المسائل العقدية التي خالف فيها أحمد جومي الإمام مالك أئمة المالكية
How To Retain The Ramadan Spirit by Dr Bilal Philips
There is an amazing aura and energy that surrounds us in this month, enabling us to be a better person than the rest of the year. No matter how heavy one sleeps, Ramadan empowers you to wake up for Suhoor halfway through the night. No matter how fond you are of eating, Ramadan keeps you away from eating and drinking in these long summer days. No matter how far you are from the Quran, you try to listen and pay attention in the
Taraweeh prayers. No matter how stingy you are, in Ramadan you try to give some charity. No matter how errant you are, you try to be better; you try minimizing the
music, television and sinning in this month.
A Self-Control Program
With the Shaitan in chains, Ramadan comes to help us rein our soul. If we search about ‘self-control tips’ on Google, the results contain a plethora of difficult articles dealing with psychology and the human mind; some of their tips being
exercise, meditation, eating and sleeping.
On the contrary, our All-Knowing Rabb has gifted us with an effective training session in the form of this blessed month to help
us gain self-control, or in other words ‘Taqwa – the consciousness of Allah’. We learn to fear Allah and obey him by fasting the thirty days of Ramadan. Even if there is nobody around, none of us thinks of sneaking a snack. We increase in the mindfulness of Allah and are able to take better charge of ourselves.
The Message
Ramadan has a message for you; if you can keep away from such vital things as eating and drinking for the sake of Allah , you can resist the temptation to sin, for His sake. Just like how you were eager on
praying in Ramadan, you can observe prayers throughout the year. The training program has strengthened you enough to keep you away from evil and control your
Nafs, even after Ramadan is over. You do have that tendency to do good; just will it and keep it going!
Here are some tips to help you
retain the Ramadan spirit for the
rest of the year:
1) Befriend the Quran: Ramadan is all about the Quran; we are recommended to recite the entire Quran at least once, as a crash course for revising our whole curriculum of life. But should we put it away as soon as Ramadan ends? And what if we don’t even understand what it states? Quran is a Muslim’s best friend that keeps reminding you of what is wanted in life, and shall be your accomplice in the darkness of the grave.
As a practical tip, make a plan for the whole year to take a step further in your relationship with the Quran. Learn the language of the Quran and memorize the meaning.
If you already understand the meaning, dive deeper and ponder over the verses. If you learn and understand three ayahs daily, by next Ramadan, you will be able to
understand a large portion of the Quran. Also, deduce points for yourself that you need to implement in your life. The verses
of Allah will keep your faith fresh. Even if it is one ayah a day, do not forsake the Quran.
2) Keep good company: The company you keep determines what kind of a person you are and the activities you indulge in. If your companions don’t care about Allah
and emaan (faith), you will soon forget about it too. Search and pray for good companions and keep yourself in their perfumed company. Prophet Muhammad
said:
“Man follows his friend’s
religion; you should be careful
whom you take as a friend”. 1
3) Gatherings of knowledge: The biggest faith rechargers are those gatherings roofed by the wings of angels; the gatherings of Dhikr, Quran and Islamic knowledge. The feeling obtained in such ‘live’ gatherings is priceless, and cannot
be gained by reading or listening to something on your laptop. Look around for such opportunities in your locality and be a part of them.
4) Abandon sins: Sinning stains your
heart until it blackens out completely, blocking anything virtuous to reach inside. We cannot move forward on the path of
righteousness until we leave sins, especially the major ones1. This
Ramadan, make a list of all the sins you are involved in and plan on how you will leave them gradually.
Throughout the year, focus on one
sin every month/week.
5) Obligatory prayers: Do not miss the obligatory prayers, never! Prayer is our direct connection with Allah , our meeting with Him. It keeps us reminded and
helps us to stay away from misconduct. Allah says in the Quran:
“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits
immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” (Surah Ankabut, 29: 45)
This Ramadan, learn what you say in
your prayers and remember it
always.
