be rewarded, but if one
reacts angrily then one will earn the wrath of
Allaah. If the misfortune results from sin, such
as sexually-transmitted diseases or illnesses
caused by drinking alcohol and taking drugs, and
so on, then this is the kind of punishment that
comes in this world (as opposed to being
deferred until the Hereafter). If the misfortune
is connected neither to a good deed nor a sin _
such as other kinds of disease and sickness,
losing a child, or failing in business _ then it
depends on the person's situation. If he is good
and devout, it is a trial, and if he is sinful,
it is a punishment.
The misfortune may be a punishment to atone
for sins, or it may be a trial aimed at raising
a person's status and increasing his
hasanaat (good deeds/rewards) _ this may
be determined by whether a person is obedient or
disobedient. A person should not praise himself,
rather he should criticize himself for his
shortcomings and strive to attain perfection. He
will benefit from misfortunes in any case, if he
has patience and hopes for reward. And Allaah
knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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Introduction