Pedagogy education and upbringing
Chapter 2
Training Oneself
44594: Advice to one who
slanders his Muslim brothers and accuses them
without any proof
Question:
Our Shaykh, I love you for the sake of Allaah
and I hope that you can tell me how to silence
those who slander the scholars. There are people
who accuse you of being extreme in labeling
others as kaafirs and of Qutbi (a group that
claims to base its ideas on the writings of
Sayyid Qutb) _ as they call it. What is your
answer? Please note that I am _ as Allaah knows
_ one of those who love you for the sake of
Allaah.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
May Allaah love you, for Whose sake you love
us, and may He bring us together in His mercy on
the Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will
avail, except him who brings to Allaah a clean
heart (cf. al-Shu'ara' 26:89).
With regard to what you have said in your
question, we advise you to keep away from
everyone who speaks about your Muslim brothers
or slanders them, or accuses them and casts
aspersion on their intentions. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O you who have spoken the words of faith
but faith has not entered your hearts! Do not
backbite about the Muslims or seek our their
faults, for whoever seeks out their faults,
Allaah will seek out his faults even if he is
his house." Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 4880;
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
It is also necessary for you to advise these
people to fear Allaah and refrain using such
labels and names that divide the Muslims. With
regard to offering advice and correcting
mistakes, this should not be done by means of
exposing people's faults or casting aspersions
on their intentions etc.
With regard to the issue of takfeer (labeling
people as kaafirs), this is subject to further
discussion. Describing as a kaafir one who has
been described as such by Allaah or by His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) is obligatory. Allaah has described some
groups as being kaafirs in His Book, as when He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, disbelievers are those who said:
`Allaah is the third of the three (in a
Trinity)'"
[al-Maa'idah 5:73]
"Surely, in disbelief are they who say that
Allaah is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:17]
But it is haraam to label as a kaafir someone
whom Allaah and His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not label
as such.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: Just as it is not permissible to
label a specific person as a kaafir unless the
conditions of labeling someone as such have been
met in his case, so too we should not shy away
from labeling as kaafirs those whom Allaah and
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) have labeled as such. But we must
differentiate between what is specific and what
is general.
Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/281.
See also question no. 21576.
And Allaah knows best.
Moreover, everyone who levels an accusation
against another person must provide proof:
"Say (O Muhammad), Produce your proof if you
are truthful"
[al-Baqarah 2:111]
"Since they produce not witnesses, they are
the liars in the sight of Allaah"
[al-Noor 24:13]
This problem is widespread among some of
those who claim to be religiously-guided, may
Allaah guide them, for they make accusations
against people on grounds that are not regarded
as something worthy of criticism in sharee'ah or
that do not undermine a person's religious
commitment.
Then they do not bring any proof of that, and
they follow their own whims and desires, because
it is human nature to appoint oneself as judge,
praising and condemning on a whim.
We must go against the whims and desires of
our own selves and measure people by the
criteria set out in Islam; we should make
mention of their good points and advise them
with regard to their mistakes.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
9082: The faith in his heart
has wilted _ what should he do?
Question:
We live in an Arab Muslim country, but we do
not feel the taste of faith. We have few good
people who remind us of Allaah. May Allaah
reward you with good: please give us some advice
from which we may benefit.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1 _ I advise you to read the Qur'aan a great
deal, and listen to recitations of Qur'aan and
ponder the meanings of what you read and what
you hear as much as you can. Whatever you cannot
understand, ask the people of knowledge in your
country or write to other scholars of Ahl
al-Sunnah (Sunnis).
If you read a tafseer (commentary) on what
you read, this will help you to ponder the
meanings. One of the best and most concise
Tafseers is Tafseer al-Sa'di (may Allaah
have mercy on him).
2 _ You should remember Allaah a great deal
(dhikr), by reciting the dhikrs narrated in the
saheeh ahaadeeth such as Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah (there is no god but Allaah),
Subhaan Allaah wa'l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be
to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god
but Allaah, and Allaah is great), and so on. See
al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi and similar
books.
Remembering Allaah increases one's faith and
brings peace to the heart. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who believed (in the Oneness of
Allaah — Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts
find rest in the remembrance of Allaah verily,
in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find
rest" [al-Ra'd 13:28]
Observe regular prayer, fast and observe all
the pillars of Islam, whilst also hoping for the
mercy of Allaah; put your trust in Allaah in all
your affairs. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The believers are only those who, when
Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts
and when His Verses (this Qur'aan) are recited
unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their
Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord
(Alone);
3. Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamatas Salaah)
and spend out of that We have provided them.
4. It is they who are the believers in truth.
For them are grades of dignity with their Lord,
and forgiveness and a generous provision
(Paradise)" [al-Anfaal 8:2-4]
It should be noted that faith increases when
one obeys Allaah and decreases when one disobeys
Him, so continue to do that which Allaah has
enjoined, such as observing the five daily
prayers in congregation in the mosque and paying
zakaah willingly, to purify yourself of sin, and
as an act of mercy towards the poor and needy.
Keep company with good and righteous people
so that they can help you to apply sharee'ah and
guide you towards that which will bring you
happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
Keep away from the people of innovation and
sin, lest they tempt you and weaken your
resolve.
Do a lot of naafil good deeds, and turn to
Allaah and ask Him for guidance.
If you do these things, Allaah will increase
you in faith and help you to catch up with what
you have missed of good deeds, and make you more
steadfast in adhering to Islam.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/187.
(www.islam-qa.com)
22090: How can the Muslim discipline
himself
Question:
How can the Muslim discipline himself
Islamically, especially if he has shortcomings
with regard to his religious commitment, which
Allaah knows best about?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Acknowledging your shortcomings is one of the
first steps in disciplining yourself.
Whoever acknowledges that he has shortcomings
has started on the path to self-discipline. This
acknowledgement is one of the things that make
us discipline ourselves and be persistent in
doing so. This acknowledgement should not put
you off disciplining yourself. It is a sign of
Allaah's care when a person tries to change
himself and develop, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah will not change the
condition of a people as long as they do not
change their state themselves"
[al-Ra'd 13:11]
So whoever tries to change for the sake of
Allaah, Allaah will help him to change.
Each person is individually responsible for
his own self, and will be questioned
individually, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"There is none in the heavens and the
earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allaah)
as a slave.
Verily, He knows each one of them, and has
counted them a full counting.
And everyone of them will come to Him alone
on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper,
or protector or defender)" [Maryam
19:93-95]
Man cannot benefit from what he has been told
about goodness unless he himself takes an
interest in that. Do you not know the story of
the wife of Nooh and the wife of Loot, who were
members of the households of two Prophets, one
of whom was one of the Messengers of strong
will? Imagine how these Prophets strove to guide
their wives and how much guidance these wives
received, but there was no interest on their
part, so it was said to both of them:
"Enter the Fire along with those who
enter!"
[al-Tahreem 66:10 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Whereas the wife of Pharaoh _ even though she
was a member of the household of one of the
greatest evildoers _ is presented by Allaah as
an example to those who believe because she
disciplined herself.
The ways in which a Muslim can discipline
himself are as follows:
1- Worshipping Allaah, keeping in contact
with Him and submitting to Him. That is done by
paying attention to doing obligatory acts of
worship well, and cleansing your heart of any
attachment to anything other than Allaah.
2- Reading Qur'aan a great deal, pondering
its meanings and seeking to understand it.
3- Reading useful religious books that
describe the ways of treating and cleansing the
heart, such as Mukhtasar Manhaaj
al-Qaasideen, Tahdheeb Madaarij
al-Saalikeen and so on; reading the
biographies of the salaf and learning about
their attitude and behaviour, such as Sifat
al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi and Ayna nahnu
min Akhlaaq al-Salaf by Baha' al-Deen `Aqeel
and Naasir al-Jaleel.
4- Attending educational programs such as
classes and lectures.
5- Making good use of your time and using it
to do things that will be of benefit in both
worldly and spiritual terms
6- Not indulging too much in permissible
things and not paying too much attention to
them.
7- Keeping company with righteous people and
looking for righteous companions, who can help
you to do good. Those who live alone will miss
out on a lot of the characteristics of a good
brother such as preferring others to oneself and
being patient.
8- Trying to act on what you learn and put it
into practice.
9- Checking closely on yourself.
10-Having confidence in yourself _ whilst
relying on Allaah _ because the one who has no
confidence cannot act.
11-Despising yourself for not doing enough
for the sake of Allaah. This does not contradict
the things mentioned above. Man has to strive
hard whilst still thinking that his efforts are
not enough.
12-Practising withdrawal or isolation as
prescribed in sharee'ah. You should not mix with
people all the time, rather you must have some
time which you spend alone, in worship as
prescribed in Islam.
We ask Allaah to help us and you to
discipline ourselves and submit to that which
Allaah loves and is pleased with. May Allaah
send blessings and peace upon our Prophet
Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
27082: How can he punish
himself so as to encourage himself to do good?
Question:
I know that punishing oneself and depriving
oneself is effective in encouraging oneself to
do good, but how can I punish myself?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The believer who is keen to save himself will
strive to save himself from everything that may
lead to his doom, and he is kind to himself.
Part of that kindness is taking care of one's
relationship with Allaah so that he will be
saved from the punishment of the Hereafter, and
striving to make himself do that which is
enjoined upon him and to avoid that which is
forbidden to him, seeking thereby the pleasure
of Allaah. So he starts by repenting from all
sins, and urging himself to compete in doing
righteous deeds, and striving to reach high
levels of faith, by applying the appropriate
means, such as learning about the rewards for
good deeds, the effects and causes of sin,
keeping away from those who discourage him and
are lacking in ambition, listening to stories of
those who strive in worship. Then if he weakens
in doing righteous deeds or commits sin, or
finds that he is inclined towards it, this is
the time for punishment.
Punishment comes after learning the truth and
deviating from it. You should not start with
punishment because there is no punishment before
knowledge and knowledge leaves no excuse.
You should also note _ may Allaah bless you _
that punishment should not be sought as an end
in and of itself, rather it is a means of
disciplining the self. This is like
cauterization for one who is sick, which is only
used as much as is necessary.
It is not good to punish yourself and burden
yourself with more than you can bear, or with
things that cause physical harm, such as burning
yourself with fire or standing in the sun, etc.
Rather punishment should take the form of
obliging yourself to do more righteous deeds,
without causing too much hardship, or depriving
yourself of things that you like. However, you
know yourself best and you know what makes you
more lazy and pushes you towards sin, and you
should avoid these things.
Al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
If the believer checks himself and sees some
shortcoming or he commits some sin, he should
not take the matter lightly, for that may lead
to him committing sin regularly and then it will
be difficult for him to give up that sin. Rather
he should punish himself in a permissible manner
just as he would discipline his wife and
children. It was narrated that `Umar went out to
a garden he owned, then he came back and the
people had prayed `Asr, so he said, "I went out
to my garden and when I came back the people had
prayed `Asr; I give my garden in charity for the
poor."