6) Qiyam ul layl: If it is difficult to wake up for Tahajjud every day, (you do wake up in Ramadan, right? It is possible) do try to wake up once every week or at least once
every month. The night prayer gives us the chance to bond with Allah in an unexplainable way.
The peace, mercy and faith that descends on the heart in the third quarter of the night is priceless.
Sleeping early and taking a small nap in the afternoon will help you in waking up for Qiyam ul layl. Instead of being Ramadan Muslims,
we should be Ramadan- born Muslims! Let this Ramadan fuel your faith for the days to come.2
@ blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/ramadans-message-you-can-do-it/
20 Dhul-Hijjah 1442
30/07/2021
Are You Depressed? Here’s A Du’a For You
Ibn Mas’ud reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone is afflicted by much care he should say, “O God, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, and at Thy disposal; my forelock is in Thy hand; Thy judgment is effective regarding me; just concerning me is Thy decree; I ask Thee by every name Thou hast by which Thou hast called Thyself, or sent down in Thy Book, or taught any of Thy creatures, or kept to Thyself in the hidden place of the unseen, to make the Qur’an the Spring of my heart and the means of clearing away my care and grief.” He declared that no one had ever said it without God removing his grief and giving him joy instead of it.
Razin transmitted it.
وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ” مَنْ كَثُرَ هَمُّهُ فَلْيَقُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ وَفِي قَبْضَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَلْهَمْتَ عِبَادَكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي مَكْنُونِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قلبِي وجِلاء هَمِّي وغَمِّي مَا قَالَهَا عَبْدٌ قَطُّ إِلَّا أَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ غمه وأبدله فرجا “. رَوَاهُ رزين
لم تتمّ دراسته (الألباني)
A Ramadan of Change – 25 of 30
He died in Ramadan
A close friend of mine recently posted this:
“Last night while praying Terawih, a man in his 50s collapsed after 5 or so rakahs were completed. An alert was made for any Dr in the congregation to come and see to him. He was conscious and seemed to be in a good way. He was left with the doctor and the congregation continued with the prayers. He was later taken to the nearby hospital and it was there that he was pronounced dead”
What a beautiful way to die, and what a mighty indication of a person’s standing in Allah’s Eyes, to be taken away upon an act of worship.
The Prophet PBUH said: إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْرًا اسْتَعْمَلَهُ
“If Allah wants good for a person, he puts him in action.”
The companions asked, “How is this O messenger of Allah?”
He responded: يُوَفِّقُهُ لِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ
“Allah inspires him to do a good deed before claiming his soul.” (AtTirmidhi)
The fact that so many started Ramadan with immense enthusiasm which then fizzled out is proof that it’s all about the endings of matters.
The thought of one’s state during their dying moments has kept awake the most righteous of people at night as they soaked their pillows with tears, thinking to themselves:
“What will my state be during that hour?”
“Will the trauma of seeing the Angel of Death push me off the track of Islām?”
“Will my burden of sins bar me from repeating the Shahādah?”
“Will I die as a Muslim?”
When the famous scholar of Islām, Sufyān Ath-Thawri, was breathing his last, he was seen weeping. He was asked whether it was his sins which induced his tears. In response, he lifted up a stick from the floor and replied:
لذنوبي عندي أهون من ذا – ورفع شيئاً من الأرض – ولكني أخاف أن أسلب الإيمانَ قبل أن أموت.
“My sins are less significant in my eyes than this stick, but I fear the prospects of having my Īmān pulled away from me moments before I die.”
Similarly, when Imām Ash-Shaafi’i was experiencing the throes of death, one of his students, Al-Muzani, entered upon him and asked, “How are you, O Imam?” He responded:
أصبحت من الدنيا راحلاً، وللإخوان مفارقاً، ولربي ملاقياً، ولا أدري أتصير روحي إلى الجنة فأهنيها، أم إلى النار فأعزيها
“It looks like I will be departing from this world today, leaving my friends and meeting my Lord. I do not know whether my soul will be taken to Paradise so that I should congratulate it, or driven to Hell so that I should mourn it.”