And it was narrated that Tameem al-Daari (may
Allaah be pleased with him) slept one night and
did not get up to pray Tahajjud until dawn came,
so he prayed qiyaam al-layl for a year and did
not sleep in order to punish himself for
sleeping that night.
Hassaan ibn Sinaan passed by a room and said,
"When was this built?" Then he thought to
himself and said, "Are you asking about
something that is not your concern? I will
punish myself by fasting for a year," and he
fasted that year.
But with regard to punishments that cause
physical harm or involve doing something
reprehensible, they are not permissible. It was
narrated that a man looked at a woman, then he
put his eyes out, and that another disobeyed
Allaah with his hand, so he put his hand into
the fire until it became paralyzed. Such actions
are not permissible, and a man cannot treat
himself in this way.
From Mukhtasar Manhaaj al-Qaasideen.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
22877: He feels that his
faith is weak and that worship is burdensome
Question:
I have been a religious person for several
years, but for a few months I have been feeling
that my mind and heart are devoid of faith and
will power. This matter is tormenting me and I
said to myself that perhaps this is a touch from
the Shaytaan or something like that, and it will
go away when Ramadaan comes. But it has not gone
away and I find it very difficult to pray qiyaam
al-layl. I have tried to read more Qur'aan
despite this waswaas and the distress it is
causing me. My situation has started to affect
me socially, at work, in the family and in my
religion. Now I am living in torment because of
this and I cannot find the faith which I feel
has been taken away from me. I feel that I will
have a bad end and that my faith will never
return to me and that a seal has been placed
over my heart. When I go to the mosque to pray,
which I have not stopped doing, I feel that I am
not like the other worshippers and I envy them
for their faith. I also feel put off by religion
and often I cannot listen to the Qur'aan or
hadeeth, or listen to tapes, except with great
difficulty. This is tormenting me because I do
not want this, and I want to be like I was, a
believer who loves the religion because it is
the truth, but I feel that I cannot control my
mind or my feelings. I have started to think
about my sins which I believe are the cause of
this, and I have started to remember many sins
which I had forgotten, as if they are appearing
before me one after the other. Until now I am
living with this torment, misery and distress. I
do not know what has happened to me and what the
solution and the remedy is. Will my faith come
back to me or is this a bad end and a punishment
from Allaah? Finally, please do not forget to
make du'aa' for me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
My brother, have great hope in Allaah, and do
not let the Shaytaan cause you to despair of the
vast mercy of Allaah which He has guaranteed for
His believing slaves. What you are telling
yourself about this being a sign that you will
die following something other than that which
Allaah wants is only insinuating whispers
(waswaas) from the Shaytaan and his deviant
ideas by means of which he wants to tempt the
slaves of Allaah and lead them away from their
religion. So he comes to a righteous slave and
whispers to him that his good deeds are of no
avail, or that he is doing them not for the sake
of Allaah but to show off to people, so that
they will think he is good. All of these are the
usual ways with which the Shaytaan tries to
trick the slaves of Allaah, especially those who
show signs of being righteous _ of whom I think
that you are one, although I do not praise
anyone before Allah _ to hinder their efforts.
We seek refuge with Allaah from him.
You need to increase your hope and trust in
Allaah Who forgives all sins, and who accepts
the slave who seeks His protection and refuge,
for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving
and the Most Loving.
You should increase your good deeds, such as
reading Qur'aan, giving charity, remembering
Allaah (dhikr), upholding the ties of kinship,
etc. The weakness which you feel also happens to
others, for it is something natural. How many
people were examples followed by others and had
a great deal of drive and ambition, then they
lost their drive and ambition for a long time,
then it came back to them by the grace of
Allaah. Remember the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Everybody
has his time of energy, and every time of energy
is followed by a time of lethargy. But if a
person tries to follow a moderate path, then I
have hope for him, but if he becomes one who is
pointed out (in the street), then do not think
anything of him."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 1995).
What is meant by "Everybody has his time of
energy" is eagerness for a thing, energy and the
desire to do good.
What is meant by "every time of energy is
followed by a time of lethargy" is tiredness,
weakness and lack of movement.
"But if a person tries to follow a moderate
path" means that the one who has energy does his
deeds in moderation and avoids going to extremes
when he is feeling energetic and avoids being
negligent when he is feeling lethargic.
"Then I have hope for him" means, I have hope
that he will be successful, for he can continue
following a middle course, and the most beloved
deeds to Allaah are those which are continuous.
"but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in
the street)" means, if he strives hard and goes
to extremes in doing good deeds so that he will
become famous for his worship and asceticism,
and he becomes famous and people point him out
to one another,
"then do not think anything of him" means, do
not think that he is one of the righteous,
because he is showing off. He did not say, "do
not have hope for him," as an indication that he
has already fallen, and he will not be able to
make up for what he has missed out on. [From
Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi]
Think about this hadeeth, and relate it to
your own situation and the situation of others:
you will see a clear similarity. This hadeeth
clearly states that man goes through a stage of
incomparable eagerness and great focus and
ambition, then suddenly he becomes weak and
loses that focus and eagerness and ambition.
When he reaches this stage, he must strive even
harder to do obligatory duties and avoid haraam
things. If he does that, then there is the hope
that he will succeed and progress, but if he
falls into haraam things and stops doing
obligatory things, he will be lost and doomed.
So you must turn to Allaah a great deal, seek
His forgiveness and ask Him to make you
steadfast until death. I also advise you to keep
away from haraam things. May Allaah forgive your
sins and make things easier for you.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
26985: Tempted by permissive
channels and internet sites
Question:
I am a young man who is, unfortunately,
tempted by satellite channels and internet sites
to such a degree that I have fallen far short in
religious matters. I hope that you can help me
and pray for me to be guided. May Allaah reward
you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace
be upon the Messenger of Allaah.
We ask Allaah to guide you, and to ward off
evil and immorality from you, and to make you
one of His sincerely-devoted slaves. For Allaah
may delay but He never forgets. How can you be
sure that when Allaah sees you committing this
sin, He is not going to say, "By My Glory and
Majesty, I will not forgive you"?
Look at these physical faculties with which
you are committing sin. Do you not see that
Allaah is able to deprive you of their blessings
and to cause you the pain of losing them?
Then look at how Allaah has concealed you
(your sin) and has been patient and forbearing
with you. You know about His protective jealousy
over His slaves, so how can you be sure that He
will not become angry with you and expose your
affairs, so that people will come to know your
secrets and you will suffer scandal in this
world before the Hereafter?
Will you get anything from haraam looks apart
from grief, misery and darkness in the heart?
Even if you feel some pleasure for a day or
two, or for a month or a year… what will come
after that?
Death… then the grave… then the Reckoning…
then torment, when all pleasure will vanish and
only sorrow will remain.
If you feel ashamed to let your brother see
you committing this sin, then how can you think
of Allaah as the least important of those who
watch you?
Do you not know that Allaah can see you, and
that His angels are recording your deeds, and
that tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection)
your own limbs will speak of what used to
happen?
Think about what will become of you after you
sin: worry and distress in the heart, alienation
between you and Allaah, loss of humility… you
give up praying at night (qiyaam al-layl)… you
forsake fasting… Tell me, by your Lord, what is
this life worth?
Every time you look at these devilish
screens, a black spot appears on your heart,
until it is covered with layers of blackness,
then by the raan (stain) which overwhelms
the heart, and deprives you of the pleasure of
obeying Allaah and of the sweetness of faith.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "When a slave commits a sin, a
black spot appears on his heart. But if he give
it up, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart
will be cleansed, but if he repeats it, (the
blackness) will increase until it overwhelms his
heart. This is the raan which Allaah
mentions: `Nay! But on their hearts is the
Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which
they used to earn'
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 _ interpretation of the
meaning]."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3257; Ibn Maajah,
4234; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3422).
So be among those who give up sin, seek
forgiveness and repent. Beseech Allaah
frequently to purify your heart and protect your
chastity, and to grant you refuge from the traps
of the Shaytaan.
Avoid everything that may call you to haraam
things or remind you of them, if you are sincere
and really want to repent.
Hasten to get this dish out of your house,
and cut your connection to these bad sites on
the internet. Note that the best means of
helping yourself give up the haraam things that
you have gotten used to is to nip it in the bud,
and ward off every thought of looking that
crosses your mind, before it becomes a desire,
wish or intention, and then an action.
Al-Ghazzaali (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "If the first inward thought is not warded
off, it will generate a desire, then the desire
will generate a wish, and the wish will generate
an intention, and the intention will generate
the action, and the action will result in ruin
and divine wrath. So evil must be cut off at its
root, which is when it is simply a thought that
crosses the mind, from which all the other
things follow on." (Ihyaa' `Uloom
al-Deen, 6/17).
This is based on the words of Allaah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Follow not the
footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever
follows the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then,
verily, he commands AlFahsha' [i.e. to commit
indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and
AlMunkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do
evil and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do
what is forbidden in Islam)]"
[al-Noor 24:21]
If you can do without the Internet
altogether, then go ahead and do that, until you
feel that your heart and your faith are
stronger.
Strive to find righteous friends, strive to
perform all the prayers on time, and do a lot of
naafil acts of worship. Avoid being alone and
thinking about haraam things as much as
possible.
Sincerity in seeking treatment opens the door
to good, and closes the door to evil.
We ask Allaah to enable us and you to repent
sincerely.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
26811: How to control urges through
fasting
Question:
My question is about fasting. But it is not
concerning The Holy month Ramadan. I mean
fasting when one wants to marry but has not the
ability to do this at the moment. I know that in
Islam it is prescribed for this purpose, but I
do not what is the right ruling on this. I would
like to learn the exact time for iftar and
sahur, how many days in month one should fast,
exactly which day of the week it supposed to be
as well.Please provide me with as much as you
can details about that. And Allah knows best.
May the peace and blessings of Him be upon all
you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. This pure monotheistic
religion came to teach people how to control
urges so that the Muslim individual who is
distinguished by his character and behaviour
would not remain a prisoner to his desires like
an animal. Islam prescribes rulings, both
obligatory and mustahabb, to protect him against
the bad effects of being driven by his desires.
Among these rulings is the prescription of
fasting for those who cannot find the natural
outlet for these desires in marriage, as
`Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased
with him) narrated, "We were young men with the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and we did not have anything (i.e., we
could not afford to get married). The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said to us, `O young men, whoever among you
can afford to get married, then let him do so,
for it is more effective in lowering the gaze
and guarding chastity. And whoever is not able
to do that, then let him fast, for that will be
a shield for him.'" (al-Bukhaari, 5066; Muslim,
1400). Fasting reduces the effects that desires
have on young people.
Although this ruling is addressed to young
men, it may become more essential when there is
more temptation and the means and motives for
committing evil increase, especially for those
who live in societies in which there is a great
deal of wanton display and promiscuity. So they
should be keen to do this act of worship in
order to protect their chastity and religious
commitment. As well as fasting, a person may
seek help though praying to Allaah to protect
his religious commitment and honour, and to make
it easy for him to get married, as marriage
protects one's chastity. He may also help
himself by remembering the reward in Paradise
that Allaah has prepared for those who
steadfastly obey His commands and guard their
chastity, namely al-hoor al-`iyn.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
21284: What can we do about
the slaughter of Muslims in Palestine and around
the world?
Question:
What is our stance concerning the slaughter
of Muslims in Palestine and other parts of the
world that is happening right now, where houses
are being destroyed, farms are being wrecked,
children are being killed, the wounded are being
detained in the streets, houses are being
bombarded and people are being prevented by the
Jews and others, from buying the food and drink
that they need? What can I, as a Muslim, do?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1- You have to make du'aa', and recite du'a'
al-qunoot in your salaah (prayer).
2- Collect charity and send it through
trustworthy channels.
3- Support the weak and oppressed in all
ways, including the media and the internet.
4- Get scholars, daa'iyahs, khateebs and
writers to explain the oppression that is
happening and the negligence on the part of the
ummah, and to mobilize the ummah to defend the
holy places.
5- Check on one's own intentions with regard
to fighting for the sake of Allaah, and see
whether he is applying the hadeeth of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): "Whoever dies without having fought for
the sake of Allaah or having had the intention
of doing so, has died following one of the
branches of hypocrisy." (Saheeh Muslim,
no. 3533)
6- Pursuing all the means of building up
material and moral strength, in preparation for
meeting the enemy (in battle).
7- Reminding oneself and others of the
virtues of martyrdom for the sake of Allaah and
studying the rulings on jihad, and not having an
attachment to this world.
8- Doing as much damage as possible to the
enemies who are in a state of war with us, by
boycotting their products, attacking them
verbally and in writing to humiliate and annoy
them, and to point out their kufr and shirk, and
their insults to Allaah, His Messenger and the
believers, publishing as much as possible in the
audio-visual and print media about this serious
topic whilst also connecting that to Islamic
belief and the words of Allaah and His
Messenger,
We ask Allaah the Exalted and All-Powerful to
support His religion and cause His word to
prevail.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
22860: How can I define my
stance?
Question:
Sometimes the Muslims is faced with situation
concerning which he does not know what position
he should take, whether those matters are
political, da'wah-related, social or even
personal. How can I find out the correct way of
dealing with a situation with which I am faced?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
I thank you for your question and ask Allaah
to grant us and you strength, steadfastness and
wisdom, and to show us what is true and help us
to follow it, and to show us what is false and
help us to avoid it, and not to let it confuse
us and lead us astray… With regard to what you
asked about, my comments on it are as follows:
You should note that we are not obliged to
define our stance or opinion on every issue or
event that occurs, simply because much of what
occurs does not concern us. With regard to the
things that do concern us and on which we should
form opinions, they are of different types:
1 _ Matters which because of their depth and
breadth go beyond the limits of our knowledge
and understanding. Concerning these matters we
must consult the opinions of specialists,
scholars, researchers or experts, as much as
possible.
2 _ Matters which are so clear that they have
become the talk of gatherings and the media. We
can form an opinion on such matters by
reconciling between the views of those whom we
trust and some of the reports.
3 _ Matters within our own private circle.
These require us to look at all the alternatives
and weigh up the pros and cons of each, then
compare them objectively. This will enable us to
form an initial idea, then we can consult others
and seek the opinions of people who have prior
experience in this field, or those whose
opinions we trust. Whoever consults people will
benefit from their experience and knowledge. As
time goes by and we make mistakes and benefit
from our experience, we will accumulate
experience and more understanding, and will
develop the ability to evaluate things. In the
light of this experience we will be able to form
our own opinions.
May Allaah help you and protect you, and make
you steadfast in adhering to the path of truth
and goodness.
Ahmad al-Muqbil: Islam today
(www.islam-qa.com)
13308: The enmity of
Shaytaan towards man
Question:
I want to know some details about the
Shaytaan _ can you help me?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
When Iblees refused to prostrate to Adam,
Allaah expelled him from heaven and the curse of
Allaah is upon him until the Day of
Resurrection. Allaah said to him:
"Then get out from here; for verily, you
are outcast.
And verily, My Curse is on you till the Day
of Recompense"
[Saad 38:77-78 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Then he asked Allaah to grant him respite
until the Resurrection, and He granted him that:
"(Iblees) said: `Allow me respite till the
Day they are raised up (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection).'
(Allaah) said: `You are of those respited'"
[al-A'raaf 7:14-15 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees felt safe from destruction, he
rebelled and transgressed:
"(Iblees) said: `Because You have sent me
astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them
(human beings) on Your straight path.
Then I will come to them from before them and
behind them, from their right and from their
left, and You will not find most of them as
thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to
You)'"
[al-A'raaf 7:16-17 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees said that, Allaah said to him:
"(Allaah) said: `Go, and whosoever of them
follows you, surely, Hell will be the recompense
of you (all) an ample recompense.
And befool them gradually those whom you can
among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music,
and any other call for Allaah's disobedience),
make assaults on them with your cavalry and your
infantry, share with them wealth and children
(by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways
usury, or by committing illegal sexual
intercourse), and make promises to them.' But
Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
`Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers
of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority
over them. And AllSufficient is your Lord as a
Guardian'"
[al-Israa' 17:62-64 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Hence the Shaytaan declared his evil and his
enmity towards the children of Adam, so he
started to make sin attractive to them and to
tempt them with haraam and evil things, and to
enjoin evil and immoral actions upon them. Thus
most of the people were deceived by him and they
fell into those sins and haraam things:
"And indeed Iblees (Satan) did prove true
his thought about them, and they followed him,
all except a group of true believers (in the
Oneness of Allaah)"
[Saba' 34:20 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Everything that happens among the sons of
Adam of kufr, murder, enmity, hatred, the
spread of immorality and zina, the wanton
display of women's beauty, drinking alcohol,
worshipping idols and other major sins, is all
the work of the Shaytaan, in order to prevent
people from following the way of Allaah and to
corrupt mankind and drag them to the Fire of
Hell with him:
"O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds
of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and AlAnsaab
(stone altars), and AlAzlaam (arrows for seeking
luck or decision) are an abomination of
Shaytaan's (Satan's) handiwork. So avoid
(strictly all) that (abomination) in order that
you may be successful.
Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity
and hatred between you with intoxicants
(alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you
from the remembrance of Allaah and from As
Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then
abstain?"
[al-Maa'idah 5:90-91 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah has warned us against following the
Shaytaan and walking in his footsteps, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Follow not the
footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever
follows the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then,
verily, he commands Al Fahshaa' [i.e. to commit
indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and Al
Munkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do
evil and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do
what is forbidden in Islam)]
[al-Noor 24:21]
When a person turns away from Allaah, the
Shaytaan gains control over him and encourages
him to commit sin and transgression:
"See you not that We have sent the
Shayaateen (devils) against the disbelievers to
push them to do evil
[Maryam 19:83 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Everyone who turns away from Allaah and
follows the Shaytaan is only destroying his own
self and is a loser in this world and in the
Hereafter:
"And whoever takes Shaytaan (Satan) as a
Wali (protector or helper) instead of Allaah,
has surely, suffered a manifest loss
[al-Nisa' 4:119 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The Shaytaan uses strange ways to tempt
people; he has corrupted many of mankind and
made their evil deeds attractive to them, so he
is the cause of their going to Hell, what a
terrible fate!
"He [Shaytaan (Satan)] makes promises to
them, and arouses in them false desires; and
Shaytaan's (Satan) promises are nothing but
deceptions.
The dwelling of such (people) is Hell, and
they will find no way of escape from it
[al-Nisa' 4:120-121 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The enmity of the Shaytaan towards Adam and
his descendents is ancient. Allaah caused Adam
and his wife to dwell in Paradise, then the
Shaytaan came to Adam and made sin attractive to
him, so Adam obeyed him, thinking that he was
sincere. Thus Adam disobeyed his Lord and was
expelled from Paradise, then Allaah accepted his
repentance. Allaah warns us against obeying the
Shaytaan, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan
(Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents
[Adam and Hawwa' (Eve)] out of Paradise
[al-A'raaf 7:27]
Because the enmity of Shaytaan towards
mankind is so clear and obvious, Allaah tells us
to beware of him and to declare war on him and
to show enmity to him, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"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]
Allaah has told us to seek refuge with Allaah
from the outcast Shaytaan every time we think of
sinning. He 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 All Hearer, the All Knower
[Fussilat 41:36]
On the Day of Resurrection, the Day of truth
and justice, the Shaytaan will confess to his
crimes and will declare before all of creation
that Allaah is the One Who tells the truth and
that he is a liar. He will say that there is no
blame on him; rather the blame is on those who
followed him. Then everyone who followed him
will regret it, but at that time regret will be
of no avail:
"And Shaytaan (Satan) will say when the
matter has been decided: `Verily, Allaah
promised you a promise of truth. And I too
promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no
authority over you except that I called you, and
you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame
yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help
me. I deny your former act in associating me
(Satan) as a partner with Allaah (by obeying me
in the life of the world). Verily, there is a
painful torment for the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers)'"
[Ibraaheem 14:22 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwaijri
(www.islam-qa.com)
10459: Protecting oneself
from temptation in permissive countries
Question:
How should the Muslim youth who have left the
Muslim countries to study in America protect
themselves from the temptations, besides the
option of marriage.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. We have to note that
marriage is the natural solution, and when we
think of alternatives we think of them as being
temporary. There are two things which will help
to combat the effects of desire:
1. Strengthening that which prevents us from
giving into it. This includes strengthening our
faith, fearing Allaah and His punishment,
strengthening our resolve and will-power, and
understanding the consequences of following our
desires, in this world and the next.
2. Weakening the motives, which is achieved
by fasting and by keeping away from that which
provokes desire, foremost among which is looking
at haraam things and keeping bad company.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Duwaysh
Doing all kinds of acts of worship prescribed
in sharee'ah and keeping yourself busy with that
is the greatest help in protecting oneself from
forbidden temptations. These young people should
keep themselves busy in reciting Qur'aan,
remembering Allaah, making du'aa', fasting and
calling others to Allaah, and establishing for
themselves their own community where they can
worship Allaah and come together to do good.