In fact, the closing words of the companion of the Prophet Muḥammad PBUH, Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal, were similar to this. As he lay on his death bed, he was heard saying to those around him:
انظروا هل أصبح الصباح؟
“Look outside and tell me, is it morning yet?”
They would tell him that it was still night. He asked the same question soon after, and again, they reassured him that the sun had not risen. After asking the same question a third time, he cried out saying:
أعوذ بالله من ليلة صباحها إلى النار
“I seek protection in Allāh from a night, the morning of which is in the fire.”
It may seem that these words belonged to a people who had led a life of sin, addictions, procrastination, and play. This was not the case at all, these were people who had led pious lives full of worship, teaching, and repentance, but they realised that this is when it can all go wrong.
What is the situation of a person who fasts the entire day but nibbles on something a minute before sunset? His fast is null and void.
What is the situation of a person who has stood for hours in prayer and then remembers that they aren’t in a state of Wudoo moments before giving Salām? His prayer is null and void.
Similarly, one may lead a long life of outward righteousness and worship, but during those closing moments, everything could change.
We have no guarantees on how our ending will be. We do, however, have indications.
Imām Ibnu Kathīr says: حَافِظُوا عَلَى الْإِسْلَام فِي حَال صِحَّتكُمْ وَسَلَامَتكُمْ لِتَمُوتُوا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ الْكَرِيم قَدْ أَجْرَى عَادَتهُ بِكَرْمِهِ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَاشَ عَلَى شَيْء مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ مَاتَ عَلَى شَيْء بُعِثَ عَلَيْهِ فَعِيَاذًا بِاَللَّهِ مِنْ خِلَاف ذَلِكَ
“Take care of your duties as Muslims during your times of health and well-being if you have any desire to die upon Islām. For Allāh, The Most Generous, has once again displayed to us Ḥis infinite generosity and has decreed that whosoever lives upon something will die upon it, and whosoever dies upon something will be resurrected upon it.”
On these closing nights of Ramadan, that final push really does say a lot about who this person is in Allah’s Eyes. Ensure that you remain committed right till the end;
Till the end of Ramadan, and till the end of your life.
✉️ Share it. Lives may change through you.
A Ramadan of Change – 19 of 30 Written By Shaykh Ali Hammuda
Don’t mock them
As we edge closer to the last 10 nights of Ramadan, the Masjid will begin filling up again, and you may hear some protesting:
“Those Ramadan Muslims! They came to the Masjid during the first week of Ramadan only then to disappear soon after, and now they show up?!”
Such words are chilling signs of an inner illness that resides within the heart of such a person, an illness that can single-handedly ruin a lifetime’s worth of good deeds;
= Self-admiration.
Don’t put it past yourself. What is fasting, charity, recitation of Qur’an, prayer in congregation and a flawless Hijaab when tarnished with self-admiration? Even a trace of its poison is sufficient to tear down years worth of good deeds, hence our predecessors were afraid!
As for Abu Bakr, the number one companion, the closest to the Prophet PBUH and one who’d been promised paradise during his very lifetime over and over again, he would say:
لوددت أني كنت شعرة في جنب عبد مؤمن
“I wish that I was a strand of hair found on the body of a righteous believer.”
As for ‘Abdullah Ibnu Mas’ood, he once noticed how people would gather around him in order to enjoy his scholarly presence, so he said to them:
لو تعلمون بعيوبي ما تبعني منكم رجلان؛ ولوددت أني دعيت عبد الله بن روثة وأن الله غفر لي ذنباً من ذنوبي
“If you knew of my faults, not even two of you would walk next to me. In fact, I wish that my nickname in life could be ‘Abdullah son of filth if it meant that Allah would erase just one of my many sins.”
As for Imam Ahmad, it was said to him, “There are so many people who are making Du’aah for you!” Upon hearing this, his eyes flooded with tears and said:
أخاف أن يكون هذا استدراجا
“I am afraid that this is me being baited to destruction.”
He also once heard someone say to him, “May Allah reward you for everything that you’ve done for Islam” to which he responded:
بل جزى الله الإسلام عني خيرا، من أنا؟ وما أنا؟
“Rather, may Allah reward Islam for what it has done for me! Who am I? What am I?”