Each of them should devote himself to
worshipping Allaah during his free time and keep
remembering Allaah when he is busy, even in the
library and classroom, so that his heart will be
with his Lord even when his body is with the
kuffaar. This will be one of the greatest means
of keeping safe. And Allaah is the Source of
strength. Islam Q&A.Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
11498: Warding off thoughts
of zinaa
Question:
what should u do if u find urself thinking
abt zina
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Thinking about zinaa may mean one of two
things.
(1) It may be merely thoughts that cross the
mind, without becoming a firm resolve. A person
cannot be blamed for this, but it is better to
rid oneself of these thoughts so that they do
not lead to anything else.
(2) It may be an established thought
accompanied by resolve and intention. In this
case, the person must hasten to deal with it in
a number of ways, including the following:
1- Seriously thinking of getting married,
because this is the shar'i and natural
protection for the Muslim man and woman.
2- Fasting if one cannot get married.
3- Muslim men and women should strive to
strengthen their eemaan (faith) by reading
Qur'aan, praying naafil prayers and doing other
kinds of acts of worship.
4- Taking care to choose righteous friends.
5- Keeping away from everything that might
provoke desire; one of the most obvious of these
is looking at things which are haraam.
6- Remembering the punishment for zinaa in
this world and in the Hereafter, and that its
evil affects far outweigh the immediate pleasure
that a person may experience.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Duwaysh (www.islam-qa.com)
8197: He feels that his
faith decreases when he is apart from righteous
brothers
Question:
I started to adhere to the religion of Allaah
about a month ago, praise be to Allaah. I feel
strong when I am with some of the righteous
brothers, but when I am away from them because I
am busy or because of work, I feel that my faith
is decreasing. What advice can you give me?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We advise you to stick to good companions,
and if you have to leave them because of some
work, then fear Allaah and remember that He is
always watching you, and He is greater than
them. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Surely, Allaah is Ever an All Watcher
over you" [al-Nisaa' 4:1]
"Who sees you (O Muhammad) when you stand up
(alone at night for Tahajjud prayers).
And your movements among those who fall
prostrate (to Allaah in the five compulsory
congregational prayers [al-Shu'araa' 26:218-219]
"Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is
with us"
[al-Tawbah 9:40]
Allaah is always watching you, so fear
Allaah. Remember that you are in front of Him
and that He can see you when you obey Him and
when you disobey Him. So fear the punishment of
Allaah and beware lest you do anything that
earns His wrath. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And Allaah warns you against Himself (His
punishment)" [Aal `Imraan 3:30]
"and fear none but Me" [al-Baqarah 2:40]
You have to be sincere towards Allaah and
adhere firmly to the religion of Allaah when you
are alone and when you are with your friends.
Wherever you are, Allaah can hear what you are
saying and can see what you are doing, so you
have to feel more shy of Allaah than you do of
your family and other people.
From Fataawa wa Maqaalaat mutanawwi'ah li
Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy
on him), vol. 9, p. 39 (www.islam-qa.com)
6882: He feels that he is
falling short and the Shaytaan is discouraging
him from trying to improve himself
Question:
Hamdulliah, I am a muslim...but I feel I am
not a moumin..I always feel uncomfortable with
the way I am living..from time to time I get
this feeling of uncomfort, that " Where is my
place in hereafter..? I don't feel happy about
anything good in my life because of my this
feeling.. I always regret when I miss my prayers
...I feel to do lot of good things as Allah
wants me to do, so that I will get in to
paradise with Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h)..but I
end up doing nothing.. I want to learn islam for
myself and dedicate my life for it.. What I
request you is steps to start...
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
These feelings that you mention in your
question stem from good motives, in sha Allaah,
and result from your feelings that you are
falling short and want to purify yourself and
raise your level spiritually. But it is
important not to let them lead you to despair;
they should motivate you to improve yourself.
Make the most of these feelings of shortcoming
to push you to strive; don't let them make you
sink to a lower level or be content with the
status quo and not try to change.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah in his
du'aa's from feeling helpless and laziness, and
he taught us to strive to do things which will
benefit us in this world and in the Hereafter.
He told us: "Strive to do that which will
benefit you, and seek the help of Allaah, and do
not feel helpless." (Narrated by Muslim, no.
4816). Always be conscious of Allaah, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah (by doing
all that He has ordered and by abstaining from
all that He has forbidden) as He should be
feared. (Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and
remember Him always,) and die not except in a
state of Islam [as Muslims (with complete
submission to Allaah)]." [Aal `Imraan 3:102]
Remember His promise and warning, for He has
promised His righteous close friends forgiveness
and a great reward:
"Allaah has promised those who believe (in
the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism) and
do deeds of righteousness, that for them there
is forgiveness and a great reward (i.e.
Paradise)" [al-Maa'idah 5:9 _ interpretation of
the meaning]
And He has issued a warning to those who
stray from the straight path and who disobey His
commands:
"Allaah has promised the hypocrites — men
and women — and the disbelievers, the fire of
Hell" [al-Tawbah 9:68 _ interpretation of the
meaning].
This is so that people will always remain in
a state between fear and hope, and so that they
will know that the promise of Allaah is true and
they will not get carried away with this life,
but will prepare themselves for the Meeting with
Him.
"O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allaah
is true. So let not this present life deceive
you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan)
deceive you about Allaah" [Faatir 35:5 _
interpretation of the meaning]
Remember Allaah much, for this will bring
peace of mind and grant rest to the heart.
"Those who believed (in the Oneness of
Allaah — Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts
find rest in the remembrance of Allaah verily,
in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find
rest" [al-Ra'd 13:28 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
You must seek forgiveness for the
commandments of Allaah that you have failed to
obey, for Allaah has made the gate of repentance
open to every sinner. Muslim narrated in
al-Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah
spreads out His hand at night to accept the
repentance of those who have sinned during the
day, and He spreads out His hand during the day
to accept the repentance of those who sinned at
night, (and this will continue) until the sun
rises from the west." (Saheeh Muslim,
4954)
It was also reported that he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah
says, `O son of Adam, so long as you call on Me
and put your hope in Me, I will forgive whatever
you have done, and I will not mind. O son of
Adam, even if your sins were to reach the clouds
of the sky, then you were to seek My
forgiveness, I would forgive you and I will not
mind. O son of Adam, if you were to come to me
with an earthful of sins, and you were to meet
Me not associating anything in worship with Me,
I will come to you with an earthful of
forgiveness.'" (narrated by al-Tirmidhi with a
hasan isnaad. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no.
3463). If a Muslim strives to obey Allaah,
Allaah will make for him a way out from every
difficulty. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his
duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get
out (from every difficulty). And He will provide
him from (sources) he never could imagine"
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
Always adhere to the obligatory duties and
keep away from haraam things, then turn your
attention to things that are mustahabb and
strive to do more of them, little by little, so
that you will not feel put off or bored.
Finally, beware of procrastination, for it
will prevent you from doing good deeds. If you
start to do something, then hasten to do it and
do not slow down or neglect it. Hastening to do
such things is a praiseworthy action:
"And march forth in the way (which leads
to) forgiveness from your Lord…" [Aal `Imraan
3:133 _ interpretation of the meaning]. If
you start to do something, then stick to it,
even if it is only a little, for the most
beloved of deeds to Allaah are those that are
continuous, even if they are little. And Allaah
is the Source of strength. Islam Q&A. Sheikh
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
6578: How can a person deal
with the temptation to show off?
Question:
This is an important issue which i want to
know about, what happens is that whenever i do
something good, i look for people to appreciate
it, in other words to show off, i know it is not
allowed in Islam to show off, but how can we get
rid of this feeling, i try to but eventually i
get into it.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who wants to stop himself showing off
has to do the following things to rid himself of
this problem:
He should remember that Allaah is always
watching His slave.
This is the status of "ihsaan" which
Jibreel (peace be upon him) mentioned to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), which is that "you should worship Allaah
as if you can see Him, and even though you
cannot see Him, He can see you." (Narrated by
Muslim, 97).
When a person feels that Allaah is always
watching him, what other people think will
become insignificant, and this will make him
respect and fear only Allaah.
Seeking the help of Allaah to rid himself of
the habit of showing off.
Allaah says that the believers should say
(interpretation of the meaning): "You (Alone)
we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for
each and everything)" [al-Faatihah 1:5].
One of the things that will be of benefit in
this matter is seeking the help of Allaah and
calling upon Him. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O
people, beware of this shirk, for it is
more subtle than the footsteps of an ant. The
one whom Allaah willed should speak said to him,
"How can we beware of it when it is more subtle
than the footsteps of an ant, O Messenger of
Allaah?" He said, "Say, Allaahumma innaa
na'oodhu bika min an nushrika bika shay'an
na'lamuhu wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na'lam
(O Allaah, we seek refuge with You from
knowingly associating anything with You, and we
seek Your forgiveness for that which we do
unknowingly)."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 4/403; classed as saheeh
by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami',
3731).
Knowing the effects of showing off and how it
will be judged in the Hereafter.
Not knowing this leads to one falling into
this sin or persisting in it. One should realize
that showing off destroys all one's actions
(i.e., cancels out the reward), and that it
brings the wrath of Allaah. The wise person does
not waste his energy in doing things that do not
bring any reward, let alone deeds that bring the
wrath and anger of Allaah.
One of the greatest ahaadeeth concerning the
punishment in the Hereafter of those who show
off is the following, in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said:
"When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allaah,
may He be blessed and exalted, will come down to
judge between His slaves, and every nation will
be kneeling. The first ones to be called forth
will be a man who learned the Qur'aan by heart,
a man who fought for the sake of Allaah, and a
man who had a lot of wealth. Allaah will say to
the Qur'aan-reader, `Did I not teach you that
which I revealed to My Messenger?' He will say,
`Yes, O Lord.' He will say, `What did you do
with that which I taught you?' He will say, `I
used to read it night and day.' Allaah will say
to him, `You have lied,' and the angels will say
to him, `You have lied.' Allaah will say,
`Rather you wanted it to be said that So and so
is a reader of Qur'aan, and that is what was
said.' Then the wealthy man will be brought
forth, and Allaah will say to him, `Did I not
give you ample provision so that I did not leave
you in need of anybody?' He will say, `Yes, O
Lord.' He will say, `What did you do with that
which I gave you?' He will say, `I used to
uphold the ties of kinship and give in charity.'
Allaah will say to him, `You have lied,' and the
angels will say to him, `You have lied.' Allaah
will say, `Rather you wanted it to be said that
So and so is generous, and that is what was
said.' Then the one who was killed for the sake
of Allaah will be brought forth and Allaah will
say to him, `Why were you killed?' He will say,
`I was commanded to fight in Jihaad for Your
sake, so I fought until I was killed.' Allaah
will say to him, `You have lied,' and the angels
will say to him, `You have lied.' Allaah will
say, `You wanted it to be said that So and so
was courageous, and that is what was said.'"
Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) struck my knee
and said, "O Abu Hurayrah, these three are the
first of the creation of Allaah who will be
dragged into the Fire on the Day of
Resurrection."
(Narrated and classed as hasan by
al-Tirmidhi, 2382; classed as saheeh by Ibn
Hibbaan, 408, and Ibn Khuzaymah, 2482).
Thinking about the punishment in this world
for showing off
Just as there will be a punishment in the
Hereafter for showing off, so too there is a
punishment for it in this world, which is that
Allaah will expose him and make his bad
intentions known to others. This is one of the
interpretations of the hadeeth of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"Whoever shows off, Allaah will expose him."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6134; Muslim;
2986).
Ibn Hajar said: al-Khattaabi said, this
means: whoever does something that is not
sincerely for the sake of Allaah, merely wanting
people to see him and hear him, will be punished
for that _ Allaah will expose him and make known
what he is concealing.
It was said that whoever does something with
the intention of gaining status and prestige
among people, and does not seek the Face of
Allaah by doing it, Allaah will make him the
subject of bad speech among the people in whose
eyes he wanted to gain status, and he will have
no reward for it in the Hereafter.
(Fath al-Baari, 11/336)
Concealing worship and not making a display
of it
The further away a person gets from places
where his worship can be seen, the safer he is
from showing off. Whoever looks for places where
people gather, the Shaytaan makes him keen to
show off his worship so that they will praise
him for it.
The acts of worship which should be hidden
are those which are not obligatory or those in
which it is not the Sunnah to do them openly,
such as Qiyaam al-Layl, and giving charity, and
the like. This does not apply to giving the
Adhaan, praying in congregation and other things
which cannot and should not _ according to
sharee'ah _ be hidden.
We ask Allaah to make our words and deeds
sincere, and to forgive us for what we commit of
showing off. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
4094: What should a person
do if he thinks there is evil in him or that the
evil outweighs the good?
Question:
What should one do if he sees that he has
inherent evil in him; such that, the evil
outweighs the good?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Man is a weak being, who feels inclinations
towards both good and evil. He may be weak and
be tempted to follow the path of immorality and
deviation, and evil may push him to the way of
wrongdoing and transgression. The Shaytaan may
make evil deeds attractive to him, and justify
every deviant action to him.
But the element of good may stir his
conscience, make him feel regret and push him to
come back to the truth and respond to the call
of reason.
People vary with regard to their capability,
willpower, purity of soul and spirituality. Some
of them train themselves to follow the way of
virtue, noble deeds and right attitudes, so they
resist their desires and deviant inclinations,
and make themselves adhere to the straight and
right way. These people can confront evil and
bear all kinds of hardship for that purpose.
They never lose hope that good will prevail and
evil will be defeated.
Others follow their desires and cannot adhere
to what is right. They ignore many of the
commands of Allaah and His Messenger, and are
too weak to confront evil. So they have no hope
that good will prevail. It all depends on
whether or not a person is striving against his
desires and his own self that bids him to do
evil, so that he will receive guidance from
Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our
Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths"
[al-`Ankaboot 29:69]
There follow some beautiful expressions of
this striving, as uttered by Ibn al-Qayyim, may
Allaah have mercy on him:
"O feet of patience, keep going, for what
remains is only a little. Remember the sweetness
of worship, then the bitterness of striving will
become easier for you." (al-Fawaa'id)
"Go out to the field of struggle and strive
to sow seeds. Irrigate the tree of regret with
the water of tears…"
(Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id, 3/742)
"It was said: Love is sincerity in striving
to obey the commands of Allaah and pure
sincerity in following the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him)." (Tareeq
al-Hijratayn, 1/460)
"Whoever gives up striving completely, his
religious motives will become weak and his
motive to follow his desires will become strong,
but when he trains himself to go against his
desires, he can defeat them whenever he wants."
(`Uddat al-Saabireen, 1/46)
The believer who is striving knows that
goodness will remain and will prevail, no matter
how intense the darkness, how great the
calamity, how prevalent and widespread the evil
and how many limits are transgressed. And Allaah
is the One Whose help we seek.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
3749: Ways to help oneself
pray Qiyaam al-Layl
Question:
What are some ways that help to pray Qiyam
Allayl or
tahajjud??
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many things that one can do to help
oneself pray qiyaam al-layl, among which are the
following:
1 _ Being sincere towards Allaah, as He has
commanded us to be sincere towards Him and none
other in our deeds. He tells us (interpretation
of the meaning): "And they were commanded
not, but that they should worship Allaah, and
worship none but Him Alone…" [al-Bayyinah
98:5]. The more sincere a person is towards
Allaah, the more he will be guided and helped to
obey Allaah and draw closer to Him. Ubayy ibn
Ka'b (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Give glad tidings to this
ummah of splendour, religion, high rank, victory
and prevalence on earth. Whoever does the deeds
of the Hereafter to gain some worldly benefit,
will have no share of the Hereafter." (Reported
by Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami', 2825).
Mutarraf ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn al-Shakheer said:
"The goodness of a deed is related to the
goodness of the heart, and the goodness of the
heart is related to the goodness of the
intention." Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: "The degree to which a person is
helped and aided by Allaah depends on the degree
of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help
from Allaah comes to people in proportion to
their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and
failure comes to them in like manner."
Therefore the salaf were very keen to conceal
their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A
man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be
pleased with him), `How do you pray at night?'
He got very angry and said, `By Allaah, one
rak'ah that I pray in secret in the small hours
of the night is more beloved to me than praying
the whole night long and then telling people
about it.' Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend
the entire night in prayer, then when dawn
approached, he would go back to bed and lie
down, and when dawn came, he would raise his
voice as if he had just woken up.
2 _ The person who wants to pray qiyaam
al-layl should realize that Allaah is calling
him to qiyaam. When the slave realizes that his
Master, Who has no need of people's worship, is
calling him to do this, he will respond. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you
wrapped in your garments (i.e., Prophet
Muhammad)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a
little. Half of it, or a little less than that,
or a little more; and recite the Qur'aan (aloud)
in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style."
[al-Muzzammil 73:1-4].
Sa'd ibn Hishaam ibn `Aamir said to `Aa'ishah
(may Allaah be pleased with her): "Tell me about
how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) prayed qiyaam." She said:
"Have you not read "Yaa
ayyuha'l-muzzammil (O you wrapped in your
garments!)?" He said, "Of course." She said:
"Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified, made
qiyaam obligatory at the beginning of this
soorah, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and his companions prayed
qiyaam for a year, and Allaah withheld the end
of this soorah for twelve months, until He
revealed something at the end of this soorah to
make things easier, so qiyaam al-layl became
voluntary after it had been obligatory."
(Reported by Muslim).
3 _ Knowing the virtues of qiyaam al-layl.
Whoever knows the virtues of this act of worship
will be keen to talk to Allaah, may He be
exalted, and to stand before Him at that time.
Among the reports that describe the virtues of
this act of worship is the hadeeth of Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "The best of prayers after
the prescribed prayers is prayer in the depths
of the night, and the best of fasting after the
month of Ramadaan is fasting the month of
Allaah, Muharram."
(reported by Muslim).
`Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr (may Allaah be pleased
with them both) reported that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
most beloved of prayer to Allaah is the prayer
of Dawood, and the most beloved of fasts to
Allaah is the fast of Dawood. He used to sleep
for half of the night, then get up and pray for
a third of the night, then sleep for a sixth of
the night, and he used to fast every other day."
(Agreed upon).
`Amr ibn `Absah reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The closest that the Lord is to His slave
is in the later part of the night, so if you can
be one of those who remember Allaah at that
time, then do so."
(Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i).
According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn
Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Our Lord admires two men: a man who
leaves his mattress and cover, and slips away
from his wife and lover, to go and pray. Allaah
says, `O My angels, look at My slave. He has
left his mattress and cover and slipped away
from his lover and wife to pray, our of hope for
what is with Me and out of fear of what is with
Me."
(Reported by Ahmad. It is a hasan report.
Saheeh al-Targheeb, 258).
Qiyaam al-Layl expels forgetfulness from the
heart, as is stated in the hadeeth narrated by
`Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas (may Allaah be
pleased with them both), in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever recites ten aayaat in qiyaam will
not be recorded as one of the forgetful. Whoever
recites a hundred aayaat in qiyaam will be
recorded as one of the devout [???], and whoever
prays a thousand aayaat in qiyaam will be
recorded as one of the muqantareen (those
who pile up good deeds)." (Reported by Abu
Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report.
Saheeh al-Targheeb, 635).
Yahyaa ibn Mu'aadh said: "The medicine of the
heart is five things: reading Qur'aan and
pondering the meaning, having an empty stomach,
praying at night (qiyaam al-layl), beseeching
Allaah at the time of suhoor, and keeping
company with righteous people."
4 _ Studying how the salaf and righteous
people practised qiyaam al-layl and adhered to
it. The salaf used to enjoy qiyaam al-layl and
rejoice greatly in doing it. `Abd-Allaah ibn
Wahb said: "Every type of pleasure is enjoyed
only once, except for acts of worship, which are
enjoyed three times: when you do it, when you
remember it, and when you are given the reward
for it."
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: "There is
nothing left of the joys of this life except
three: qiyaam al-layl, meeting one's brothers in
faith, and praying in congregation."
Thaabit al-Banaani said: "There is nothing I
enjoy more than qiyaam al-layl."
Yazeed al-Riqaashi said: "A lot of tahajjud
brings delight to the worshippers, and a lot of
thirst (i.e., fasting), brings joy when they
meet Allaah."
Mukhallad ibn Husayn said: "I never woke up
at night except I saw Ibraaheem ibn Adham
remembering Allaah and praying, and this made me
depressed, so I consoled myself with this aayah
(interpretation of the meaning): `…That is
the Grace of Allaahm which He bestows on whom He
pleases. And Allaah is the Owner of Great
Bounty' [al-Hadeed 54:21]."
Abu `Aasim al-Nabeel said: "Abu Haneefah used
to be called al-Watad (pole or pillar) because
he prayed so much."
Al-Qaasim ibn Ma'een said: "Abu Haneefah
spent an entire night in qiyaam reciting this
aayah (interpretation of the meaning): `Nay,
but the Hour is their appointed time (for their
full recompense), and the Hour will be more
grievous and more bitter' [al-Qamar 54:46],
repeating it and weeping, beseeching Allaah
until morning came."
Ibraaheem ibn Shammaas said: "I used to see
Ahmad ibn Hanbal staying up at night to pray
when he was a young man."
Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: "I was with Imaam
Ahmad for nearly four months in the army, and he
never stopped praying qiyaam at night or reading
Qur'aan during the day, and I never knew when he
completed the Qur'aan, because he kept that
secret."
Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and
tahajjud at night until the time of suhoor, and
he would read between a half and a third of the
Qur'aan, and complete it at suhoor every third
night.
Al-`Allaamah Ibn `Abd al-Haadi said,
describing the qiyaam of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah: "At night he would keep away from
people, and spend that time only with his Lord,
beseeching Him continually and reciting Qur'aan,
repeating different kinds of acts of worship by
night and by day. When he began to pray, his
body would start to tremble, leaning to the left
and right."
Ibn Rajab said concerning his shaykh Imaam
Ibn al-Qayyim: "He was a man of worship,
tahajjud and lengthy prayers. I have never seen
his equal in worship and knowledge of the
Qur'aan, hadeeth and principles of faith."
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his
shaykh al-Haafiz al-`Iraaqi: "I stayed with him,
and I never saw him forsake qiyaam al-layl: it
was like a habit for him."
5 _ Sleeping on one's right side. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
taught his ummah to sleep on their right sides,
as is reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "When any one of you goes to
bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with
his garment, for he does not know what may have
come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right
side, then let him say, `Bismika Rabbi
wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uhu. In amsakta nafsi
farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa
tahfazu bihi `ibaadaka al-saaliheen (In Your
Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up
again. If You take my soul, then have mercy on
it, and if You send it back to me, then protect
it with that with which You protect Your
righteous slaves).'" (Agreed upon).
Al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When you
want to go to bed, do wudoo' as for prayer, then
lie down on your right side." (Agreed upon)
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
"When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) went to bed, he would put his right
hand under his right cheek." (Reported by
al-Tabaraani, Saheeh al-Jaami', 4523).
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: "There is a reason for his lying on
his right side, which is that the heart is
located on the left, so if a person lays on his
left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the
heart's position will be too comfortable, but if
he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too
settled, so he won't sleep deeply."
6 _ Sleeping in a state of tahaarah (purity).
We have already quoted the hadeeth of al-Baraa'
ibn `Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, "When you go to bed, do
wudoo' as if for prayer." (Agreed upon).
Mu'aad ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is
no Muslim who goes to sleep remembering Allaah
and in a state of purity, and when he turns over
he asks Allaah for good in this world and the
next, but it will be given to him." (Reported by
Abu Dawood and Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami',
5754).
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them
both) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Purify
these bodies and Allaah will purify you, for
there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state
of purity but an angel spends the night with
him, and every time he turns over, [the angel]
says, `O Allaah, forgive Your slave, for he went
to bed in a state of purity.'" (Reported by
al-Tabaraani. Al-Mundhiri said, its isnaad is
jaayid. Saheeh al-Jaami', 3831).
7 _ Going to sleep early. Sleeping straight
after `Ishaa' is the advice of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and
a good and healthy habit. One of the ahaadeeth
that describe its virtues was narrated by Abu
Barzah al-Aslami (may Allaah be pleased with
him) who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to prefer
to delay `Ishaa', and he did not like to sleep
before it or talk after it. (Reported by
al-Bukhaari).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar reported that al-Qaadi
`Ayaad said, concerning the phrase "He did not
like to sleep before it": "Because that could
lead to one praying it too late, or delaying it
until after the preferred time, and talking
after it could lead to one sleeping before Fajr
and missing it, or missing qiyaam al-layl."
Ibn Raafi' said: " `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allaah be pleased with him) used to wave his
stick at the people when darkness fell, and
would say, `Get up and go, may Allaah help you
to pray qiyaam at night!'"
Another matter that has to do with sleep is
choosing a suitable bed, not one that is
excessively luxurious or soft, because that
makes a person sleep too much and become
negligent, and causes laziness and carelessness.
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
"The pillow of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) on which he slept at
night was made of leather stuffed with palm
fibres." (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ahmad.
Saheeh al-Jaami', 4714).
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab entered upon
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) when he was lying on a mat
of palm fibres that had left marks on his side.
`Umar said, "O Messenger of Allaah, why do you
not get something more comfortable than this?"
He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "What do I have to do with this world? My
relationship with this world is like that of a
traveller on a hot summer's day, who seeks shade
under a tree for an hour, then moves on."
(Reported by Ahmad and al-Haakim. Saheeh
al-Jaami', 5545).
`Ali ibn Bakkaar (may Allaah have mercy on
him) used to have a slave-woman who would spread
out his bed for him, and he would touch it with
his hand and say: "By Allaah, you are good, and
by Allaah you are cool, but by Allaah I will not
rest on you tonight." Then he would get up and
pray qiyaam until Fajr.
Also, one should not sleep too much or too
deeply. Ibraaheem ibn Adham said: "If you are
sleeping at night, and running about during the
day, and always committing sin, how can you earn
the pleasure of the One Who is directing your
affairs?"
8 _ Having the habit of reciting adhkaar
prescribed by sharee'ah before going to sleep,
because these adhkaar are like a fortress which
protects a person from the Shaytaan, by the
permission of Allaah, and helps him to get up
for qiyaam. Among these adhkaar is that
mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "When any one of you goes to bed, let
him clear his bed by hitting it with his
garment, for he does not know what may have come
onto it. Then let him lie down on his right
side, then let him say, `Bismika Rabbi
wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uhu. In amsakta nafsi
farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa
tahfazu bihi `ibaadaka al-saaliheen (In Your
Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up
again. If You take my soul, then have mercy on
it, and if You send it back to me, then protect
it with that with which You protect Your
righteous slaves).'"
(Agreed upon).
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
reported that when the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed
each night, he would put his palms together,
blow in them, and recite Qul huwa Allaahu
ahad, Qul a'oodhu bi Rabbi'l-Falaq
and Qul a'oodhu bi Rabbi'l-Naas, then he
would wipe as much of his body as he could with
his hands, starting with his head and face, and
the front of his body, doing this three times.
(Agreed upon).
Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites
the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah, this
will take care of him." (Agreed upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that when the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he
would say: "Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi
at'amanaa wa saqaanaa, wa kafaanaa fa kam mimman
laa kaafeeya lahu wa laa mu'weeya lahu
(Praise be to Allaah Who has fed us and given us
to drink, and Who has given us enough, for how
many are there who have no-one to suffice them
or give them refuge)." (Reported by Muslim).
According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah in
which he tells the story of how he captured the
Shaytaan, the Shaytaan said to him: "When you go
to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi, `Allaah! None
has the right to be worshipped but He, the
Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects
all that exists…' [al-Baqarah 2:255 _
interpretation of the meaning] until the end
of it, because it will bring Allaah's protection
for you, and no shaytaan will approach you until
morning comes." Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) mentioned this to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and
he said, "He spoke the truth even though he is a
liar." (Agreed upon).
`Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that when the Prophet's
daughter Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) came to him and asked him for a servant, he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
to her and `Ali: "Shall I not teach you
something that will be better for you than a
servant? When you go to bed, say `Subhaan
Allaah' thirty-three times, `al-hamdu
Lillaah' thirty-three times, and `Allaahu
akbar' thirty-four times. This is better for
you than a servant." (Agreed upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Recite
`Qul yaa ayyuha'l-kaafiroon' when you go
to sleep, for it is a renunciation of shirk."
(Reported by al-Bayhaqi. Saheeh
al-Jaami', 1172).
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
reported that when the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he
would put his right hand under his right cheek
and say: `Rabbi qinee `adhaabaka yawma
tab'athu `ibaadaka (My Lord, save me from
Your punishment on the Day when You resurrect
Your slaves).'" (Reported by Abu Dawood,
Saheeh al-Jaami', 4532).
Al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When you
go to bed, do wudoo' as if for prayer, then lie
down on your right side, then say:
`Allaahummah aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa wajahtu
wajhi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja'tu
zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, laa
malja'a wa laa manjaa minka illa ilayk. Aamantu
bi kitaabik alladhi anzalt, wa bi nabiyyik
alladhi arsalt (O Allaah, I submit myself to
You, I turn my face to You, I delegate my
affairs to You and I rely totally on You, out of
fear and hope of You. There is no refuge or
sanctuary from You except in You. I believe in
Your Book which You have revealed and in Your
Prophet whom You have sent).' Then if you die,
you will have died on the fitrah, so make these
the last words you speak." (Agreed upon).
Similarly, the Muslim should have the habit
of reciting adhkaar prescribed by sharee'ah when
waking up, such as that reported by Abu
Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When any
one of you wakes up, he should say: `Al-hamdu
Lillaah illadhi radda `alayya roohi, wa `aafaani
fi jasadi wa adhina li bi dhikrihi (Praise
be to Allaah Who has restored my soul, given
health to my body, and allowed me to remember
Him)." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i,
Saheeh al-Jaami', 326).
`Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
turns over at night and says `Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk
wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa `a'l kulli shay'in
qadeer. Al-hamdulillahi, subhaan Allaah wa laa
illaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa laa hawla
wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no god
but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate.
His is the Dominion and the Praise, and He is
Able to do all things. Praise be to Allaah,
glory be to Allaah. There is no god except
Allaah, Allaah is Most Great and there is no
strength and no power except in Allaah),' then
says, `Allaahumma `ghfir li (O Allaah,
forgive me),' or some other du'aa', it will be
answered, and if he does wudoo' and then prays,
his prayer will be accepted." (Reported by
al-Bukhaari)
Imaam Ibn Battaal said: "Allaah has promised
through His Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) that whoever wakes up from
his sleep pronouncing words of Tawheed,
submitting to His sovereignty, recognizing His
blessings by praising Him, exalting Him above
that which does not befit Him by glorifying Him
(saying `Subhaan Allaah'), submitting to
Him by magnifying Him (saying `Allaahu
akbar') and admitting one's utter dependence
upon His help, then if he makes du'aa' it will
be answered, and if he prays his prayer will be
accepted. Everyone who hears this hadeeth should
apply it and make the most of it, and make his
intention sincerely for his Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted."
Al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with them both) said: "When the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up, he
would say: `Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi ahyaanaa
ba'da maa amaatanaa wa ilayhi al-nushoor
(Praise be to Allaah Who has brought us back to
life after having caused us to die, and unto Him
is the resurrection).'" (Reported by Muslim).
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them
both) reported that when the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up he
would wipe the sleep from his face with his
hand, then look at the sky and recite the final
ten aayaat of Soorat Aal `Imran: "Verily, in
the creation of the heavens and the earth…" [Aal
`Imraan 3:190 _ interpretation of the
meaning]." (Reported by Muslim)
Imaam al-Nawawi said: "This indicates that it
is mustahabb to wipe away the traces of sleep
from one's face, and to recite these aayaat when
getting up from sleep."
9 _ Being keen to take a nap or siesta during
the day, whether before zuhr or after. Anas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Take a nap, for the shayaateen do
not take naps." (Reported by al-Tabaraani.
Al-Saheehah, 2647).