As for As-Sariy As-Saqati, he said: “I do not wish to be buried in a location that people know of.” They asked him why this is, to which he responded:
أخاف أن لا يقبلني قبري فَأُفْتَضَح
“I fear that my grave will refuse to accept my corpse and thus I will be humiliated”
As for Malik Ibnu Dinar, he said:
لو أن مناديًا ينادي بباب المسجد: ليخرج شركم رجلاً، والله ما كان أحد يسبقني إلى الباب إلا رجلاً بفضل قوة أو سعي
“If a caller was to call out from the door of the Mosque, saying: ‘Let the worst one of you leave’ no one would be quicker to leave the Mosque than me with the exception to those who are stronger or faster than I am.’”
As for Imam Ibnu Taymiyya, his student – Ibnul Qayyim – would frequently hear him saying:
ما لي شيء ، ولا منّي شيء ، ولا فيَّ شيء
“I have nothing. I have done nothing. I am nothing.”
When people would praise Ibnu Taymiyyah, he would say:
والله إني إلى الآن أجدِّد إسلامي كل وقت ، وما أسلمت بعد إسلاماً جيداً .
“By Allah, I am – till this very day – constantly renewing my Islam. I have not submitted to Allah correctly yet.”
As you can see, they cornered their self-admiration till it had no choice but to walk out from their lives, having realised that the self-impressed risk not being welcomed by paradise.
So, next time you hear your soul saying to you:
“Those Ramadan Muslims! Now they show up to the Masjid?!”
remember that Allah may end up pardoning their shortcomings but not your arrogance.
20 Ramadan 1442
2/06/2021
Chapter 69: The Most Beloved of Words to Allah
“In an authentic narration, Samura bn Jundub reported:
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said, “The dearest of words to Allah are four: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa-Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). And there is no harm in beginning with any of the words (you don’t have to say them in that order).”
[Sahih Muslim 2137]
“In another narration, it mentions: the best of words after Quran are four, and these four words are from the Quran:
“Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa-Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).”
[Ibn Majah 3811, Ibn Hibban said its authentic, 5837]
“In yet another narration this was reported:
“the best of words that Allah has chosen for the Angels are: Subhanallah wa bihamdihi”
[Sahih Muslim 2731]
“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w) as saying:
“Two are the expressions which are light on the tongue, but heavy in scale, and dear to the Compassionate One (Allah) : ‘ Subhanallah wa bihamdihi, SubhanAllahil Azeem’ (Glory be to Allah and praise is due to Him; Glory be Allah, the Great).”
“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w) as saying:
The uttering of (these words): ‘Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa-Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest),’ is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.”
[Sahih Muslim 2695]
– Ibnul Qayyim (author, Waabilus Sayyib; Chapter 69)
When It’s The First Night Of Ramadan
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“When the first night of Ramadan comes, the satans and mischievous jinns are chained up, and the gates of the Fire are closed, and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed, O seeker of evil, stop.’ And Allah has necks (people) whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ: “ إِذَا كَانَتْ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ. وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ. وَنَادَى مُنَادٍ: يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ. وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ. وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ. وَذَلِكَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ
Sunan Ibn Majah 1642
STRIVING
Oh you who is tired and about to give up Perhaps your difficulty was not meant to render you helpless It might just be the struggle that uplifts you Do you not find peace in the words of the most high Stating and affirming that indeed with hardship comes ease Oh my dear one do […]
STRIVING
Not All Invitations You Accept
“Accepting invitation is a right of your brother upon you but It’s not every invitation you must accept. Especially if it hinders you from doing something that’s better than it like seeking knowledge.” – Ibn Uthaymin
Thank You Backbiting Me; Thank You For Your Gift of Good Deeds
A man said to al-Hasan رحمه الله “Indeed, someone has backbitten you!”
Hasan sent a dish of sweet dates to the backbiter and said, “I heard you have given me your good deeds as a gift, so I want to repay you for it, but please excuse me for I am unable to completely repay you.”
[Tanbīh al-Ghāfilīn 1/164]
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