Ishaaq ibn `Abd-Allaah said: "Taking a nap is
one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes
the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl."
Al-Hasan al-Basri passed by a group of people
in the marketplace in the middle of the day, and
heard the racket they were making. He said, "Do
these people take a nap?" It was said to him,
"No." He said, "I think their nights must be
bad."
10 _ Avoiding eating or drinking too much.
Eating and drinking too much are two of the main
obstacles that prevent people from praying
qiyaam al-layl. Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma'd Yakrib (may
Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Man fills no vessel worse than his
stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to
have a few mouthfuls to give him the strength he
needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let
him leave one-third for food, one-third for
drink and one-third for air." (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah. Saheeh
al-Jaami', 5674).
Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said to a man who burped
in his presence: "Stop your burping, for the
people who eat the most in this life will be the
most hungry hungry on the Day of Resurrection."
(Reported by al-Haakim. Saheeh al-Jaami',
1190).
Sufyaan al-Thawri said: "You should eat
little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaam
al-layl."
Ma'qal ibn Habeeb saw some people eating a
lot, and said, `I do not think that our
companions want to pray qiyaam al-layl."
Wahb ibn Munbih said: "There is no son of
Adam dearer to his shaytaan than the one who
eats and sleeps a lot."
11 _ Striving against oneself to pray qiyaam
al-layl. This is one of the best means of
helping oneself to pray qiyaam, because human
nature is inclined towards wrongdoing, so the
one who follows his own inclinations will be led
to doom and destruction. Allaah has commanded us
to strive against our own selves, as He says
(interpretation of the meanings):
"And strive hard in Allaah's Cause as you
ought to strive…" [al-Hajj 22:78]
"And as for those who strive hard in Our
Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths.
And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon
(good-doers)." [al-`Ankaboot 29:69]
"Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke
their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend
(charity in Allaah's Cause) out of what We have
bestowed on them" [al-Sajdah 32:16]
Fadaalah ibn `Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
mujaahid is the one who strives against his own
self for the sake of Allaah." (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan. Al-Saheehah,
549).
According to the hadeeth of `Uqbah ibn `Aamir
(may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "When a man from my ummah gets up to pray
at night, striving against his own self to get
up and purify himself, there are knots on him.
When he washes his hands in wudoo', one knot is
undone. When he washes his face, another knot is
undone. When he wipes his head another knot is
undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is
undone. Then Allaah says to those who are veiled
(in the Unseen): `Look at this slave of Mine, he
is striving against his own self and asking of
Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his."
(Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibaan. Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 627).
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: "I struggled
against my own self for forty years until it
became right." Thaabit al-Banaani said: "I
struggled for twenty years to make myself pray
qiyaam al-layl, and I enjoyed it (qiyaam
al-layl) for twenty years." `Umar ibn `Abd
al-`Azeez said: "The best of deeds are those
which we force ourselves to do." `Abd-Allaah ibn
al-Mubaarak said: "The souls of righteous people
in the past used to push them to do good deeds,
but our souls do not do what we want them to do
except by force, so we have to force them."
Qutaadah said: "O son of Adam, if you do not
want to do any good except when you have the
energy for it, then your nature is more inclined
towards boredom and laziness. The true believer
is the one who pushes himself."
12 _ Avoiding sin. If the Muslim wants to be
one of those who earn the honour of speaking to
Allaah in the depths of the night, let him
beware of sin, for the one who is contaminated
with the stain of sin will not be helped to pray
qiyaam al-layl. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn
Adham, "I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me
the cure for this." He said, "Do not commit sin
during the day, and He will help you to stand
before Him at night, for your standing before
Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and
the sinner does not deserve that honour."
A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: ""O Abu
Sa'eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to
pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with
which to purify myself, so why can I not get
up?" Al-Hasan said: "Your sins are restricting
you." He said, may Allaah have mercy on him,
"The slave who commits a sin will be denied the
opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast
during the day."
Al-Fudayl ibn `Ayaad said: "If you cannot
pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day,
know that you are indeed deprived and
restricted, chained by your sins."
13 _ Checking oneself and rebuking oneself
for not praying qiyaam al-layl. Checking oneself
is one of the signs of the righteous and
truthful. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "O you who believe! Fear Allaah and
keep your duty to Him. And let every person look
to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and
fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what
you do."
[al-Hashr 59:18].
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said: "If the slave is
responsible and accountable for everything, even
his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning),
`…Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the
heart of each of you will be questioned by
Allaah' [al-Isra' 17:36], then he should
check on himself before he is brought to
account."
Qiyaam al-layl is an act of worship that
connects the heart to Allaah, may He be exalted,
and enables it to overcome the temptations of
life and to strive against one's own self, at
the time when voices are stilled, eyes are
closed in sleep, and sleepers are tossing and
turning in their beds. Therefore qiyaam al-layl
is one of the measures of sincere determination
and one of the qualities of those who have great
ambitions. Allaah has praised them and
distinguished them from others in the Qur'aan,
where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Is one who is obedient to Allaah,
prostrating himself or standing (in prayer)
during the hours of the night, fearing the
Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord
(like one who disbelieves)? Say: `Are
those who know equal to those who know not?'
It is only men of understanding who will
remember."
[al-Zumar 39:9]
Qiyaam al-layl is "sunnah mu'akkadah"
(confirmed Sunnah), which the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do
when he said, "You should pray qiyaam al-layl,
for it is the habit of the righteous people who
came before you, and it will bring you closer to
your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin,
and expel disease from the body." (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad).
According to a hadeeth, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
best of prayers after the prescribed prayers is
qiyaam al-layl." The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) always had the
habit of praying qiyaam al-layl, and never gave
it up, whether he was travelling or staying at
home. Even though he, among all the sons of
Adam, would be the one to have all his past and
future sins forgiven, he prayed qiyaam al-layl
until his feet became swollen, and when he was
asked about that, he said, "Should I not be a
grateful slave?" (Agreed upon).
This is how the noble salaf were, may Allaah
have mercy upon them. Abu'l-Darda' (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: "Pray two rak'ahs in
the darkness of the night for the darkness of
the grave." Ahmad ibn Harb said: "I am
astonished at people who know that the delights
of Paradise lie above them and the horrors of
Hell lie beneath them. How can they sleep in
between them?"
When `Umar ibn Dharr saw that night had come,
he would say: "Night has come, and night has
dignity, and Allaah is most deserving of
reverence."
For this reason, al-Fudayl ibn `Ayaad said:
"I met some people who feel ashamed before
Allaah to sleep for too long in the depths of
the night. Such a person may be resting on his
side, and when he moves, he says to himself,
`This is not your right. Get up and take your
share of the Hereafter.'"
Al-Hasan said: "We do not know of any deed
more difficult than the struggle to stay up at
night or to spend money." It was said to him,
"Why do the mutahajjadeen (those who pray
Tahajjud at night) have the most beautiful
faces?" He said, "Because they spend time alone
with the Most Merciful, so He adorns them with
some of His light."
The women of the salaf also used to strive to
pray qiyaam al-layl with energy and
determination. Where are the women of our own
age when it comes to such great deeds? `Urwah
ibn al-Zubayr said: "I came to `Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) one day to greet
her, and I found her praying and reciting the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning), `But
Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us
from the torment of the Fire' [al-Toor
52:27], repeating it and weeping. I waited
for her, but I got bored of waiting, so I went
to the market for some things I needed, then I
came back to `Aa'ishah, and she was still
praying and reciting this aayah and weeping."
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Jibreel
said to me, `Go back to Hafsah, for she fasts a
lot and prays a lot at night (qiyaam al-layl).'"
(Reported by al-Haakim, Saheeh al-Jaami',
4227).
Mu'aadhah al-`Adawiyyah, one of the righteous
Taabi'aat spent her wedding night, along with
her husband Silah ibn Ashyam, praying until
Fajr. When her husband and son were killed in
the land of jihaad, she would spend the whole
night in prayer, worshipping and beseeching
Allaah, and she would sleep during the day. If
she felt sleepy whilst she was praying at night,
she would tell herself: "O soul, there is plenty
of sleep ahead of you."
When Habeebah al-`Adawiyyah prayed `Ishaa',
she would stand on the roof of her house,
wearing her chemise and khimaar (i.e., covered
in proper Islamic dress), then she would say, "O
my God, the stars have come out, people have
gone to sleep, and kings have closed their
doors, but Your door is open. Every lover is
alone with his lover, but here I am standing
before You." Then she would start to pray and
talk to her Lord until the time of suhoor. When
the time of suhoor came, she would say, "O
Allaah, this night is ending, the day is coming,
and I wish I knew whether you have accepted this
night (of worship) from me, so that I could
congratulate myself, or if it has been rejected,
so that I might console myself."
`Amrah, the wife of Habeeb al-`Ajami, prayed
qiyaam al-layl one night whilst her husband was
asleep. When the time for suhoor came, and her
husband was still asleep, she woke him up and
said to him, "Get up, my master, for the night
has gone, the day has come and ahead of you lies
a long road with little provision, and a small
group of righteous people who have gone before
us, and we are still here."
We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, to
thank Him and to worship Him properly. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
3172: How to strengthen
one's eemaan
Question:
Assalaam U'alaikum,
My iman is growing weak.
Are there any suggestions you have to
strengthen one's iman?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
You will find a detailed answer to this
question in the book ""Weakness of Faith", "
under "Shaykh's books" on this website. And
Allaah is the Source of help.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
605: Psychology: recommended
reading
Question:
Are there any books on psychology which you
would recommend?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If you are asking about the names of books on
the field of Islamic psychology, the answer is
that unfortunately there are still very few
modern books in this field. There is a need for
people who have studied the Qur'aan and Sunnah,
and who have an insight into and practical
experience of human psychology, as well as
knowledge of the experience and writings of
non-Muslims in this field, to write about this
subject properly and produce useful work in this
field. In any case, there are a few modern books
in this field, which include the following:
`Ilm al-Nafs al-Da'wi (The psychology of
Da'wah) by `Abd al-`Azeez Muhammad
al-Naghmeeshi
Madkhil ila al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyah
(Introduction to Islamic education) by `Abd
al-Rahmaan al-Yaami
Usas al-Sihhah al-Nafsiyyah li'l-Tifl
al-Muslim (Principles of psychological health of
the Muslim child) by Maalik Badri
Al-Tafakkur min al-Mushaahadah
ila'l-Shuhood: Diraasat Nafsiyah Islamiyah (From
seeing to bearing witness: a study in Islamic
psychology) by Maalik Badri
`Ilm al-Nafs al-Ta'leemi (Educational
Psychology) by Muhammad Khaleefah Barakaat
Araa' Ibn al-Qayyim al-Tarbawiyah (The
educational thought of Ibn al-Qayyim) by
Hasan `Ali Hasan al-Hijaaji
Diraasaat fi'l-Nafs al-Insaaniyah (Studies
in Human Psychology) by Muhammad Qutb
Manhaj al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyah
(Methodology of Islamic education) (2 vols.)
by Muhammad Qutb
`Ilm al-Nafs fi Hayaatinaa al-Yawmiyah
(Everyday Psychology) by Muhammad `Uthmaan
Najaati
`Ilm al-Nafs al-Takweeni (Formative
Psychology) by `Abd al-Hameed Muhammad
al-Haashimi
Al-Muraahiqoon (Teenagers) by `Abd
al-`Azeez Muhammad al-Naghmeeshi
Usool `Ilm al-Nafs al-`Aam (Principles
of general psychology) by `Abd al-Hameed
Muhammad al-Haashimi
The first reference given will give you more
details about these references, in sha Allaah.
We ask Allaah to give you help and strength.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
658: Dealing with a bad
Temper
Question:
I have a bad temper, if I was mad or upset, I
have moved away from the situation, when I was
standing I would sit down, when I were sitting I
would lie down, and I have recited the "darood"
and "laholawallah kuwatta", but to no avail.
How does one control their temper then?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Anger is one of the evil whispers of
Shaytaan, which leads to so many evils and
tragedies, of which only Allaah knows their full
extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal
to say about this bad characteristic, and the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) described cures for this "disease" and ways
to limit its effects, among which are the
following:
(1) Seeking refuge with Allaah from the
Shaytaan:
Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was
sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and two men were slandering
one another. One of them was red in the face,
and the veins on his neck were standing out. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, `I know a word which, if he were to
say it, what he feels would go away. If he said
"I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan,"
what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath,
6/337)
The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a man gets
angry and says, `I seek refuge with Allaah,' his
anger will go away." (Saheeh al-Jaami'
al-Sagheer, no. 695)
(2) Keeping silent:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you
becomes angry, let him keep silent." (Reported
by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/329; see also
Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).
This is because in most cases, the angry
person loses self control and could utter words
of kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allaah),
or curses, or the word of divorce (talaaq) which
would destroy his home, or words of slander
which would bring him the enmity and hatred of
others. So, in short, keeping silent is the
solution which helps one to avoid all that.
(3) Not moving:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you
becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit
down, so his anger will go away; if it does not
go away, let him lie down."
The narrator of this hadeeth is Abu Dharr
(may Allaah be pleased with him), and there is a
story connected to his telling of it: he was
taking his camels to drink at a trough that he
owned, when some other people came along and
said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu
Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make
his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so
he brought his animals and competed with Abu
Dharr, with the result that the trough was
broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in
watering his camels, but instead the man
misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken].
Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he
laid down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why
did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: . . ." and quoted the
hadeeth. (The hadeeth and this story may be
found in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152; see also Saheeh
al-Jaami', no. 694).
According to another
report, Abu Dharr was watering his animals at
the trough, when another man made him angry, so
he sat down . . . (Fayd al-Qadeer, al-Manaawi,
1/408)
Among the benefits of this advice
given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents
the angry person from going out of control,
because he could strike out and injure someone,
or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or
he could destroy possessions and so on. Sitting
down makes it less likely that he will become
overexcited, and lying down makes it even less
likely that he will do something crazy or
harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi, may Allaah
have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Abu
Dawud: "One who is standing is in a position to
strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting
is less likely to do that, and the one who is
lying down can do neither. It is possible that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told the angry person to sit down or
lie down so that he would not do something that
he would later regret. And Allaah knows best."
(Sunan Abi Dawud, with Ma'aalim al-Sunan,
5/141)
(4) Following the advice of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him,
reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Advise
me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man
repeated his request several times, and each
time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Bari, 10/456)
According to another report, the man said: "I
thought about what the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and I
realized that anger combines all kinds of evil."
(Musnad Ahmad, 5/373)
(5) Do not become angry and Paradise will be
yours (a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami',
7374. Ibn Hijr attributed it to al-Tabaraani,
see al-Fath 4/465):
Remembering what Allaah has promised to the
righteous (muttaqeen) who keep away from the
causes of anger and struggle within themselves
to control it, is one of the most effective ways
of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the
ahaadeeth that describe the great reward for
doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at
the time when he has the means to act upon it,
Allaah will fill his heart with contentment on
the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by
al-Tabaraani, 12/453, see also Saheeh al-Jaami',
6518).
Another great reward is described in the
Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at
the time when he has the means to act upon it,
Allaah will call him before all of mankind on
the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose
of the Hur al-'Iyn whoever he wants." (Reported
by Abu Dawud, 4777, and others. It is classified
as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6518).
(6) Knowing the high status and advantages
offered to those who control themselves:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strong man is
not the one who can overpower others (in
wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one
who controls himself when he gets angry."
(Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the hadeeth is agreed
upon). The greater the anger, the higher the
status of the one who controls himself. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "The strongest man is the one who,
when he gets angry and his face reddens and his
hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger."
(Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367, and
classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3859)
Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by some
people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is
this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest,
he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Shall I
not tell you who is even stronger then him? The
man who, when he is mistreated by another,
controls his anger, has defeated his own
shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made
him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn
Hijr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath,
10/519)
(7) Following the Prophet's
example in the case of anger:
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is
our leader and has set the highest example in
this matter, as is recorded in a number of
ahaadeeth. One of the most famous was reported
by Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, who
said: "I was walking with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), and he was wearing a Najraani cloak with a
rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him
roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the
marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the
Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the
wealth of Allaah that he had. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to
him and smiled, then ordered that he should be
given something." (Agreed upon. Fath al-Baari,
10/375)
Another way in which we can follow the
example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is by making our anger for
the sake of Allaah, when His rights are
violated. This is the kind of anger which is
praiseworthy. So the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) became angry
when he was told about the imaam who was putting
people off the prayer by making it too long;
when he saw a curtain with pictures of animate
creatures in `Aa'ishah's house; when Usaamah
spoke to him about the Makhzoomi woman who had
been convicted of theft, and he said "Do you
seek to intervene concerning one of the
punishments prescribed by Allaah?"; when he was
asked questions that he disliked, and so on. His
anger was purely for the sake of
Allaah.
(8) Knowing that resisting anger
is one of the signs of righteousness (taqwaa):
The righteous (al-muttaqoon) are those
praised by Allaah in the Qur'aan and by His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has
been prepared for them. One of their
characteristics is that they (interpretation of
the meaning) "spend (in Allaah's Cause) in
prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress
anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allaah
loves al-muhsinoon (the good-doers)." [Aal
`Imraan 3:134]
These are the ones whose good character and
beautiful attributes and deeds Allaah has
mentioned, and whom people admire and want to
emulate. One of their characteristics is that
(interpretation of the meaning) ". . . when
they are angry, they forgive." [al-Shooraa
42:47]
(9) Listening to reminders:
Anger is a part of human nature, and people
vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a
man not to get angry, but sincere people will
remember Allaah when they are reminded, and they
will not overstep the mark. Some examples
follow:
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that a man sought permission to speak
to `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased
with him), then he said: "O son of al-Khattaab,
you are not giving us much and you are not
judging fairly between us." `Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) was so angry that he was about
to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was
one of those present, said: "O Ameer
al-Mu'mineen, Allaah said to His Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
(interpretation of the meaning): `Show
forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away
from the foolish' [al-A'raaf 7:199]. This
man is one of the foolish." By Allaah, `Umar
could go no further after al-Hurr had recited
this aayah to him, and he a man who was careful
to adhere to the Book of Allaah. (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4/304).
This is how the Muslim should be. The evil
munaafiq (hypocrite) was not like this when he
was told the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and one of the
Companions said to him, "Seek refuge with Allaah
from the Shaytaan." He said to the one who
reminded him, "Do you think I am crazy? Go
away!" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath,
1/465). We seek refuge with Allaah from failure.
(10) Knowing the bad effects of anger:
The negative effects of anger are many; in
short they cause damage to one's own self and to
others. The angry person may utter words of
slander and obscenity, he may attack others
(physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to
the point of killing. The following story
contains a valuable lesson:
`Ilqimah ibn Waa'il reported that his father
(may Allaah be pleased with him) told him: "I
was sitting with the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man came
to him leading another man by a rope. He said,
`O Messenger of Allaah, this man killed my
brother.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, `Did
you kill him?' He said, `Yes, I killed him.' He
asked, `How did you kill him?' He said, `He and
I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall,
for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I
struck him on the side of the head with an axe,
and killed him.' . . ." (Reported by Muslim,
1307, edited by al-Baaqi).
Anger could lead to less than killing, such
as wounding and breaking bones. If the one who
caused the anger runs away, the angry person
turns his anger in on himself, so he may tear
his clothes, or strike his cheeks, or have a
fit, or fall unconscious, or he may break dishes
and plates, or break furniture.
In the worst cases, anger results in social
disasters and the breaking of family ties, i.e.,
divorce. Ask many of those who divorced their
wives, and they will tell you: it was in a
moment of anger. This divorce results in misery
for the children, regret and frustration, a hard
and difficult life, all as a result of anger. If
they had remembered Allaah, come to their
senses, restrained their anger and sought refuge
with Allaah, none of this would have happened.
Going against the sharee'ah only results in
loss.
The damage to health that results
from anger can only be described by doctors,
such as thrombosis, high blood pressure,
tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat) and
hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing),
which can lead to fatal heart attacks, diabetes,
etc. We ask Allaah for good health.
(11) The angry person should think about
himself during moments of anger:
If the angry person could see himself in the
mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself
and the way he looks. If he could see the way he
changes, and the way his body and limbs shake,
how his eyes glare and how out of control and
crazy his behaviour is, he would despise himself
and be revolted by his own appearance. It is
well-known that inner ugliness is even worse
than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytaan must
be when a person is in this state! We seek
refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan and from
failure.
(12) Du'aa':
Du'aa' is always the weapon of the believer,
whereby he asks Allaah to protect him from evil,
trouble and bad behaviour and seeks refuge with
Him from falling into the pit of kufr or
wrongdoing because of anger. One of the three
things that can help save him is: being fair at
times of contentment and of anger (Saheeh
al-Jaami', 3039). One of the du'aa's of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was:
"O Allaah, by Your knowledge
of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation,
keep me alive for as long as You know life is
good for me, and cause me to die when You know
death is good for me. O Allaah, I ask You to
make me fear You in secret and in public, and I
ask You to make me speak the truth in times of
contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let
me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I
ask You for continuous blessings, and for
contentment that does not end. I ask You to let
me accept Your decree, and for a good life after
death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face
and for the longing to meet You, without going
through diseases and misguiding fitnah (trials).
O Allaah, adorn us with the adornment of faith
and make us among those who are guided. Praise
be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds."
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Introduction